I have now used Barbara Sjoholm's Author–Editor Clinic for two different book-length works and I have nothing but praise for this low-cost, excellent professional edit. I recommend it highly to novelists, essayists, and writers of nonfiction books.”
—Priscilla Long, author of Where the Sun Never Shines: a History of America’s Bloody Coal Industry. Her poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction appear in Ontario Review, The Southern Review, Michigan Quarterly Review and many other publications.

I would recommend Barbara Sjoholm's editing clinic to any writer at any stage in his or her career. I was very pleased with the insightful, thorough critiques I received on a how-to writing text and an adventure novel. The quality of the development editing was high and the price was very low—a great combination.”
—Nick O'Connell www.writersworkshop.com Writer for Outside, Gourmet, The New York Times and author of On Sacred Ground: The Spirit of Place in Pacific Northwest Literature

The Author–Editor Clinic gave me what no friend, colleague or writing group has ever done: a highly detailed and substantive critique of every aspect of a novel-in-progress, including thematic elements, characters, structure, plot, and pacing. The reality of publishing today is that agents and editors want to see novels that are ready for publication; they are less inclined than in years past to help new writers develop their work. The Author-Editor Clinic is a great resource, and I highly recommend it.”
—Allison Green, Author,
Half-Moon Scar

The close reading editors in Barbara Sjoholm 's Author–Editor Clinic gave my manuscript inspired me to go the distance in a next draft. Their focus and attention provided the insight I needed beyond my writer's groups' comments, and I used these insights and responses effectively in rewriting. I look forward to another opportunity to provide a manuscript to the clinic.”
—Sheila Bender, Author, Publisher of WritingItReal.com

Since 2004, the Author–Editor Clinic has been helping authors revise, clarify, expand, trim, and improve their manuscripts. We accept manuscripts for scheduled editorial clinics on a space-available basis, and we are available year-round to provide resources for writers and referrals for other editorial services.

The Author-Editor Clinic values productive and respectful relations between writers and editors. Many editors connected with the Clinic are also writers — whether of blogs or books — and have first-hand experience of being edited.

On this site you’ll find links and references to helpful online resources and books about writing, editing, and publishing. You may also find some of our online classes of interest, particularly the four-week introductory class Thinking Like an Editor.

The Clinic also offers several possibilities for working with experienced developmental editors. Two or three times a year we run editorial clinics, in which authors receive intensive editorial feedback from editors who work to improve their skills under supervision. We can also accommodate many authors’ requests for editing through our manuscript review service.

Editorial Clinics

Our scheduled six-week editorial clinics match authors with editors. Your editor will read your manuscript twice, making thorough notes. We may have questions for you that can be answered via email correspondence. You'll receive at least 20 hours of reading and structural editing, culminating in an editorial letter of 10–15 single-spaced pages.

Each session we look for book-length, completed projects, of fiction or creative nonfiction, of no more than 350 pages (double-spaced 12 pt type) or around 85,000 words. If your manuscript is over this word limit, please contact us to discuss, or think about trimming it down for the session. If your project is longer, not yet completed, or is a nonfiction manuscript such as biography, history, or self-help, please consider our year-round manuscript review service, described below.

The one-time fee for editing through a manuscript session is $700. As there is increasing demand for this service, and we must be selective in what we choose to work on, please feel free to contact us in advance of the deadline.

Upcoming Editorial Clinics

Spring 2012 Editorial Clinic: February 20 – March 30, 2012
Application Deadline: February 8, 2012
Fee: $700

To request an editorial critique through one of our Editorial Clinics, please submit the following four items by email attachment to info@authoreditorclinic.com.

• A one-page description of your project, detailing the total number of pages, whether the manuscript is complete or in-progress, and a brief summary of your book's genre/purpose/plotline.
• 10 sample pages of your work (single-sided, double-spaced).
• A brief biographical note with information about your writing and publishing experience.
• A letter with as much information as you'd like to give us about your specific editorial queries.

If we accept your manuscript, we'll require two double-spaced hard copies, one for the editor and one for the supervisor, to be mailed separately. You'll receive an agreement to sign and return with your payment. We can accept payment by personal check or via PayPal. You will receive your editorial letter at the end of the six-week session.

Manuscript Review Service

Our year-round manuscript review service matches an author with a developmental editor. For a flat fee, dependent on manuscript length and the editing issues involved, one of our editors will provide a long editorial letter covering a variety of structural and developmental issues.

If your project is fiction, your editor will focus on theme, plot, character, dialog, and narrative strategies. We accept genre manuscripts, such as mysteries, science fiction, and romance, and can help with pacing and development. We accept young adult books and can look at issues of audience and age-appropriate language. We accept many forms of nonfiction projects, from self-help and instructional books to biography, history, and travel. We also have worked with many authors on memoirs and essay collections. In short, the only forms we're not able to edit are poetry collections and books for very young children.

Since the manuscript review service focuses primarily on structural issues and “big-picture” editing, we don't provide copyediting—that is, check your facts or your spelling. However, we're interested in helping you improve your writing skills and will sometimes make suggestions regarding general grammar and language problems. Please see “Different Kinds of Editing” (free pdf download).

The Clinic works with a group of editors who have participated in our scheduled Editorial Clinics and run freelance editing businesses; all are listed on our Editor Referrals page. You are also welcome to contact any editor on our referral page directly.

To discuss the possibility of working with an editor individually, through our manuscript review service, please contact administrator Kyra Freestar (206-300-2601 or info@authoreditorclinic.com) or send us a description of your project, including a cover letter, a short biography, and ten sample pages for evaluation.

A selection of published titles by authors from former Editorial Clinics

Sheila Bender, A New Theology: Turning to Poetry in a Time of Grief
Imago Press, 2009

Monica Drake, Clown Girl
Hawthorne Press, 2007

Kat Falls, Dark Life
Scholastic, 2010

Joe Follansbee, Shipbuilders, Sea Captains, and Fishermen:
The Story of the Schooner Wawona
iUniverse, 2007

Dave Fox, Getting Lost: Mishaps of an Accidental Nomad
Inkwater Press, 2008

Betsy Howell, Acoustic Shadows
Rainforest Press, 2007
Read an October 2009 interview with the author.

Sheila Kelly, Treadwell Gold
University of Alaska, 2010

Bob Seidensticker, Future Hype
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2006

Valerie Tarico, The Dark Side
Lulu.com, 2006

Questions?

For any questions about how the Clinic operates, our editorial clinics, our year-round manuscript review service, or our referral list of freelance editors, please contact administrator Kyra Freestar (206-300-2601 or info@authoreditorclinic.com). We do not share contact information with anyone. We email interested authors and editors several times a year to announce newly scheduled editorial clinics and online classes. You can also follow us on Twitter to receive announcements.

 

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