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Generous, Analytical, Sharp-minded, Kind
Jonathan Baker is the person to meet with if you are serious about your work but find yourself stuck when it comes to your writing career. Baker is generous but analytical, sharp-minded but kind. Before I sat down with him, my work was languishing in the doldrums. I didn’t fully understand the publishing industry—or my place in it. Now, with Baker’s help, I’ve crafted a clear and exciting path going forward. Give yourself a birthday present (I did) and arrange to meet with him. Don’t wait: life is short, and you owe it to yourself to obtain the best advice available! Thanks, Julie and Jessica, and a big thanks to Jonathan Baker.
Karen Keskinen
February 5, 2026
A Timely Boost for My Query Journey
I was really encouraged by my session with Dani. I had been feeling discouraged about the querying process, and she took time to explain more about how publishing works while reassuring me about my chances of finding the right agent.
She reviewed my query thoughtfully, highlighting what was working well and offering specific, actionable suggestions for improvement. I left the session feeling more confident, encouraged, and motivated to keep querying and not give up.
Thank you, Dani!
Ifeanyi Omoike
February 16, 2026
Time well spent on the road to sub!
Erica was great! She gave me constructive feedback in a kind, helpful way. Thanks to her sharp insights, I was able to figure out exactly what wasn’t working with my query and fix it. She also asked for my questions ahead of time to make the best use of the crazy short session. Time and money well spent as I’m getting ready to sub!!
Molly Rettig
January 24, 2026
Amazing Critique
Danielle shared targeted, thoughtful feedback on the first fifty pages of my middle grade speculative manuscript. Her critique helped maintain my confidence that my manuscript is on the right track and allowed me to launch into a new draft with many areas for improvements. Danielle was honest, but extremely positive, pointing out what was working and ways to fix what wasn’t. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with Danielle.
Elizabeth Condon-Kim
January 25, 2026
Best Experience Yet
I have done a lot of the live meetings and mixed ones as well. Molly’s written critique and notes were about the best investment in my book I have made at MA. Highly recommended.
Charles Goin
January 26, 2026
Matter-Of-Fact, To-The-Point, Much Appreciated
My 15 minutes with Ms. Chun were very well-spent and appreciated. She provided straightforward advice on my query letter and 10 pages of my novel. I came away with a clear understanding that I needed to make my plot pivotal in my novel as I had digressed into lengthy character expansions. Harkening to my newspaper background, she helped me realize I had “buried the lede.” She reinforced that I had to “kill my darlings” and delete writing that I really liked but was not central to my story. I also came away with a renewed vigor and dedication to seeing my novel published.
David M. Wilhelms
January 29, 2026
Linda is golden!
This is the second time Linda has helped me with a query. She went above and beyond adding the specific detail my query lacked. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with her and appreciated her sage wisdom. And she’s super cool. I hope our paths cross again in the future. I’d love to have her as my agent!
Lisa Connelly
January 29, 2026
Fifteen Minutes to a Better Query
I was desperately in need of help as I was sure my query was not working. As a member of Manuscript Academy, I was able to sign up for one of several versions of consultations available to members. I looked through the write ups on the many agent faculty members, and chose Kelly Van Sant. I picked an available date and time to have a fifteen minute telephone consultation on my query and the first ten pages of my debut espionage novel. I was comfortable speaking
with Kelly right from the start. She first asked what help I hoped to receive from this consultation, and I said my query was not working for me. She immediately told me she has her own process for helping people requiring query assistance, and I took notes to work with. I then asked a few minor questions in the last couple of minutes and she freely answered these as well. I heartily recommend Kelly Van Sant for anyone needing help with queries or pages. She is easy to talk to and will give you the help you need.
Patricia Vozab
January 29, 2026
Warm, Insightful, Generous
Ivan was warm, realistic, encouraging, and insightful. He gave me a rundown of what was working well (hooks, comps, humor, etc) and what could be improved for an even stronger submission/query. I would definitely book with him again!
Stephanie Jackson
January 20, 2026
I felt heard!
15 minutes with Carina was a huge help–she had actionable advice for what I need to do to polish up my manuscript, how to better market myself etc. She answered my questions thoughtfully, and even though it was a short session I really feel like I got a lot out of it.
Kendra Long
January 21, 2026
Query Consult
Caitlin McDonald read and reviewed my query letter. She gave me specific ways to improve and pointed out sentences that can be left alone. It was amazing having an expert break down the elements that worked and those that needed tweaking. The query is the scariest thing I’ve ever written and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be guided by an industry expert who is so well respected. I wish everyone could have 10 minutes of her time!
Melissa
January 21, 2026
Query Notes
I have struck gold! Stephanie Winter read my query and gave me concrete, useful, and honest notes. Back to the drawing board, but with her help, I know the final draft isn’t far off.
Melissa
January 21, 2026