Dani Segelbaum, agent at Arc Literary Management

Dani read my pages closely and went over them with me. She had excellent suggestions, and was very easy to talk to over Zoom. She also has a super cute Aussiedoodle!

15 minutes with Dani restored my faith in myself! I had made changes to my manuscript and query letter based on a different agentís comments. These changes were made very grudgingly and left me feeling demoralized but a bit pugnacious. Dani didnít like any of those changes and unknowingly made suggestions that were very similar to my original copy. I must add that she also suggested something brilliant that I had NOT thought about.
I learned a lesson that Teacher Beth already knew but Writer Beth forgot. Just as our writing styles are unique, so are agents. Some like voice, others like carefully wrought words that transcend our dreary lives.
You might have guessed – Iím a vocal spitfire. I had drained every ounce of spunk from my first ten pages. Dani gave me permission to return to Divadom – the domain of the Finally Fabulous.
If you err on the side of smart ass storytelling, Daniís your gal. She studies your work with a fine-toothed-comb (well, as much as 15 minutes will allow) and has plenty of suggestions that make so much sense.
I learned an enormous lesson from this experience. I will continue to request critiques from readers who donít mesh with my style not only to hone my skills but also to question myself and then walk away like The Donna.
If you know, you know!

Although Dani Segelbaumís vivisection of my query was in-depth, she was so congenial that there was no need for Novocain. She gave me pinpoint suggestions that helped me streamline the pitch and make the prose clearer. An extra set of eyes is invaluable to any writeróespecially when the task is the dreaded query letteróand Daniís perspective allowed me to see the letter as the opening of a dialogue. She is as smart and focused as she is kind.

Dani offered clear comments on my first ten pages (including the easy but important fix that delaying one line for a couple of paragraphs intensified the chapter’s emotional impact). She understood what I was trying to do, and that was hugely validating. She also answered a couple general questions about publishing. I appreciated her kind, insightful feedback.

At first, I was hesitant to book a session ó†$100 seemed like so much money for just 15 minutes of face time. But several of my author friends on Instagram had a great experience, so I took the plunge. I’m so glad I did! It wasn’t just the 15 minutes of face time, but the opportunity to have an agent actually review my submission thoroughly in advance so we could have a conversation about it. Dani Segelbaum was so friendly, helpful and encouraging. Her enthusiasm for my query letter and initial pages gave me the confidence I needed to head back into the querying trenches feeling good about my work, and her suggestions for tweaks to make my submission the best it could be were so helpful. She also provided some general suggestions for dealing with the often discouraging query process as well. I would highly recommend Dani and Manuscript Academy for anyone considering a consultation like this.

Dani Segelbaum was great. She reviewed my query letter and first ten pages and gave me great advice. I am rewriting that part of my work to her suggestions. She told me how I should set up my query to be more effective and my first ten pages to hold people’s interest. She thought the hook in the first ten pages was fine. I ran it by a couple of people, and they think it does read a lot better. They liked my first version, but like the way this reads much better. It was time and money well spent with Dani, and enjoyed our conversation. She is without question excellent at what she does and a very kind person.

Dani was extremely helpful. I appreciate the expert feedback.
It is so easy to doubt your decisions and have no idea if what you’re doing is powerful or effective. No one has the perspective an agent does on a query.
Dani’s suggestions for my letter and the first ten pages of my LGBTQ memoir were solid and specific. It took me a few days to figure out how to put them in place but I did and know the suggestions improved my opening immensely. (I only wish I’d scheduled a few days earlier, BEFORE I got a full request…)
This consultation made a difference in my approach and my confidence. There’s a bit less flail to my walk this week. Thank you!
….cole
(ni)Cole LeFavour
(writer, activist, and former Idaho State Senator)

Dani was fantastic. She was incredibly kind, supportive, and had actionable advice for how I could improve my pages. It was comfortable, friendly, and so helpful. I wasn’t entirely sure how much to expect from this 15 minute conversation; suffice it to say it more than exceeded my expectations. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone, and certainly would recommend Dani!

Iíve done a few of these consultations and this was by far the best. It really felt like Dani had my best interest at heart. She spoke to me like we were a team.