Jessica Sinsheimer has been reading and campaigning for her favorite queries since 2004. Now an agent at the Context Literary Agency, she is always on the lookout for new writers, and–whatever the age group–she tends to love contrast: highbrow sentences and lowbrow content, beautiful settings and ugly motives–the books that are beautiful and scary, heartbreaking and hilarious. She loves secrets, scheming, revenge, plotting–and stories that have to be written forward and backward to make sense (SHE LOVES discovering a very cleverly planted clue that makes sense in retrospect). She’d love more of what she thinks of as “Rom Com 2.0” works–powerful, nerdy women with humor and heart. More underrepresented characters, please–especially those with power, agency, and happy endings.
Gives Smart and Actionable Feedback
Jessica was incredibly kind and warm, but above all, super savvy and smart! She gave actionable feedback on my query letter that I could implement right away. I’m excited to update my query based on her suggestions and see what happens on my querying journey.
Jessica was incredibly helpful during our call. She went above and beyond with comments on my query and manuscript’s first thirty pages, highlighting areas where I am doing well in addition to where I can improve. I want to make my book the best it can be before sending it to agents, and Jessica’s guidance has given me a jumping-off point that will help me do just that. Whether I land an agent with this book or not, I would recommend working with Jessica either way, as her feedback will help me in future manuscripts as well as my work-in-progress.
Provides Insightful First Page Feedback
Hi Jessica and Julie,
Jessica, I want to thank you for your thoughtful comments on Catch a Falling Star. I know you went above and beyond in the time you gave me and I really appreciate it. I couldn’t believe how insightful you were, just from looking at the first page. Many of your ideas about where the story should go were close to what is in the manuscript, and gave me further thoughts and ideas about how to improve it. I will certainly continue to use Manuscript Academy and recommend it to my writing friends–you guys are great! (I’m also wondering if you have any time to critique more pages in the future. It doesn’t seem like you have time available on the calendar and I do understand that, but thought I’d ask 🙂
Again, thank you so much,
Meg
Offers Direction and Encouraging Insights
Jessica is warm and friendly. She gave me fabulous advice and went above and beyond what I expected. I know the direction I need to take with my writing now, in large part because of this conversation. Thank you!
I met Jessica Sinsheimer and the experience was definitely worth it! She took the time to run through all the problem areas of my query, was patient and spot on! This is the only service I know of out there that allows aspiring authors the opportunity to pick various pieces of their work to have analyzed by professionals in the industry in such a streamlined and effective manner. And as many times as needed until we get it right!
Jessica shared all of her notes and suggestions; problems I could not see, as I was just too close to my story to have an eye of an outsider reading my query letter. I am so appreciative of this invaluable opportunity to help get my work out to the world!
Generous & helpful
Jessica was incredibly generous and helpful with her comments and industry knowledge. She truly listened to my query trenches-related issues, gave valuable feedback and offered up some actionable items. I am so very grateful I scheduled with her!
Guidance for Speaking to Agents
Jessica was fabulous. She told me exactly what I needed to hear about my query, asked me enough questions, and ultimately I ended up answering my own questions with her line of thought. It felt like a thorough first meeting, personal, and a great way to learn to speak to agents if youíve never done it.
This is a test
LOVE Jessica. She is so helpful, and her vision for my manuscript helped me get my first chapter back on-point. I am so grateful for her time and expertise. I learned so much!
Unsurprisingly, she was awesome!
I won a Ten Minutes with an Expert chat from a Facebook live first pages event and was thrilled to find a coveted meeting with Jessica available in July. Unsurprisingly, she was awesome! She didn’t mind working through technical issues with me to ensure I had her comments in front of me as we chatted (even though she was running behind schedule and had already had a long day running a Manuscript Academy event), and provided excellent feedback that helped me understand the strengths and weaknesses in my query letter. Now as I rework my blurb, I have high hopes that the finished product will be a lot better thanks to her notes.
Refines Query with Clear Focus
My 10-minute query consultation with Jessica was invaluable. She was well prepared with detailed advice that gave my query a lot more punch and focus. She talked through each paragraph, culling ineffective details and centering the heart of the story. Jessica was direct and honest, but also extremely encouraging and motivating!
Empowers Writers with Marketable Revisions
I am so grateful for my session with Jessica! Not only were her notes on my query letter extremely helpful, but she offered incredible expertise in answering my questions. But the best part was, Jessica truly “got” my story, with all its strange intricacies and twists. Her support in figuring out the best way to present/sell it was incredibly helpful. I walked away feeling re-inspired and hopeful–and, perhaps more importantly, HEARD! Thank you, Jessica!
This was the best MA session I’ve ever had, and I’ve had many. Jessica answered all my questions and provided amazing insights into my story and characters and how I can increase tension from page 1. I was ready to shelve the book prior to this meeting, but she helped me see its good points and encouraged me to keep going. Perhaps the best testimonial of all comes from a friend of mine who didn’t know I was meeting with Jessica: “You seem totally different today, like way more confident!!” That’s shortly after I met with Jessica. I’m so grateful for this opportunity.
I left my session with her feeling more confident than ever.
Jessica Sinsheimer was fantastic! She was kind, personable and helpful. She gave positive feedback and helpful editing suggestions. She even went out of her way to show me how to look for agents using key words on twitter and using the manuscript wish list website. I left my session with her feeling more confident than ever.
I left my session with her feeling more confident than ever.
Jessica Sinsheimer was fantastic! She was kind, personable and helpful. She gave positive feedback and helpful editing suggestions. She even went out of her way to show me how to look for agents using key words on twitter and using the manuscript wish list website. I left my session with her feeling more confident than ever.
New inspiration
I just finished my 10min consult with Jessica as part of my gold membership and it was amazing! She was able to help me get through a plot issue that I had been struggling with and even gave me some new inspiration. I can’t wait to put all the pieces together and share this story.
The day after I took her precise and useful notes and revised my query, I got a full request for my manuscript.
Jessica was extremely thorough, professional and compassionate in helping me to improve my query letter. The day after I took her precise and useful notes and revised my query, I got a full request for my manuscript as well as a note from an agent that my query letter was SOLID. The proof is in the pudding, and Jessica is a gem.
I would like to thank Jessica and Julie for everything that they are doing to help authors improve their craft. I had been stuck in the query trenches for a year and a half, and was completely lost on why I was getting rejected. Then I found the Manuscript Academy.
At first, I cried a little when I saw their prices. Then I decided to save up and book a consultation with Fiona Kenshole. And let me tell you this, the feedback that I got from a REAL Literary Agent truly opened my eyes to why I was getting rejected.
Sometimes, when you stare too long at your manuscript, you do not pick up on the flaws and areas that need improvement. This is where a fresh pair of eyes, especially those from a professional in the industry, can really come in handy.
I highly recommend you try it out. Think of it as an investment.
Jessica was incredibly generous and helpful with her comments and industry knowledge. She truly listened to my query trenches-related issues, gave valuable feedback and offered up some actionable items. I am so very grateful I scheduled with her!
She went out of her way
Jessica Sinsheimer was fantastic! She was kind, personable and helpful. She gave positive feedback and helpful editing suggestions. She even went out of her way to show me how to look for agents using key words on twitter and using the manuscript wish list website. I left my session with her feeling more confident than ever.
Tremendous Experience with Great Insights
I recently had a query critique with Jessica. She was incredibly kind and helpful. She answered all of my questions and gave a lot of great suggestions, while simultaneously being encouraging. I feel more motivated then ever to start querying after my meeting with her!
Uplifting and Helpful Consultation
My 10 minutes with Jessica was great! She is fun and easy to talk to, and her detailed feedback helped strengthen my query letter. Also, her words of encouragement gave me hope at a time of doubt. I love these consultations!
She went out of her way
Jessica Sinsheimer was fantastic! She was kind, personable and helpful. She gave positive feedback and helpful editing suggestions. She even went out of her way to show me how to look for agents using key words on twitter and using the manuscript wish list website. I left my session with her feeling more confident than ever.
I just finished my 10min consult with Jessica as part of my gold membership and it was amazing! She was able to help me get through a plot issue that I had been struggling with and even gave me some new inspiration. I canít wait to put all the pieces together and share this story.
My 10-min consultation with Jessica was so helpful! She was super easy to talk to and asked right off the bat how I wanted to use our time together. She answered questions about my query letter, pitching and where the story was going. She brainstormed with me and helped me figure out how to best get my intended message across. I canít recommend it enough!!!
Fantastic consultation. Advice clear, insightful, and helpful. Highly recommend.
Brilliant Query Letter Insights
I had a ten minute consult with Jessia Sinsheimer on my query letter. It was obvious she read it ahead of time and gave it some thought, sending me her preliminary notes.
I cannot overstate how helpful this consultation was! Ms. Sinsheimer is so knowledageable about the industry, books, and all things related to pitching a manauscript. She pointed out that I might have put my book in a genre that wasn’t the best fit for it. She was absolutely correct. She also gave me suggestions on how to make the query stronger. She was cheerful, pleasant, personable, wise, and so generous with her effort and knowledge.
I feel so fortunate that I got to have that talk with her–she’s brilliant, and very very skilled at helping authors.
Work with Jessica
LIVE Meetings: Meet face-to-face, from home. Choose Zoom, Google Meet, or phone, and speak for the appointed time about your query, first page, and/or first ten pages (for longer meetings). Does not include written notes, but is a chance to have an honest discussion about your work, and to ask follow-up questions. International meetings welcomed.
HYBRID is a live meeting at the appointment time, with written notes.
WRITTEN Critiques: Get detailed, thoughtful notes on your work. Comes with large-scale edits (character, world, plot, tension, concept, conflict, and similar as needed) in an editorial letter and small-scale, line-by-line notes as needed (for longer critiques, an average of three per page). Work arrives in your inbox within 24 hours of thedate on the calendar.