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Pushes for Breakthrough Novel Revision
Fiona was wonderful! She is so nice and personable. It was a very fruitful 10 minutes. She had both positive feedback as well as suggestions for making my novel and query letter (which we talked about; she didn’t see it) better – pushing me to really consider something I’d been resistant to doing. It resulted in a breakthrough for me, with a new idea of how to rework/reorder my novel in a way I think will result in a better work overall.
Also, it meant so much to have a literary agent “get” what I was trying to do with that first page. Having received a good number of form rejections without knowing the reason for those passes, to hear praise from a literary agent was so encouraging.
Eileen Wilkin
March 24, 2025
Provides Hope and Industry Insights
Jessica was so helpful to me yesterday during my 15-minute consultation. She answered every question I had with her knowledge and experience. I left the consultation feeling hopeful about my work and about the industry for the first time in a while. I am so grateful to her.
Jaimie Hunter
March 24, 2025
Explains Querying and Comp Titles
I learned so much from my consultation with John Cusick! As someone who has spent the last six years in STEM, I have very limited experience with creative writing/publishing. John was able to give me a lot of pointers for improving my query letter, and I now have a better understanding of the term ‘comp titles’.
Natalie Click
March 24, 2025
Pinpoints Exact Query Improvements
Stehanie honed in exactly on what I needed to do to polish up my query. It’s amazing what can be learned in just ten minutes. Thanks Stephanie!
Deborah Norkin
March 24, 2025
Strengthens Query and Story Focus
I booked a consultation with Jennifer for help on my query letter. She not only helped make the query letter better, she pinpointed specific areas of my story where I could strengthen and improve the manuscriptójust from the query! Very helpful ten-minute session, and I highly recommend her.
Kirsten Randall
March 24, 2025
Clarifies Querying Hurdle with Precision
I reached a wall in my querying process and needed to speak to an industry professional about what I was doing wrong. I requested a consultation with Molly Cusick because I appreciated her vast experience as both an agent and an editor. She was exceptionally professional and straightforward. She complimented me on my work, which was lovely, but she was very, very clear about the hurdle I faced. Fifteen minutes is so brief, and I loved that she did not dawdle with small talk or fluffy nonsense. When I found myself pondering further questions after our conversation, I wrote to her and she promptly replied with a lengthy, insightful message. She is fantastic.
Kate Teves
March 24, 2025
Pinpoints Exact Query Weaknesses
John’s critique of my query letter was so spot-on I had a “duh” moment, like, “Why didn’t I see this before?” I had to rewrite my letter, but he gave me a blueprint, pinpointing what to cut and what to add. My revision is exponentially better. I’m just relieved I worked with John before I started querying agents.
If you’re looking for someone to gush over you, he’s probably not the right person. But if you’re serious about writing the best possible query, he’s the one.
Kerry Hansen
March 24, 2025
Improves Emotional Stakes in Query
John not only came with insights about my query, but also prioritized my questions at the start of the meeting to make sure the feedback was targeted. I walked away with ideas about my genre, suggestions around increasing the emotional stakes for my dual POV characters, and ways to make my manuscript stand out from other SFF manuscripts. This was an extremely valuable experience.
Liz Hanson
March 24, 2025
Gives Practical Middle Grade Advice
Talking to Fiona was as wonderful as IÃd hoped it would be. She is positive and practical. In a short period of time, she zeroed in on some points that made perfect sense and described what she looks for in middle grade stories in a sentence. You might not think that would be enough, but absolutely did.
(WonÃt say what it was. Get a consult and find out!)
Best advice IÃve had in a long time.
Susan Paxton
March 24, 2025
Shares Concrete Steps for Revisions
I met with Linda for a 15-minute consultation and 10-page read yesterday. Linda was so helpful, answered all my questions, and offered a tremendous amount of encouragement. I learned a lot from listening to her insights, and she helped me see my writing from a different perspective. I had discrete, actionable steps I could take to improve the pages. More than anything, her encouragement helped boost my confidence in my WIP. That is HUGE for me. So grateful!
Jaimie Hunter
March 24, 2025
Delivers Encouraging, Poignant Feedback
I have worked with Fiona several times and will go back to her fountain of knowledge and inspiration as much as she will have me. She is kind, positive, honest, and has the unique ability to understand just what is needed to take a novel to the next level. She provides poignant feedback in a snap and explains what is working and what is not in a way that makes revisions feel effortless. Brilliant. Wise. Humble.
Morrigan Puhr
March 24, 2025
Boosts Confidence and Query Strategy
Fiona has an impressive career and years of experience but she was instantly relatable. In a matter of ten minutes, she answered my questions, suggested concrete revisions to my query, and provided advice on the business side of finding an agent. Most of all, she made me feel like I can do this! I left our meeting feeling so encouraged and hopeful and capable.
Kelley Powell
March 24, 2025