Testimonials And Reviews

My consultation with Amy was extremely helpful. She gave me feedback on both my query letter and my pages and her clear explanations of strong and weak points in the letter have put me on a path to a much more powerful and direct query letter. Her feedback on my pages reinforced my own sense of what was and wasn't working and I am revising with more confidence. I am so thankful!

Stacey is a consummate professional...the most insightful, valuable 10 minutes of my writing career 🙂

Kimberley rang right on time and straight away I knew I was going to enjoy talking to her. She was really easy to talk to and listened to what I wanted to ask. At one stage the line dropped out and she immediately rang me back. She gave good advice and tips for moving forward. I would have no hesitation in talking to her again and it was lovely to chat to someone so professional and understanding. I now have some points to follow up on. Thanks for the chance to talk to someone in the business and I look forward to what opportunities I will connect with next at The Manuscript Academy.
Thanks from Rhonda Forrest (Australian author)

Molly provided concise and insightful feedback on my query letter and manuscript, which I've been struggling with for a while. I'm immensely grateful to Molly for this, and would highly recommend her to any writer looking for a fresh pair of eyes, along with kind and helpful feedback.

I bought this critique with money I received for my birthday, and I'm so glad I did - it's the best money I've ever spent! So, thank you to everyone at Manuscript Academy for providing this wonderful service.

I was so excited to have a 10 minute call with Caitie because she was one of the agents who liked my #DVPIT tweet back in October. She loved my MC's voice, which was so affirming for me. Caitie also gave me solid tips to strengthen my opening page.

I'm in the middle of an R&R for another agent, so it really helped when I asked her for tips on that. She helped me see that there really isn't a 'time limit' per se for my R&R. Caitie believes in my story enough to wait for my strongest version, so she'll wait for me to resubmit my revised first 50 pages to her. I am so, so, grateful and delighted I got to have such a lovely Skype call with her. Thank you, Caitie and Manuscript Academy!

My 10 minutes with Melissa Warten was great! She gave me both thoughtful and encouraging feedback, as well as suggestions on how to improve my query letter. I would love to work with her again!

I had a meeting with John Cusick to go over my MG query letter. He was very helpful. We refined comps, edited the second summary paragraph, and he answered questions. I definitely recommend him.

As with all Manuscript Academy events, this was so incredibly helpful. I have been perpetually confused and frustrated about hooks- like its been a thorn in my side- and I finally have some clarity on what they are, which is literally so wonderful!! I still am not sure what my own hook is, but now I have a formula to work with, which is all I can ask for, and so much more than I had at the beginning! Yay! And of course, the vibe tonight was so cozy and personal and uplifting, which is exactly the kind of tone we need for growth and community! Which is what I always come for anyways 🙂

Sometimes, you want information, sometimes feedback, sometimes notes, sometimes encouragement, sometimes just to relate to a likeable human person. I wanted feedback (what's not working!) and notes (ideas, suggestions, language to use). I got all that, plus a bit of encouragement--which is always welcome-- and a very likeable human person. 🙂 I really enjoyed the Submission Strategy session hosted by Jessica and Julie this past summer, and hoped to benefit from Jessica's knowledge of the industry as well as her artful interpretation of how agents think, to help me understand what's wrong with a query that hasn't been successful. I got suggestions for 1) what genre to pitch 2) focal areas of my narrative to emphasize, 3) what to leave out, and 4) whether it was my pages or my query that's been the main problem. Maybe more importantly: enjoyed our conversation.

After tossing one frustrating draft after another of my query letter, I decided to try the Manuscript Academy's critique service. I'm glad I did. After following the advice Mr. Smith gave me, I was able to fix the errors in my query letter, and finally create one I could feel confident in. He was approachable, took care to answer my questions thoroughly, and made sure to explain not just what I should do, but why I should do it.

Ten minutes with Fiona was all I needed to get me enthusiastic about my writing again and excited to get started on my editing! Fiona was absolutely wonderful - she was supportive, insightful, encouraging, and critical in all the right ways. As a new author and someone lacking many connections within the industry, it was great to be able to get expert guidance and to receive really specific, tailored advice that will help me take my query - and my writing - to the next level.

Stephanie was succinct and informative. I asked for some hard, honest answers about my project and she gave them. An excellent use of my time and money.

I've been encouraging all my writing buddies to check out this service. To get a critique AND fifteen minutes with an industry professional for such a reasonable price is like, unheard of. Out of all the other critique services I looked into before signing up, Manuscript Academy totally gives you the best bang for your buck. I of course was an awkward nervous wreck and talking a mile a minute, but Eric is amazing. He took my steam-rolling him with questions all in stride, and gave lots of down to earth, wonderful advice. He quickly helped me realize that most of my worries over the business side of publishing were unfounded. I also appreciated that he took the time to read my pages before our meeting, allowing me to pepper him with questions over email before we "met" over Skype. I left our meeting feeling far more confident and prepared to begin the querying process. If I am unable to get an agent with this MS, I plan to use this service again in the future! THANK YOU!!!!!

All the events and classes Julie and Jessica put on are tops but Fiona topped TOPS! I came away feeling eager and inspired after having had many days of, "Why am I doing this?"

Jennifer is awesome. She helped me solve issues I've been having with my manuscript and encouraged me to continue in my efforts to find an agent. She gave me specific suggestions and more general plot and character thoughts. It wasn't so much a critique as a collaboration. I highly recommend her for a critique.

I'm thankful for the time I got to spend with Kayla Lightner on the consultation service. She had clearly read and considered the pages sent in advance and presented concise and specific feedback on my work. I was also able to ask questions about the querying and publishing process, and Kayla gave invaluable insight into the current state of the industry and helpful tips on how to continue pursuing a writing career.

I also participated in an online writer's session earlier this month. Though I had listened to and enjoyed the podcast this past year, after one month I'm already really feeling the added value of the Manuscript Academy subscription.

Kayla was friendly and helpful, and was keenly appreciative of making the most out of our 10-minute session. She didn't hesitate to praise my writing when it was warranted and offered constructive, applicable feedback for the first 10 pages of my MG steampunk fantasy. We fit in a lot in such a short timeframe but Kayla didn't make our conversation feel rushed or impersonal. It was a truly productive and fun experience.

In July when I spoke with Stephanie, she suggested a change to my MS that worked out perfectly so this time, I sent her my query. She was extremely helpful, again! She said I had a wonderful query and gave me two suggestions.

My meeting with Danielle was absolutely lovely. She had clearly spent time with my work and had concrete feedback ready for me, which is incredibly helpful because sometimes it’s hard to form the right questions to ask! And she’s also such a bright, warm human, which made the experience delightful as well as helpful. Highly recommend her as someone to consult!

The ten-minute query-page consultation with the astute Hannah Robinson was full of good humor and good advice. Hannah made several helpful suggestions for improvement, and I feel that I and my query letter greatly benefitted from our cordial discussion. I am grateful to have had this opportunity to consult with such a fine editorial professional.

We had a very thorough and insightful chat, not only about tips for the first 10 pages but the rationale behind it. I appreciated her insights suggestions. But for me, the best part was talking about the MS as a whole and how best to start readers on the journey, based on what I am trying to accomplish with the MS. It was a different conversation than what I expected--more discussion about the book and the industry than actual critique, which was exactly what I wanted, needed. Plus, she's just great. So glad I did it.

Stephanie gave me so many solid insights into how to make my query solid. She commented on things I'd never even considered and offered guidance on how to move forward with the changes.

She offered clear explanations for why certain things weren't working and also offered plenty of praise for things that were.

Stephanie is very engaging, and I felt fully at ease talking to her. I highly recommend booking her for a consultation.

My time with Rachel was very productive.

Despite the fact that my query had been past a professional editor, and reviewed by another, Rachel offered some great tips to improve the letter.

We also had a great discussion about the book itself, which left me feeling encouraged about the months ahead.

Would highly recommend Rachel to other budding authors out there. She was very helpful and great to talk to.

The greatest value of spending 10 minutes on the phone with an agent and former editor, was that I could get feedback from someone who is objective and experienced. Whitney provided a few nuggets of advice that were helpful in rewriting my first sentence. She was encouraging and kind. She also helped me think more about comp titles and how to categorize my manuscript.

I had a great conversation with Danielle. She had read through all the pages I sent and had concrete suggestions for making them better. She was also able to discuss more general questions about how best to describe my project and overall how to make it better. She was thoughtful, kind and clear.

As an author taking a plunge and meeting with literary agents is a leap that can be scary. An author needs to take every bit of advice and sift through it, like a fine cookie recipe. Sift, Sift, mix, add a little here, and a little there. Here and there definitely describes the 15 minute consultation I received with Megan Barnard. Her thoughts, and written notes, and line edits, were well worth the time and fee. I appreciate my meeting with Megan, and without a doubt, it was time well spent. I dearly love Manuscript Academy, it's the link I've been missing throughout my novel journey. Writers need critiques from agents who have never seen your manuscript before. That's the beauty of Manuscript Academy!

I really enjoyed the energy and information from all the people involved. I wrote so many notes down which I think will really help me get my work published. My search continues for an agent to help me start the process. I am so glad I found your group.

Anyone out there working on a novel, picture book, etc. needs to know about The Manuscript Academy. This group can offer so much relative information which will help answer the many questions we all have starting out as writers. I feel so privileged to know about this group.

Sincerely,

Sandra

The query letter critic meeting with Amy Bishop was productive and helpful. I recieved some valuable professional feedback -- hopefully it will help me to improve the effectiveness of my query.

Ms. Sands was an absolute pleasure to speak with. Her guidance was thoughtful and kind, and I never felt rushed. I was so inspired after our conversation that I immediately got to work implementing her suggestions for my query letter! It was a wonderful experience.

Stephanie was wonderful. Her comments were encouraging and constructive. I was nervous at the start, but within a few minutes I felt like I was talking to a good friend- and a supportive one. I highly recommend her to other writers!

I enjoyed a very instructive chat with Caitlin. She expressed enthusiasm in the project, and pointed out several ways I hadn't thought of to strengthen my query and help it better express the scope of the work. I feel well-positioned and excited to finally begin the query process, and would definitely recommend Caitlin as a wonderful source of guidance.

Alyssa was friendly, approachable, supportive, and supremely knowledgeable--my consultation with her was a genuine pleasure, and she gave me some great advice about improving my queries. 10/10 would recommend.

I met with Melissa Warten for the 10 minute query critique. I enjoyed working with her, so I came back for a 15 minute 10 page critique. Melissa is fantastic. I feel like I have a strong idea of what I've done well and what I need to work on. She is very approachable and extremely clear with her feedback. It is evident Melissa is passionate about literature. She arrives to the sessions prepared and excited to discuss the writer's work. I highly recommend these sessions!

A terrific learning experience. The team took the time to read the first lines of many of the participants and point out their strengths. So helpful to those of us struggling with the "hook!"

John Cusick gave me tremendously helpful and positive feedback! I know my YA story is good (OK, I think it's more than good!:)), but my query letter was all wrong. I've revised it and resumed the journey. Thank you Manuscript Academy for your great program to support authors.

I had a written critique of my first ten pages done by Fiona Kenshole. It was amazing! It’s like having a critique done by your wise, funny, loving aunt (whom you’ve never met) but who still always sends you the perfect thoughtful gift on Christmas and your birthday. But this aunt just so happens to be a professional literary agent who knows everything there is about publishing, writing, film and being kind, insightful and wonderfully genuine. Don’t we all wish we could have a Fiona in the family. Well, now you can! Or, at least you can pretend to

At our meeting, Lane Heymont proved himself to be a magician. I filled several pages of notes with his information and insights, yet in the short time he didn't seem the least bit rushed. He answered questions, addressed my doubts, and in the end was encouraging and patient. From my research, I know he's a successful agent; but after our meeting, I know he's a gifted teacher.

Fiona Kenshole was generous with her time and comments, warm and easy to talk with, and most of all, she helped me see the key next step for my revision! I am encouraged and challenged, in a good way. I absolutely recommend talking with Fiona to learn how to make your MG more immersive and relatable to the target reader. She also gave me helpful feedback on my query.

Amy Bishop was terrific. Very sharp. She gave precise, concrete advice. She's a very good editor.

And a very nice person. I was very happy with my 10 minutes with her and immediately rewrote my query based on her advice.

I had a written critique of my first ten pages done by Fiona Kenshole. It was amazing! It’s like having a critique done by your wise, funny, loving aunt (whom you’ve never met) but who still always sends you the perfect thoughtful gift on Christmas and your birthday. But this aunt just so happens to be a professional literary agent who knows everything there is about publishing, writing, film and being kind, insightful and wonderfully genuine. Don’t we all wish we could have a Fiona in the family. Well, now you can! Or, at least you can pretend to

My consultation with Linda was incredible. She was so encouraging and warm, but equally insightful and considered. She asked great questions, which showed that she had thought about the whole story not just the first ten pages. She gave me some fabulous advice to help set the scene in the first chapter and a couple of line edit suggestions, which whilst small will really impact the reader as they engage with the story. I left the call buzzing with energy and enthusiasm and was so grateful for her time and expertise.

Eric Smith is so wonderful to consult with! He generously sent some comments before our session so that our time could be maximized when we connected. After speaking with him I made some major changes to my manuscript that I feel have made a big difference. Thanks Eric!

Jessica was great! She gave me commentary not only on the overall state of my picture book manuscript, but also specific items for me to tweak. She was incredibly helpful, and I highly recommend her!

John gave great feedback and was incredibly encouraging! I would absolutely work with him again! Highly recommend!

My consultation with Kimberely Atkins was FABULOUS! She asked insightful questions, gave excellent advice on my query, and I felt like I was chatting with a new friend who genuinely wanted me to succeed and wanted to help me as much as possible.

Thank you!

I'll admit, my heart ramped up in the few minutes before my meeting with Lane. I mean, c'mon, meeting with a pro who's going to tell you if the intent of your hard work, uh, works or not? It's a special sort of apprehension.

Lane helped ratchet down the angst pretty quickly. He was clearly comfortable in his role and the ease was infectious. Well, maybe a different adjective would be better during Covid era.

Transmittable?

Communicable?

Drat.

...he made me feel welcome in his world, how's that?

Lane was hospitable during the critique process. He was clear about his thoughts, praised what worked, pointed towards the mistakes I'd made that undercut my goals, and just generally made me feel good about using this service. It felt worthwhile enough that I've recommended to all the people in my Creative Writing Masters degree program.

Would I use it again? Well, quality industry feedback with fairly quick turnaround time? Yep. I'd give it another go.

Andrea was absolutely fantastic to speak to regarding my query letter. She had some wonderful insights that you can't find from google and she was joy to speak to. Very warm and personable! It was not only helpful, but a confidence boost that I'm on the right path.

Although I'd shown my adult sci-fi manuscript to a couple waves beta readers, including Meetups and a writer's retreat workshop with an industry editor, this live session was a great experience. Foremost, Kiana Nguyen provided unique advice about starting the novel at a different point in the event timeline. She provided solid rationale, and even kindly offered a sentence stem to kick off with. Two days later, I had a first draft to show my Meetup, and seven out of eight readers-- both new and old-- preferred the new beginning. Apart from that, Kiana also offered detailed thoughts on weaker and problematic word choices, and how to get the story feeling more appropriate to the timeline. Unexpectedly, she also went the extra mile and sent written notes, including suggestions for my query letter. When Kiana's recommendations conflicted with other beta readers, that was also really informative. A good reminder of subjectivity, and how agents have specific approaches. Mind you, she also said nice things about my premise and certain passages. She was extremely friendly, reassuring, emphasized the need to write frim the POV/style/etc. that one prefers rather than focusing on 'the most commercially viable' strategy. Also, she was communicative when we had technical problems at the start, and shared neat opinions about representing racial minorities in fiction. I can't emphasize how nervous I was at the beginning, but I'm so glad I signed up!

My consultation with Ellen was terrific! Worth every penny to speak to an insider in the publishing biz and hear how my first ten pages stack up. I've been having an issue with my WIP since Day 1, and Ellen really talked me through it. Now, I feel more confident about putting my manuscript out there and reaching the right audience.

Linda was easy to talk to and covered an amazing amount of subject matter in a short amount of time. Her remarks were quite helpful, and I can’t wait to revise my query!

My consultation with Valentina was excellent. She had great suggestions specific to me and my situation. Very helpful. It was a real pleasure to talk with her.

What a wonderful experience! Yes, I was nervous—it was my first-ever Ten Minutes with an Expert. But Fiona Kenshole was so warm and delightful, she immediately put me at ease. She asked though-provoking questions that will definitely help shape my pitch and my novel. Thank you to the Manuscript Academy for having such stellar agents here to help us navigate these intimidating waters!

Hannah Robinson was wonderful to talk with. I enjoyed all six hundred seconds! Would like to have it last longer... but who wouldn't?

Alyssa was friendly and direct. She went through my query letter, and she gave me excellent feedback about boiling down the plot. We talked about comparative titles and other books in my genre, and it felt like talking to an old friend...who knew a lot more about publishing than me! She's a great agent. 10/10, would recommend.

When I won the 30 minute critique and consult with an agent of my choice, I knew I would select Fiona Kenshole. I valued her place in the literary world, especially with picture books. Not only was I impressed with her constructive comments and ideas towards my work, I treasured her tips on 'making my story funny' and engaging for young children.

I am revising and refocusing with new plans and strategies to make my story even more enticing and humorous for the audience.

Thank you, Manuscript Academy, for the opportunity to have this poignant conversation with Fiona Kenshole. It was just what I expected...and more!

Whitney Ross was enormously helpful--in just our 10-minute discussion. She provided specific, insightful suggestions for my query letter--and she did so with real compassion and care. I am grateful for her recommendations and am inspired by her encouragement.

It was a great pleasure chatting with Fiona. She was spot-on about my submission and gave me wonderful pointers and advice - plus she's a dog lover so my pup, Zinnia, was invited into the Zoom and enjoyed meeting her as well!

Eric was lovely to work with! He listened to my ideas, helped me work out what aspects would and would not work for the market, and even suggested some great comp titles.

I had a wonderful, informative, and genuine conversation with Katharine Sands. She was targeted with her advice and she shared her considerable experience generously. I ended the session feeling inspired along with having a clear direction for my next move for my book. I felt like I was speaking with a knowledgable friend. I highly recommend Katharine without reservation!

My consultation with Rachel was just what I need at the moment - direct feedback from an experienced industry professional. To date, my writing has been a creative brain to paper exercise, which has been rewarding. Rachel's review of my first ten pages, and subsequent consultation, provided me with guidance on structure, and the show don't tell writing style that I have been eagerly searching for. I hope some day to be an accomplished author of MG novels. Even then, I am sure that I would still learn a lot from Rachel.

I found the craft pack to be extremely helpful, particularly Laura Zats' class on voice. She provided actionable advice on deepening POV that I was able to use on my manuscript that same day, and I can already see the difference in my writing. Since I watched the classes, I have frequently referenced back to the notes I took on all of them.

Alyssa was very easy to talk to. Although I was nervous, I had a great time and got questions answered that really helped narrow down which paths to pursue. I would recommend her for consults for sure.

Danielle Chiotti was personable and made me feel comfortable. She critiqued the first page of my MG, giving me some valuable feedback. Danielle was thorough as we went over every paragraph, what worked and what didn't, and suggested enhancing foreshadowing using bread crumbs. I love that! It was a positive consultation and I'm eager to send her my query.

Meeting with Saba was a great experience. She was down-to-earth, positive, and gave me the confidence I needed to begin querying!

Stephanie was so friendly and so helpful! She had really great suggestions to improve my query letter and helped me focus on the parts that made it shine. She also had thoughtful, insightful answers for all my questions, and her feedback really made my pitch and comps shine. I would highly recommend a consult with her - she has so many great ideas and really took the time to dig into my query.

I'm thankful for the time I got to spend with Kayla Lightner on the consultation service. She had clearly read and considered the pages sent in advance and presented concise and specific feedback on my work. I was also able to ask questions about the querying and publishing process, and Kayla gave invaluable insight into the current state of the industry and helpful tips on how to continue pursuing a writing career.

I would highly recommend both the experience of doing the query consult and doing so with Ms. Kenshole. Not only was she very easy to talk with but she gave me feedback that I could immediately put to use. I also had the opportunity to ask my burning questions. I left the meeting feeling encouraged and hopeful. Whether you’re just starting out or have hit a wall—the ten minute consult could be just the help you need.

CeCe provided me with immensely helpful feedback that I can readily put to use in my writing efforts. She is as much a teacher as an agent, and artfully provides feedback in an encouraging manner. Be prepared to take notes - CeCe does her homework in advance of the call. She knew my main character well, asked informed questions, and gave me a ton of great ideas to work on. I am so appreciative to have spent time with her discussing my work.

My 10 page video review session with Linda Camacho didn't disappoint. The 15 minutes was packed with actionable feedback. Linda walked me through my pages highlighting things that worked and the areas that I needed to revisit and polish. She has a wisdom about the industry that is immediately evident and I've enjoyed working through her notes. The meeting helped improve my pages and I'm so grateful that I scheduled the time.

Kayla crammed an astonishing amount of feedback (including encouraging, positive feedback but also actionable, constructive comments) into just ten minutes. Her thoughts were extremely valuable – I left the call feeling reassured that I was on the right path, and also energized to revise my query and make it even better.

Melissa was wonderful giving all the detail from submission to shelf—I had no idea about ALL the steps required nor the length of time. It was important information but also rather daunting!

My meeting with Melissa went extremely well! She was kind and friendly and easy to talk to. She made me feel relaxed and asked me just the right questions to help me see what was needed in my query. It made so much sense and now I think my query letter is ready. I would definitely recommend Melissa for a consult!

My consultation with Anne Elliott was awesome! When I finished writing my first short story about a month ago, I wasn't sure what the next step should be. I considered having a consultation with a Manuscript Academy faculty member, but when I read their bio's, there didn't seem to be anyone specializing in short stories. And then I came across Anne's "Finding a Home for Your Short Story" talk, which was super informative. And when I saw that she was offering individual consultations, I couldn't believe my good luck. Our Zoom call and her follow-up email were incredibly helpful and encouraging. She was also just really personable and fun to talk to. I'm much more knowledgeable about writing and publishing short stories now. Thanks so much for bringing Anne into The Manuscript Academy's family.

I had a fabulous 10-minutes with an expert call with Cece Lyra yesterday! She was helpful, funny, and kind. She really helped me see what I need to do next. Thanks a million for this opportunity, Julie and Jessica!

My ten-minute meeting with Andrea was fabulous and incredibly productive. Andrea was so nice and supportive and helped me feel more confident about sending out my query letter. I got so many answers in just ten minutes!

Agent Andrea Somberg provided on-the-mark insights about my manuscript. She clarified what was muddy and gave me hands-on suggestions for improving. I've already begun implementing her wisdom. Thanks, Manuscript Academy, for offering such a fabulous service!

I have to honestly say that Linda [Camacho]'s critique was by far the best critique I've ever received from an agent. Very often, the feedback I'd get from agents would be very broad and generic (something like "make sure the pacing doesn't lag"), which could be equally applicable to half of all the manuscripts, but it was never precise or thought out enough to give me specific direction on how to make my particular manuscript better.

Linda's critique was the opposite - it was detailed, thought out, and clearly tailored to the specific issues in my query/manuscript. Linda's critique struck the perfect balance of providing positive feedback together with constructive criticism, which motivated me to continue working on and improving my manuscript without feeling discouraged. While there's still plenty of work for me to do on this manuscript, the critique helped provide me with a clear sense of direction and made me feel enthusiastic about continuing to work on this project.

The meeting went fantastic. Danielle gave wonderful advice and I felt like she truly cared about the time we spent together. Her recommendations were relevant and highly personalized. Definitely happy with the meeting!

Thank you for your work in setting all this up. I am happy I found out about the Academy!

Melissa was great! She gave both specific and general feedback that has helped me answer some lingering questions I have, and I believe her honesty and transparency will help me not only create a better manuscript, but also find the right agent for this book. If you want someone who will be straightforward, choose Melissa. You can't go wrong. All of these critiques are worth every penny and then some.

Melissa was very prepared and got right into the heart of what needed to be addressed in my first 10 pages. Fifteen minutes goes by quickly, and she was able to give me highly workable action items on my pages and my query.

I had a wonderful consultation with Eric Smith. Eric offered me a valuable mix of critique and positive feedback, and his comments really made me think about where to go in future edits. He was kind and supportive, and I felt comfortable asking any questions I had. I would highly recommend pursuing one of these consultations.

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.

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!

Andrea's love of language---delight, actually---was quickly evident in our First 10-pages manuscript feedback call. Her notes were precise but also served the whole. She pointed to areas needing simplification, suggested a word change or three, and we had a laugh over an unintended image (um, 'overhead pages bursting' in my medical mindset vs. her literary one. Oh!) She was enormously encouraging about my query letter, my prose and my pages. Best of all, Andrea's enthusiasm is absolutely infectious. This woman sparkles! What a lovely and much needed reminder that agents are truly motivated first and foremost by the written word. Thank you, Jessica and Julie, for a great experience!

Very much enjoyed my talk with Kayla. After seeing her podcast, I knew she'd be great - smart, practical and kind. I definitely recommend a consultation with her.

Jessica was lovely! Very friendly and informal, but with some good quick insights into my general questions about ages for Upper MG vs young YA. Would definitely recommend.

Samantha is very helpful with great, constructive feedback. She’s also fantastic at making authors feel at ease and relieving anxiety on phone calls.

I received eye-opening information at this event that I will definitely use. I liked the trio of speakers, they complemented one another well and I'd like to see more panels with them. I like the addition of Melissa because she gives honest feedback and is funny. Jessica is always sweet.

Stephanie Winter is an amazing and VERY talented agent. She offered such detailed and refined advice that truly strengthened my writing. She is sweet, welcoming, and enthusiastic. 10/10 would recommend to EVERYONE!

My very brief consultation with Katharine was filled to the brim with cogent information. Katharine had obviously reviewed my material beforehand and she shared with me her specific ideas for strengthening the proposal. Her ideas were extremely helpful and I so appreciated how patient and kind she was. This is a tremendous service for a writer seeking advice and I thank The Manuscript Academy and Katharine!

Megan gave me great feedback and suggestions on my query. In ten minutes, she helped me with clarifying my novels plot lines leading to a cliffhanging ending.

I would highly recommend her.

You put together a terrific event! The workshops humanized the submission process and the homework pushed my query and first pages to a new level. The FB group was an encouraging and thoughtful group of writing peers which made it comfortable and easy to share my work, and see it from fresh perspectives. So happy I was a part of the experience.

Alyssa was awesome to talk with. I knew as soon as I saw her name on the list that I wanted to talk with her. It was so easy to ask her questions and an amazing help to hear a quick answer rather than deliberating for months about a certain aspect of my project. I will most definitely be doing one of these again and will also be re-reaching back out to Alyssa! Thanks for this opportunity!

Caitlin is awesome. I've spoken to her twice now and her feedback is so on-point and specific, while always being kind and upbeat. She's a terrific advisor and I bet she'd make an excellent agent, for anyone lucky enough to get her.

Caitlin was equal parts encouraging and unvarnished feedback - and she packed a lot of insight and advice into 15 minutes. I'm grateful she approached my pages so thoughtfully when I know the end of the year had pretty much everyone running on fumes. I highly recommend her for anyone writing in the YA fantasy genre!

I recently had a consultation with Molly Cusick regarding the first 10 pages of my manuscript. At first I was nervous, as I wasn't sure if she was going to be harsh, and I didn't know what to expect. I'm extemely pleased to say that she was kind, encouraging and provided amazing feedback. All of the ideas she gave for improving my work, had the gears in my head turning and had me thinking- I can't wait to make these changes! Everything she brought up were ways to elevate my pages and strengthen my work, I never felt as if she was cutting my writing down. Aside from the helpful feedback, she made me feel confident about my work, encouraging where the story would fit in the market and going out of her way to answer all of my questions. I never felt rushed out of the conversation, and she was engaging and helpful throughout the whole phone call. It was truly a pleasure having a consultation with her, and I would consider it an honor to ever work with, or recieve feedback from Molly Cusick in the future.

Each critique I’ve had with Manuscript Academy has provided new insights. Alyssa Jennette asked me numerous thoughtful questions to help me narrow down the main points for my query. She shared what attracts an agent and what is not necessary to mention. I found her critique extremely practical.

Samantha's suggestions on improving my first page by adding a little more emotional depth were spot-on. I already took her advice and am confident about querying and having my first pages read by other agents.

Megan Barnard was extremely helpful. She got what I'm doing and spotted the bits I'm fond of. Her advice was insightful and clear. I corrected my first page according to her advice and I'm much happier with it. I felt we had a terrific ten minutes and she seemed to be enjoying herself which is a wonderful compliment.

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.