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Kind & Insightful
After many rounds of critique, revision, and even a professional(!) edit, my picture book still wasn’t firing on all cylinders. What I needed was sharp, industry-focused feedback to help steer me in the right direction. My 10 page read + 15 minute call with Kaitlyn Sanchez did the trick. Kaitlyn’s critique helped clarify where I need to tighten my story, while practical and actionable feedback empowered me to lean into an emerging interest in verse. Our conversation gave me the boost I needed to dive back into another round of revision! I will definitely seek Kaitlyn’s input on future picture book manuscripts.
Sara
September 15, 2025
Best investment I’ve made for my first novel for adults
Jessica jam-packed our short time together with practical advice to revise my query, giving insight into what agents need to know to place my work in the market. She told me exactly how to get to the heart of my characters quicker in my first pages. Thank you Jessica for a clear path to readying my Christmas novel for submission!
Heidi Lee Colonna
September 11, 2025
Clear, straightforward feedback
Renée gave valuable and clear, straightforward feedback, which was exactly what I needed. I was really impressed by the in-line comments and the editor letter. I would have had no idea that certain parts were unclear or that there was a structural issue (that was easily fixed). Renée identified the issues and offered solutions. She seems genuinely passionate about helping writers improve.
Melinda
September 11, 2025
Tamara Gets It!
Tamara was both helpful and constructive. She reviewed my query letter and had substantive feedback, much of which I’m incorporating right now.
She is kind, thoughtful, funny and highly knowledgeable of what agents are looking for, what to incude and not include.
It was well worth it to meet with her.
Joe Garrett
Joseph Garrett
September 11, 2025
Time Warp
Hannah Strouth delivered a compact workshop on the query letter, comps, the market, trends, writing, voice, characterization—in just thirty time-bending minutes. Her needle-sharp suggestions for my query were so clear and actionable that I would have been satisfied after the meeting if that was all I got. But on top of that, I received wonderful suggestions for the first thirty pages of my manuscript. Every writer knows their characters is, but making sure the reader knows them as well can be tricky. Hannah used both a microscope and a telescope to see what worked and what needed something to bring my protagonist into full focus. From what she read, she could see what I was seeing—and led me to where I could let in more light.
Hannah is also a kind, warm person. Our conversation was perfectly delightful. [Picture a platoon of positive/thumbs-up Emojis here.]
Bud Jennings
September 11, 2025
Just What I Was Hoping For!
Chelsea gave me honest, thoughtful feedback on my fifty pages. Not always easy to hear, but presented very kindly and with many suggestions for improvement. This is the most helpful feedback I’ve received for this book, which is a rewrite of a story that I recently got my rights back from the publisher. Now I can see it with fresh perspective and make some changes that will entice and satisfy readers. Thank you, Chelsea, for giving me the pointers I needed to make this a great story. I was so happy with her work, I booked her for another project this month!!!
Sharron Riddle-Houdek
September 11, 2025
A Push in the Right Direction
Written Query Critique: Alyssa Jennette was friendly and helpful. She said my query was more like a synopsis, but a query needs to express the full shape of the story, and the stakes of the main characters. She suggested an area on which to focus. I highly recommend Alyssa Jennette.
Patricia Vozab
September 11, 2025
Tremendously helpful!
Kelly gave me very specific guidance in revising my query letter to make it more effective. I am extremely grateful for her input!
Jeanne Stadel
September 11, 2025
Encouraging, Helpful & Very Professional
Stephanie’s comments were so helpful. She was direct and honest but really encouraging, too. I was able to see how I had too much clutter (description) around the important events and that I needed to push the most important event to the top. Revising those pages was such a pleasure because I felt so confident after getting such clear notes. She also gave me some help with the query letter that I have already used, too. I highly recommend Stephanie Stein!
Tova
September 11, 2025
Beyond Encouragement—Actionable Vision
Molly Cusick’s critique of my picture book and query was both thoughtful and immensely practical. She didn’t just highlight areas for improvement—she offered concrete examples of how changes could look, giving me a clear vision for enhancing my work. Molly made it clear that my text was strong as is, but her insightful suggestions showed me how to add new layers and make the story even more marketable. Her balance of encouragement and actionable advice was exactly what I needed, and I’m deeply grateful for her help.
Elyssa Berger
September 11, 2025
Disarming and well prepared
Booked a LIVE Query + 10-Page Read + 15-Minute Consultation with Ivan Taurisano. Never met him before and was slightly scared to be showing my text to such a pro. Forgot about being scared within 7 seconds of talking to him. He’d read my pages three times! The revisions he suggested will be easy for me to make, but I wouldn’t have thought of them on my own. I’m absolutely sure he improved my project, and he did it with kindness and efficiency. If you get the chance to book him, you absolutely should.
Maria
September 11, 2025
Excellent Feedback!
Wow, the amount of insights and information that Carina was able to share during our critique session was impressive! She quickly explained the rationale for each change and it made our query and first ten pages sing. You can tell how well she understands the industry, the market, and what’s needed to enhance the manuscript to make it sell.
K. R. Raye
September 11, 2025