Filter Testimonials
Invaluable!
The time flies, but it is invaluable to have direct feedback. I am so grateful to Jessica for walking me through her thoughts and reactions. The session provided clarity of what was working and what wasn’t and directed me in how to keep workshopping certain query lines I was struggling with. She even caught a grammar error in my first few pages that I’ve glazed over 100 times- so grateful!
Kellsie Moore
September 29, 2025
Great Feedback!
Noelle gave me such great feedback on my query! She was so nice and very constructive. She helped me talk through the changes I should make and what I should keep, and overall made me feel way more confident about what I’m sending out to agents. Thanks again!
Dallas Boudreaux
September 29, 2025
Super clear feedback
I had a great call with Erica about my query and first 10 pages. Even though I signed up for the call very last minute, she asked beforehand if I had any specific questions to focus on. She walked me through her feedback for my query paragraph by paragraph and gave me suggestions for places I could improve. Also, I had trouble connecting to the meet on my desktop, and she still spent the full 15 minutes with me, which I really appreciated.
Caitlin
September 29, 2025
The Best
Kiana was exceptional! She was very thorough and gave me the most useful advice and concrete actions that helped me completely revise my entire query letter. I’m looking forward to working with her again in the future! THANK YOU KIANA!
Cora
September 28, 2025
Clear-eyed Consultation w/ Erica
My 15 minutes w/ Erica were so helpful! She emailed the day before to ask if I had any questions or topics we should be sure to cover; she was mindful of using our time well, and she was overall friendly and positive. I left w/ 3-4 clear, actionable items to revise on my query and pages. I highly recommend Erica!
Stacy
September 28, 2025
Ismita Hussain One on One
I thoroughly enjoyed my one on one session with Ismita and learned a lot. She is rigorous, knowledgeable, and still manages to be friendly. I would recommend her without hesitation.
Douglas Wood
September 27, 2025
A Jessica Felleman Rave
I had my one on one zoom meeting (Query/10 pages) with Jessica a few days ago and couldn’t be happier with her feedback. Her insights into my query and pages were spot on. She let me know potential problems clearly but in a generous way that was not intimidating or overwhelming. Jessica is professional and approachable and I would recommend her sessions 100%.
Douglas Wood
September 27, 2025
Sometimes the first 30 pages need a boost
So far, I have received over 50 rejections to my query letter package for my middle-grade fantasy, ORANGEWORLD.` I’ve tweaked the query and first page over the past year with the help of the agents and editors from Manuscript Academy such that the most recent batch of rejections have been very encouraging and downright positive. But still no takers.
For that reason I decided to refocus on the first 30 pages and work with a seasoned editor to make them “sing.” Krista Vitola is an editor at Simon and Schuster and specializes in Young Readers. If you read her bio, you will understand my choice. Plus she was familiar with my story, having already done a query letter review for ORANGEWORLD earlier in the year. (It’s about a troubled boy who enters a magic pumpkin where every day is Halloween in search of this father’s spirit.)
So I figured it was time to slice and dice the first 7 chapters / 30 pages, and I’m glad I did.
I wish we had longer to talk. There’s not enough time in 30 minutes to cover everything, but with the written editorial notes Krista provided me a week before our appointment, I knew well in advance what I had to do. Even before our meeting, I followed her written advice and took a crack at getting to the inciting incident sooner in the first chapter, so by the second chapter readers would be well into the story. I moved scenes around. I cut extraneous dialogue. I relocated flashback memories.
We used the 30 minutes to discuss the new changes I had already made, just to make sure I understood her written notes correctly. And now I’m on my way to check and see if the changes made affect the rest of the story. Yes, there is more work to do, but it’s better than sending in the same 30 pages and facing more rejections, right?
Getting an outside point of view from a professional and paying for it, gave me the impetus to do what’s necessary to make improvements. Let’s just hope the next 50 responses from agents include several requests for “fulls.”
Krista Vitola gets an A+.
Marilyn Petrokubi
September 27, 2025
Most Impactful Ten Minutes
Wow. I was at a point in the querying process where rejections were coming in without much context, and I’d been overanalyzing my submission components to death. Ten minutes with Amy provided clarity on impactful revisions, and more than that, the path to get my arms around a fix that I feel SO excited about. Amy is deeply insightful, direct and kind. My book has a brand new opening, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to learn from Amy’s expertise. Thanks Manuscript Academy team for creating that possibility!
K A Bacon
September 27, 2025
A Private Workshop
I watched an online interview with Natalie Edwards, who was discussing marketing trends in publishing. She was analytical, saw multiple big pictures, and clearly understood the views of the various—sometimes competing—stakeholders of the book business: editors, agents, writers, number crunchers, et al. So it was a gift to have Natalie discuss my query and the first ten pages of my manuscript. She gave me wonderful suggestions that helped me see where and how my book might fit in the world she knows so well. Natalie’s not just insightful and smart, she’s also kind, encouraging, and delightful to talk to. It was a beneficial, enjoyable meeting I didn’t want to end.
Bud Jennings
September 25, 2025
With Gratitude!
I very much appreciated Hannah’s feedback and advice. I’m going to work on building my platform, halt my queries for a few months, and cut back on my word count. I’ll tighten up my first paragraph to show more emotion and add more about my growing platform in my next round. I’m glad I’ve only queried fifteen agents so far and feel hopeful about my direction.
Thanks for offering these sessions.
Bonnie B
September 25, 2025
Clear Guidance from a Trusted Voice
Eric went above and beyond in preparing for our consult. He even sent thoughtful written notes ahead of time, which wasn’t included in the package but made a big difference. He brought insight, clarity, and genuine care to the conversation, and helped me see where my project fits in the market with much more confidence. I really appreciated how focused he was on helping me move forward with intention.
Anna Piskorz
September 25, 2025