Introducing

The Gut Check

The Gut Check Checklist

If you aren't sure if your book is ready for submission, the Gut Check is for you.

If you are querying and not getting the results you want, the Gut Check is for you.

If you have written so many drafts of your book that you have lost perspective on it, the Gut Check is for you.

If you have taken the classes, read the craft books, paid a developmental editor, and incorporated the comments of your beta readers, and are still unsure if you are ready to submit, the Gut Check is for you.

The Gut Check will assure you that you are ready for submission or will provide a concrete plan to get you there.

Sign Me Up!
Sign Me Up!

So what is the Gut Check?

  • Initial 30-minute consult.

  • Read of your full manuscript with line edits on the first 50 pages.

  • Edit of your query.

  • A 60-minute meeting focused on readiness, suggestions for revision, and any questions you have about submission.

  • You can include other materials, like a proposal, for an additional fee.

FAQ

1.        Why should I trust your Gut?

                  I've been a writer and editor for over 20 years. I spent the bulk of my career as a book reviewer, with bylines in the New York Times Book Review, Washington Post Book World, Bookforum, the New Republic, Vogue, Oprah, the Walrus, and the TLS. I was an editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books; started crime book coverage at Lit Hub; and was one of the founders of Crime Reads. Most recently, I was a crime columnist at the Washington Post Book World (RIP).

                  In 2024 I sold a narrative nonfiction book called FUNERAL IN MY BRAIN: A BIOGRAPHY OF MIGRAINE on proposal in a pre-empt to St Martins, with no real platform and anemic social media numbers.

                  I know books: what makes a paragraph compelling enough to keep someone reading, and a chapter that compels the reader to start the next one. I also know publishing: what your fellow writers tell you might not be true for you and your book. My approach is honest for a reason: submission requires a thick skin, since you are likely to hear "no" a lot more than "yes." I can't guarantee you won't get rejected, but I can help you ensure your submission is as strong as possible and advise you on publication strategy.

2.        How is the Gut Check different from a developmental edit?

                  Developmental editors point out systemic problems in your writing and make global suggestions on how to improve your book. After a developmental edit, you will have a bulleted list of what needs work, an approach for revision, and notes on what needs attention.

                  I read critically, with an eye on the market. At the end of the Gut check, I will explain what's working and what's falling flat. We will discuss revisions if I think they are necessary, but my goal is not to ensure your manuscript is a masterpiece. It's to get you published.

                  At $750, the Gut Check is also significantly less expensive than a full developmental edit, which runs to four figures.

3.        Can I repeat the Gut Check if I need to revise?

                  Sure. Repeat customers are always welcome.

                  I also work with writers on elements of the submission package; so, if your problem is your comps are weak and you haven't articulated who your audience is and how to reach them, I can help with that. I also evaluate and edit queries, proposals, and manuscripts, and work with writers on submission strategy.

                  I have been through this process several times, and I know how difficult, frustrating, and heartbreaking it can be. The Gut Check evolved out of my experience and that of the many writers I have helped. Ultimately, the Gut Check is also your sanity check as you strap in for the emotional roller coaster of submission.