Now that you've finished writing your book, I can help you strengthen every aspect of your manuscript before it goes to press.

As a professional writer myself, I know we become blind to our mistakes because we have to read what we’ve written so many times. 

If you’re serious about your writing, you owe it to yourself to let a professional editor assess your work before you send it into the marketplace.  

What My Service Delivers:

I specialize in writing in-depth, page-specific critiques of fiction and creative non-fiction.

Whether you have a work in progress or a completed rough draft, my critique will focus on the strengths and weaknesses of your writing project. This analysis will help you see your writing the way it will be seen by the buyers and sellers in the business, and point the way toward successful revision.

For novelists, the edit will address issues with plot, character development, setting, continuity, pace, suspense, structure and style.

For non-fiction projects, the edit covers content, structure, pacing, clarity, and level of interest for the reader.

By using the same guidelines employed by the publishers I've worked for, I can give you simple solutions to smooth out the rough edges of your story and create a more salable manuscript.

My goal is to preserve your voice, your talent, and your intentions, while refining your manuscript for the marketplace.

Above all, I want to encourage your own energy and enthusiasm for your writing. 

Submissions:

Email me at loisgilbert@msn.com, and I'll provide you with a postal address for your manuscript and payment.  If you wish to send your manuscript electronically, please create an attachment in a single file. Email submissions will be critiqued online, and returned via email attachment.  

Please send your manuscript in a 12-point font, double-spaced, left justified with one inch margins, with pages numbered consecutively. 

All manuscripts must be in English. I do not evaluate poetry, books for children, financial or technical writing, or pornography.

Please accompany your submission with a check in the proper amount, made out to Lois Gilbert. 

Critiques are scheduled when payment is made. 

Fees:

$4 per page, $500 minimum.  You may send a completed manuscript, or a work-in-progress with an outline.  Pages must be double-spaced, with at least a 12-point font and standard margins.  A standard page contains an average of 250 words.

A preliminary e-mail or telephone consultation and a 20 minute critique follow-up will be included at no additional charge. 

About Me: 

Lois Gilbert is the author of River of Summer (Penguin-Putnam 1999,) Without Mercy (NAL Dutton 2000,) Returning to Taos (Five Star 2006) and Lost in the Gila (Five Star 2009,) as well as dozens of published articles, reviews and essays.  Her work has been translated into German, Russian and Italian.  She lectures on creative writing around the world for Norwegian Cruise Line, evaluates manuscript submissions for University of New Mexico Press, and has twenty years of editorial experience.