My Expertise and Track Record
Getting to the Finish Line
I’ve been working one-on-one and heart-to-heart with writers for 22 years. My background in editing informs my coaching since the goal is always to finish with a publish-ready manuscript in hand. And the process matters nearly as much. My work with authors focuses both on the craft of writing and supporting the writer on the journey.
Whether we’re coaching or working through your manuscript in an editorial capacity, my commitment is to support you all the way to the finish line—whether that’s handing you over to an agent or editor or supporting you to independently publish. If you’re ready to give yourself the gift of support to finish your dream of writing and publishing your book, I invite you to email me and tell me about what your writing and what you’re working on.
Offerings
One-on-One Coaching
Are you just starting out and looking for accountability to complete your book? Or maybe you have a finished manuscript that has problems, but you’re not sure what’s wrong? I coach writers in all genres, with the goal of getting your work publish-ready. I have coached hundreds of writers to the finish line with their books. I support with structure, storyline, plotting, craft, and, perhaps most important, accountability. Writing a book is a giant endeavor, and there’s no reason to go it alone. I’d love to connect with you and hear more about your work and whether we might be a good fit for coaching.
Manuscript Assessments
A manuscript assessment is a full read and evaluation of your manuscript, with detailed written feedback about what’s working and what’s not. If you’re not sure you’re ready for coaching but know that something isn’t quite working with your manuscript, this is a great place to start. For this service, I charge according to the word count of your manuscript-in-process, so please send me a synopsis of the work plus the word count. I’d love to read your work and support you to figure out the best next step forward.
Book Proposal Assistance or Ghostwriting
(for memoirists and other nonfiction writers)
To start, I recommend checking out my e-book, How to Sell Your Memoir. Even though this book is geared toward memoirists, the suggestions are relevant to any nonfiction writer. Book proposals are one of my favorite processes, and I can’t emphasize enough the importance of having a comprehensive proposal if you want a real shot at selling your book to an agent or editor. I offer book proposal assistance (in the form of evaluations and/or coaching writers through the process) and ghost-writing services. Please contact me for a bid.
Editorial Services
I offer a full range of editorial services and have an extended and trusted team of editors who work with me to execute various developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading projects, depending on what we ascertain a given author’s needs to be. You can read about what’s entailed in each of these levels of edits and check out our rates here.
Clients & Projects
Brooke is a truly exceptional editor who transformed my writing, helping me create a deeper, smarter, and more powerful memoir than I could ever have imagined. Over eight months, she extracted multiple layers of meaning from my ideas and anecdotes, and guided me towards a tightly-woven manuscript. Thanks to her probing questions and incisive ability to see the big picture, I ended up not only with a book of which I'm deeply proud, but a far more mature understanding of my experiences.
Real Results
Rob Rufus
Rob Rufus and I started working together when he was partway through his memoir and decided he needed some support to sort out his themes and the overarching message of his story—which centers on his dreams of being a musician. He starts a punk band with his twin brother, but his dreams are cut short when he’s diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at age 17.
Together we tightened his structure and his takeaways and came up with the brilliant title for his memoir, Die Young with Me. His book was picked up by Simon & Schuster, and the success of this first book led to a second memoir, The Vinyl Underground.
"Deciding to write a book is like deciding to climb a mountain. Working with Brooke gave me the tools I needed and helped me see the path that could lead from the ground to the sky. But more than anything she gave me the confidence to start climbing and keep going when the terrain got rough (which it always does). Through our work together I was able to not only write my memoir, but sell it to Simon & Schuster for a not-insubstantial amount, win awards, and get it developed into a feature film. None of it would have been possible without her guidance and vision."
