Why You Want Me As Your Editor
I’m a freelance editor who delights in helping people fall madly in lust with their own manuscripts. I specialize in encouraging, easy-to-apply feedback.
In my own writing life, I’m double-agented: I am repped by Eva Scalzo, Speilburg Lit for romance, and Naomi Davis of BookEnds Literary for fantasy. Currently, I have ten award-winning books published, including a craft manual for romance writers called Kiss & Tell, and a dark romance thriller coming out this year! As an indie and Big 5 published author, and a fanfic writer, I've been-there-done-that with all the different publishing paths, so I can provide help and guidance for writers at all phases of their journey.
I’ve been working as an editor and book coach since 2016, and I’m now a certified book coach! That means I’m not just a writer--I’ve been professionally trained to analyze and edit manuscripts. I’ve also been a PitchWars, KissPitch and FicFest mentor for many years, and as of this writing, 100% of my past mentees have gotten an agent, a book deal, or both!
Currently I'm taking fiction manuscripts only, in Adult, New Adult and Young Adult, specializing in romance and fantasy. I'm not the right fit for picture books or middle grade. I especially enjoy queer love stories!
I know all too well how self-doubt, the querying trenches, or endless rounds of revisions can suck the fun out of the creative process. Are you ready to take your writing to the next level, and have fun along the way?
Editing
"Michelle has a great grasp of the big picture when it comes to story and ensures all plot points lead to the same climax. She’s professional and encouraging and her suggestions always get me thinking about how I can make a more gripping story. Often, she’ll make a suggestion that confirms what my gut was already quietly whispering. This has led to more confidence in my writing and sometimes asking myself, 'What would Michelle say?' during my own revision process." -Katherine Spearing, author of Hartfords (Historical Romance)
X-Ray of Your Full Manuscript $499
Maybe you're an experienced author who doesn't need as much detailed explanation. Maybe this manuscript has been through dozens of revisions already and you just need a quick check of the structure before you zip it off to your agent or publish it to your waiting readers. Maybe you'd love the most thorough editing package, but grocery prices have your wallet moaning in protest.
Either way, this package is for you if you want a bird's eye view check of your full manuscript, but without paying an editor to read every line.
For this package, you fill out a questionnaire and send me over a synopsis and the first 50 pages of the manuscript. With the pages, I can check if you're starting in the right place, flag any sentence-level writing issues or scene craft problems, and assess your pacing. Then, I use the synopsis to check the rest of the book plan.
I know what you're thinking...okay, but if she only sees the first 50 pages, how can she be sure there's not a fatal flaw lurking in the third act? Listen, I've edited hundreds of manuscripts from authors at every level. The one thing I wish all y'all knew? I can get 80% of the value of a full manuscript edit just by looking at your synopsis and first 50. And meanwhile, you will pay only 15% of the cost of a full developmental. Sounds like a good deal, right? I thought so, too.
And if you want me to troubleshoot your book plan before you ever start? See me for a book planning package and save yourself a ton of revising time on the back end.
$0.029 per word Detailed Developmental Edit
This is the whole enchilada package - I'll dig into your plot structure for each section of the book, make sure your characters are nuanced and sympathetic, that your author voice is consistent and your ending is well-paced and satisfying!
After ten years of developmental editing, I've recently changed the way I do it to provide the most helpful services for the lowest possible cost. Now, I provide fifty pages of detailed line edits to correct any sentence and scene level writing issues, and to calibrate those crucial opening pages to hook your reader. Instead of emailing off a written edit letter and sending the author on their way, I do a personalized 90-minute mega coaching session with each author.
This allows me to give 3 things that produce better outcomes for my clients:
1. TEACHING - Instead of just highlighting the issues with your manuscript, I teach you the WHY behind everything, so you understand how all the moving pieces of a book come together to make a powerful engine that drives your story. Since I'm teaching 1:1 in a zoom call, I can make sure you understand each principle before moving on.
2. FEEDBACK - I provide feedback on the whole manuscript in the coaching session, the same as I would in an edit letter, and go over each and every detail with you. If you'd like a recorded or written version of this to refer back to after the call, I provide 2 (free!) options for that.
3. SOLUTIONS - I ask questions about your vision and what you care most about in your book, then help you tailor the revisions to not only address the problems I found in the book, but to write a new version of the story that YOU love! Listen, I can invent dozens of different ways to fix a manuscript. But only in talking to you can I invent a path that works specifically for you.
This way, every client walks away with a full revision plan for their book, and the craft tools they need to execute it.
"My writing these past two months has been quantum leaps above what it was before.
Michelle really demystified a lot of the writing craft for me in a way that I haven’t been able to grasp for years."
-Emmanuel Bara-Hart, Adult Spec Fic
Querying Packages
$180 Agent-Ready Package WITH bonus Query Manager Materials
This includes:
-Query (2 rounds)
-Synopsis (2 rounds)
-Query Manager Additional Materials (2 rounds)
-1st chapter up to 4000 words (1 round)
I am the only editor offering this package!
These days, agents are asking for a lot more in their Query Manager forms. I share a complete list of what they ask for in my Beyond the Query Letter Course here. Plus, did you think about this? You've already described your book in your query and synopsis. Your Query Manager additional materials are a golden opportunity to STAND OUT by showing agents some new out-of-the-box reason why your manuscript is going to be a hot seller...but most authors are missing this opportunity by echoing the material already used in their query & synopsis. Let me help you craft a unique and unforgettable sub package!
For this package, I'll give you feedback on your answers for those trickiest of questions: Description of Target Potential Audience, 1-line pitch, 1-paragraph pitch, and List of Similar Titles.
Check out my Client Success Story interviews in the blog to hear from a few of the people who I've helped to get agents!
"Michelle Hazen took my query letter from drooling baby to college grad!" -Stacy Ryan (Adult Commercial Fiction)
Query Letter Edit $35
Are you trying to get an agent but getting more rejections than requests? I can help with that!
I love to work on the full submission package of EVERYTHING the agent sees, but if you're in a hurry or on a budget, yup, I can just look at the query letter.
This package includes 2 passes of deluxe line-by-line edits, which means I don't just give you revision suggestions--I check the new version to make sure it's working. I'll proofread, help you with hooks and phrasing, and consult on current agent trends and pet peeves. Fun fact: the most common thing I find is that the book is actually better than the query makes it sound, and we just need to adjust the query to show off those strengths!
As a PitchWars, Nightmare on Query Street and FicFest mentor, I've read thousands of queries and learned lots of tips and tricks to make yours shine.
"Writing novels is fun, but crafting a query and synopsis? I'd rather scrub a toilet. Michelle took so much of the pain out of polishing these materials with her thoughtful, focused, encouraging notes." -Adele Buck, author of Acting Out (Adult Romantic Comedy)
Book Planning Packages
“I hate asking for help, but
hiring Michelle as a book coach
was the best decision I’ve made since choosing my husband.”
--Alison Carberry, PhD (Adult fantasy)
Help Planning a Book!
Do you have a book idea and aren't sure where to start? Is this not your first manuscript rodeo, but you feel like there must be an easier way to plan a book?
Trust me, there is.
There are a thousand craft books on this topic, but you don't need a thousand answers...you need one. I've distilled several different methods into one comprehensive, character-driven, SIMPLE way to map out your book. The bonus? It's way more fun with two people. We can plan away problems that will save you weeks in the revision cave, and brainstorm creative solutions together for books that feel fresh and new--ones that read with the tight structure and craft of bestsellers. This is my favorite kind of work to do!
With flexible, per hour pricing, you can have as much or as little help as you really need.