Rates

Review of Query Letter:

$125.00

This service requires that you send us your current query letter and full manuscript. While we will not read your full manuscript, we will skim it to determine the general nature of the book and then review your query letter with an eye toward revising it so that agents and editors will be more intrigued.
Review of Three Sample Chapters:
(but not more than 75 pages)

$250.00

We will read three sample chapters (the first three, please) of your book and let you know what we think works or does not work in these chapters. We will tell you if the chapters “grab” us and engage us and make us want more. We will let you know if we think they will get you rejected immediately or asked for more material. Most agents and editors ask for either one or three sample chapters. You want them to be your best!
Line editing of a Sample Chapter:
(up to 20 pages)

$125.00/hour

We will read and line edit your Sample Chapter with an eye toward making it more engaging and faster-paced. You want your reader to be pulled into the story and wanting more. We can help you get there.
Contract Review:

$125.00/hour

Have you been approached by a publisher? Are you without an agent but want a publishing expert to review your
contract? We are happy to provide contract reviews on an hourly basis. (Please note that we provide no legal advice
and employ no attorneys; if you feel you need an attorney, we will be happy to refer you to one.)
Telephone Consultation:

FREE

Are you interested in our services and how we can help you. Simply request more information using the form and we’ll
contact you to discuss your project.
Project Plans:
Hourly: $125.00 per hour / five-hour minimum.

This is the going rate for book doctors who simply edit your book. Author Coach goes beyond editing. We coach you, advise you, and provide guidance on how you can achieve your publishing goals. So for your money, you get much more than you would with a standard “book doctor.” There is a five-hour minimum commitment, which for most books will be sufficient time for your author coach to read your manuscript, take notes, and have a telephone conversation with you about it. Of course, if you are writing like Melville or Dickens and your book is a tome, it may take longer. We’ll be happy to discuss with you our opinion of how much work may be involved, keeping in mind that none of this is an exact science.

Monthly: $2,500.00 per month.

If you prefer frequent conversations, check-ins, or to not have to worry about how long it will take your author coach to read your work and give you notes, then perhaps monthly is the plan for you. An author on a monthly plan can expect that their author coach will be reading their work and speaking with them fairly regularly, keeping in mind that most editors will need between two and four weeks to read and be ready to discuss a full manuscript. You and your author coach can schedule regular times to speak (weekly, perhaps, to check in on how the writing is going) and set mutually agreeable deadlines for when material will be read and discussed.

Basic introduction to writing classes are often $400.00 or more, plus registration fees, books, etc. And for many authors, this may be the best choice. But you know how to write, don’t you? You have already written a manuscript or proposal, or you probably wouldn’t be on this site. So, the question is, do you want a generic writing course that’s going to teach you what you already know, or do you want to take the next step and invest in getting personalized coaching and editorial feedback on how you can achieve your publishing goals?

 
“Reading to my oldest son at night, I often talk about the parts of the physical book. The dust jacket, the headband, and, yes, the endpapers. To me, publishers that care about books go to the extra effort to not just publish a book, but to physically build an attractive and quality book. Endpapers, in part, signify quality.”
—Andrew Zack, Publisher

Testimonial

  • "Andy Zack has been my editor and friend since the mid-'90s. I can't think of a better person to guide a young writer from concept to a place on the best-seller shelf."
    —Dick Couch, Author of Sus Sponte; The Forging of a Modern American Ranger
  • "I have used the professional editing services of Author Coach for two of my novels to date and have been incredibly pleased with the results. Andy Zack's feedback was well targeted and concise. In taking his advice, I was able to restructure my plots, tighten my prose, and bring to vivid life my characters and story."
    —Melinda J. Simon
  • "Andy Zack's knowledge of writing 'pitfalls' and experience in editing were critical to my revision process. I absolutely recommend the Author Coach review and editing services to first-time authors."
    —Tyce Miller
  • "My writing has improved markedly. It's comforting to know a resource like Author Coach is available."
    —Melinda J. Simon
  • "The review services from Author Coach took my first novel to the next level."
    —Tyce Miller
  • "I'm a psychologist by trade and have no formal training as a writer. Yet, when I publish my novels, my goal is to produce a professional piece of fiction that moves fast and entertains the reader from the first page to the last. Andy Zack and Author Coach are essential to making that happen."
    —Melinda J. Simon
  • "If you have dreams of writing a successful novel you should consider contacting Andrew Zack and Author Coach. It is vital to a beginning writer to have your manuscript critiqued by a qualified professional. My experience with Andy was a valuable learning process. Andy is a great teacher who you will come to think of as a friend. But the real achievement is what you learn to make your writing better."
    —Jack Marino
  • "Andy's comments on my manuscript were critical in my re-write which tightened up the work and made it more reader-friendly. His help in crafting that all-important Query Letter opened doors to agents who requested a read of the manuscript. I would highly recommend Author Coach for first-time authors who are serious about getting their work published."
    —Rich Michitsch
  • "Working with Author Coach was a wonderful experience. I found Andy to be insightful in all areas of editing and publishing. He was attentive to every detail where my manuscript was concerned. He responded to my inquiries in a timely and appropriate manner. The best part of the whole deal, my manuscript was published!"
    —Jimmy Gordon, Author of Kritterkreep and Dartboard
  • "Andy Zack is the reason I became published over twenty years ago. His coaching, editorial services, and just great trade insight and guidance propelled my novels to a whole new level. You will be in good hands with Author Coach."
    —R.J. Pineiro, Author of Havoc
  • "Andy tells the truth, gives good advice and gets results. He has high integrity. I am lucky he took me on as a client and writer. He has been very patient with me and I count him as a friend."
    —Stephen Kanar, author of The J Factor

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Author Coach

Author Coach is far more than a place to find a book doctor or freelance editor. Your author coach is there to not simply edit, but to motivate, to brainstorm, to mentor, and to help keep you on track with your goals. Your coach may recommend reading for you to do.
 

Contact

Author Coach, LLC
PMB 212
4653 Carmel Mountain Rd, Ste 308
San Diego, CA 92130-6650

(858) 384-0265