Manuscript editing with Jessixa!

I’ve been writing picture books for roughly 20 years, and I’ve been a published author for 11 of those years. I share that fact because that means it took me nine years of writing and submitting picture books before I wrote something publishable. This is important for two reasons: 1) Not everyone’s path to finding their writing voice is a fast one. And 2) I made a lot of mistakes about writing and publishing that I hope to help you avoid.

Now I write and illustrate both picture books and middle grade graphic novels, and I also teach their craft. Over the years, I’ve taught at The Writing Barn, Storyteller Academy, and Kindling Words West, given keynotes and breakout sessions for SCBWI conferences...and, of course, the best part: SO MANY school visits!!! I’ve also been the recipient of numerous awards for writing including: SCBWI Golden Kite Award, Ezra Jack Keats Honor, and two Washington State Book Awards. In this time, I have also done countless picture book manuscript reviews and editing and I always learn something from the new work I read!

Each author, whether they are seasoned or just starting out, has a unique view and approach that is their own to storytelling and when I go into the editing process, I try to help refine that voice even more—to help you figure out what you’re really trying to say, and have the reader feel it in the most authentic, strongest way possible. My goal isn’t to get you to write like me. It’s to help you write like your best self.

What my editing process looks like:

1) You send me one manuscript to review so I can see if I would be a good fit to help. If I feel like I can be useful, then we start!

2) We have a 30min-1hour Zoom call where we discuss the story, give you some quick notes, and iron out what you are seeking from my editing.

3) After that first call, I will edit your draft with both larger/global notes, and also more detailed* notes. I’ll send all my notes back to you for a revision.

4) Once you have revised your manuscript and sent it back to me, I will do a second pass, again giving broad notes AND detailed notes. On this pass, I might give some small line edits.

5) After that second pass, we can do a 30-minute Zoom call for final takeaways.

What to expect from my notes:

I want to help you make your manuscript as strong as possible, based upon what you are hoping to achieve. So, for larger/global notes I would talk about things like story structure, character arcs, transitions, readability, page turns, etc. For the detailed notes, I get into the nitty gritty a bit more, perhaps strengthening specific lines of dialog or pacing. I might give you specific picture book texts to read that give the same vibe you are going for.

*Detailed notes are not necessarily “line edits” (grammar, spelling, sentence structure, etc.), rather details on my thoughts about the story or how you are saying something. And while I might occasionally correct spelling here and there, I’m not a copy editor, so that granular level of editing isn’t what I am offering.

Additional editing?

What if we get through the process, and you want me to continue to review your manuscript after a second editing pass? We can plan for additional editing passes for $75 each.

How do you know that I’m right for help with your writing journey?

That’s a great question! While I am versed in appreciating various kinds of picture books, my personal tastes tend to be emotional books with lots of authentic heart—that’s what I love to write—but it’s not what you have to write in order to work with me! I appreciate humorous books, artistic books, picture book biographies, classic stories, folk tales… many different styles. A caveat: I’m working on getting stronger in the poetry department, so if you are writing in rhyme or other poetry schemes, I might have a harder time editing some of the technical aspects. Same with non-fiction picture books. But what I have come to learn is that even if someone isn’t an expert in a certain category of writing, that doesn’t mean they don’t have solid, objective knowledge to share. I have worked with so many writers over the years and have edited many different kinds of texts.

When I started out, I made probably every rookie mistake you can make! So, hopefully I can guide you and your work to meet your larger writing goals quicker than it took me.

 What I will review:

Right now, I am focusing solely on picture book texts, so no graphic novels, middle grade manuscripts, chapter books, or YA. No shade to any of those genres at all, it’s just a matter of my available time. Maybe in the future I will open up to longer texts, but for now it’s picture books only.

 Are you ready for professional editing services?

Something that I frequently ask people when they say they want to write a picture book is, “What do you want to do with your book?” More specifically: Is it a passion project for your kids? Do you want to self-publish and sell online or directly to bookstores? Is this something you really only want to give to friends and family? Do you want to go the traditional submission route? Do you want to just FINALLY get this dang book out of your head you’ve been thinking about for years? In any of these cases I would suggest some level of editing or at least review from an outside person. (Critique groups are GREAT for all of these scenarios BTW.) But my services and your investment both in time and money would probably be best served if you are looking to submit your work to an agent or editor. I often work with published AND unpublished authors—some with agents, some without. This is something meant for people who want to take their work to the next level and are willing to put in the work on a professional level.

Also, please note that if we do work together, I recklessly overuse exclamation points! You have been warned!!

My time and rate

I hate when people aren’t transparent about their rates. My rate for the above process is $425. Why that amount? To break it down, I typically get a minimum of $85/hour for freelance work. I spend about 1.5 hours on reading that first draft and our Zoom call, then to do a deep first edit, it’s about 2 hours of my time. Then the second deep edit is usually another solid hour, then our final 30-minute Zoom call. So that’s five hours of time. This also includes any additional work like email correspondence and such. For extra hours on the same project, I’ll charge $75 per hour of my time.  

Testimonials:

In working with her, I found her incredibly insightful, practical, and kind. I don't know if the specific story we worked on will become a real book (#publishingishard, #thetopicishard), but I do know it is becoming a real *story*—one that matters greatly to me, and one I look forward to submitting. Furthermore, I *know* her perceptive mentor-text suggestions, her smart and actionable notes, and her delightfully infectious, creative-can-do spirit pushed it (and me!) in exciting and productive ways that would not have happened otherwise. Best of all? With her heart-y lessons now embedded in my brain, my craft will serve me better no matter which story I tackle next. In short: if you are looking for a way to unlock some of the real (and real emotional) stories you have to tell, Jessixa's smarts and insights might very well be the key. Highly, highly recommend!

-Elayne C.

 I really loved working with Jessixa, and what I learned is truly top of mind when I am approaching writing new stories. She’s really given and taught me a "new lens" to look through when I'm writing, and I'm so grateful!

-Julie K.

 Her feedback was enormously helpful on many fronts. I had been struggling with what to include in text and what will be captured by illustration. Jessixa’s comments about when to be more specific (especially coming from an illustrator) were super useful. And her discussions of pacing and tension were exactly what I needed to better connect the reader with my characters and their emotional journeys.

-Nancy S.

 Jessixa gave in-depth and thoughtful feedback! It has sparked so many ideas about other angles I can take with my story, both with the story arc and the language itself. I am very grateful for the time she took to read my work.

-Sambavi V.

 Feedback for classes taught by Jessixa:

She created a wonderful curriculum and as a writer in their early phases of authorship, I learned a great deal that I am excited to implement in my writing. Not only did Jessixa teach me how to create a children's book to be more authentic, but she created a learning environment where everyone can show up authentically.

-Sara P.