Let’s get that project written
Since 2009, I have been partnering with non-fiction and academic writers to transform big ideas into publishable manuscripts.
I work with visionary non-fiction writers (like you!), including current and former academics and career professionals. I have worked with people in the humanities, social sciences, psychology, business, and journalism. I have worked on academic projects published in journals and university presses as well as general-audience books published in the mainstream press. Ask me about the time I worked on a New York Times best seller.
You might want to work with me if you are:
- Trying to get an academic article over the finish line but feeling stuck
- Attempting a book-length project for the first time and unsure how to begin
- Stuck in a writing rut or struggling with writer’s block
- Struggling to balance your writing projects with your full time job
- Shifting your work from academic to popular non-fiction
- Turning your dissertation into a publishable monograph
- Looking for external support for your first post-tenure book project
- Co-authoring and looking for outside help managing different perspectives or styles.
Contact me to schedule a free consultation: halperta@gmail.com.
My services
I work with writers in two ways.
As a developmental editor, I will read and provide feedback on a chapter or full manuscript. I will provide high-level feedback on structure, content, and form. I do not provide sentence-level copyediting.
As a writing coach, I can help you get your project to completion. Sometimes I work with people at the very start of their projects who are trying to figure out how to shape their big idea. Other times, I work with people partway through a project who are feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Or I might work with someone who has finished a draft of their manuscript and isn’t sure where to go next. I also provide accountability coaching for people who are struggling to meet deadlines and get things done.
I primarily work with non-fiction writers who are developing book-length manuscripts for academic or popular presses. I can also provide support on writing academic journal articles, book proposals, and responding to reader feedback.
Pricing and Structure
Pricing and structure varies from case to case. In general, we would first hold an intake session to discuss your needs.
You might decide that you want to schedule one-off conversations as needed, in which case you would pay a set hourly rate of $90/hour for each session.
In other cases, you might be looking for a more involved and collaborative process. After our consultation, I would provide a proposal for either a) a monthly rate or b) a cost range based on the hours of work we expect the project will require. You would then be billed for the number of hours I actually worked.
Some examples of how we might work together are below:
Pricing Example: Getting Unstuck
You have been working on a book project for six months and it’s just not moving forward. You don’t need me to read the project, but you need some intensive work to get refocused and come up with a strategy for getting back on track.
After an initial consultation, we decide to schedule a three-hour writing retreat plus two individual meetings, at an hourly rate of $90 ($450). You then request additional accountability support over the next few months, which we price out to an additional four hours of work ($360).
Pricing Example: Manuscript review and revision
You have been working for five years on a research project that you hope to turn into a monograph. You’ve written two chapters and one article that will become a chapter (about 30,000 words or 120 pages), but you want help figuring out how to get it into shape and turn it into something you can send to an academic press.
After an initial consultation, we would determine the reading and consultation time required to complete the project. We might determine that I would need to read and review the entire project twice, a process that would take about 24 hours each. My editorial rate is $75/hour, so the reading costs might be $3,600. In addition, we might agree to about ten hours of consultation work, at $90/hour. The total project would be estimated at $4,500.
Pricing Example: Article Revision
You’ve got a 10,000 word scholarly article that needs to become 6500 clear and impactful words by the end of the month.
After an initial consultation, we decide that you need me to read the article, provide recommendations, and then meet a few times to discuss. We estimate 14 hours of editorial time at $75/hour ($1,050) plus five hours of consultation time ($450) for a total of $1500.
Why me
There are lots of people offering editorial services out there. Like picking a therapist, picking an editor or writing coach is about both expertise and fit. You want to find someone who is extremely good at understanding language and structure. But you also want someone whose values and approach to the work aligns with your own.
I am an expert writer and an experienced editor. My experience includes developmental editing for over a dozen scholarly and general non-fiction books; teaching college- and graduate-level writing in the classroom; and editing scholarly and public humanities blogs and journals. I have a PhD in comparative literature and am a writer myself.
My approach to writing is both personal and values-driven. I do this work because I need to make a living… but also because I believe in the power of the written word. I believe that you have a story to tell that matters. I want to make sure you get the chance to tell it. And I want to help you do that without suffering too much for the craft.
I am especially interested in projects that are centered on justice, social change, and working towards our collective good.