I offer manuscript critique and developmental editorial services for all writers, though my focus is kidlit. My goal is to help you realize the potential of your story, and teach you how to become a better self-editor. Packages are as follows:
Fire Starter: Includes up to first 12 pages (prologue and first chapter). Have you engaged the reader? Have you nailed the voice? Does this story have legs? Includes a look at voice, pacing, tension, plot and character development in the all-important first chapter. Price: $35.00 USD
Partial or full manuscript deconstruct: Includes 30 minute Skype or phone consult and printed analysis or inline edit. Price: $5.00 per page.
Like the Fire Starter package, I look at the following: pacing, tension, characterization, opening, chapter endings, plot, sub-plots, cohesiveness, consistency, storytelling, believability, presentation, formatting, worldbuilding, mythology (if applicable) and all the elements which make a book work. I do not necessarily look at grammar and spelling, but will definitely point to bad habits, repitition, etc. I will however look at sentence structure, syntax, conveyance of thought, clarity and invention. I offer a very thorough look at your work and how to improve it overall, the writing, the story, characters, plot and presentation. You will walk away with a better understanding of your project, and how best to tell YOUR unique story. One FREE revise and resubmit with all deconstructs. So, it’s like getting the deconstruct for $2.50/pp.
Line edit services also available at an additional $3.00 per page with a deconstruct package.
Ghostwriting and project consultation available upon request. Please email to discuss.
I also offer help with queries and synopses upon request. Please email for quotes: georgia(at)georgiamcbride(dot)com. Please know your word count based on a manuscript of x pages written in 12-point Times New Roman, double spaced font with 1″ margins all around.
Looking forward to working with you!
A Brief Overview of My Experience
- St. Martin’s Press YALITCHAT Writing Contest Octobeer 2009 -vetted over hundreds of submissions for major publisher with editorial feedback. Chose finalists including: THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS (2012 YALSA William C. Morris finalist) by Rae Carson released by Harper Teen in October 2011 and THE MAY QUEEN (former title) by Ruth Francis Long releasing August 2012 by Dial.
- YALITCHAT Sourcebooks Fire Writing Contest Feb 2010 – vetted hundreds of submissions for publisher with editorial feedback and served as first-round judge. Three finalists found with agents and pulled from contest. One remaining finalists novel, CRACKED to be released Simon Pulse in January 2012. No winner was named by the publisher in this contest.
- YALITCHAT–Founder September 2009
- YALITCHAT Inc., Founder November 2009–Founder of non-profit organization with nearly 2600 international members from the YA MG and PB book community
- Client books released in 2011 in eBook and print: BRIDGER by Megan Curd (partial edit), DESTINED by Jessie Harrell (an Amazon.com bestseller), PRIDE by Lauren Hammond (partial edit)
- YALITCHAT Submissions Mailbox – currently vets hundreds of submission for consideration by some of today’s top literary agents and editors. List includes:
1.Laura Bradford-Bradford Literary
2.Michelle Wolfson-Wolfson Literary
3.Lauren MacLeod-Strothman Agency
4.Deidre Knight-The Knight Agency
5. Leah Hultenschmidt-Sourcebooks Fire
6. Eileen Robinson-Move Books
7. Erika Galpin-Noble YA
8. Bernadette Baker-Baughman-Victoria Sanders & Associates
9. Natalie Fisher-Bradford Literary
10. Lindsay Ribar-Sanford J. Greenburger Associates
11. Brianne Mulligan-Movable Type
12. Carlie Webber-Jane Rotrosen Agency
13 .Sarah Davies-Greenhouse Literary Agency
14 .Jessica Sinsheimer-Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency
15. Eileen Robinson – Move Books
16. Liz Pelletier – Entangled Publishing
17. Lauren Hammond – ADA Management
- Mentor for MFA level course, Creative Writing II: Revising Your Novel for Prescott College – Summer 2010
- Teachers webinars on self-editing and revision
- Represented by Tamar Rydzinski of The Laura Dail Agency
- Editor of 2012 YALITCHAT.ORG anthology featuring 17 published authors: Michelle Zink, Cyn Balog, Lis Mantchev, Shannon Delany, Debra Driza, Leah Cypess, Gretchen McNeil, Leigh Fallon, Sarwat Chadda, Heidi R. Kling, Nancy Holder, Kaz Mahoney, Nina Berry, Suzanne Laear, Angie Frazier, C. Lee McKenzie, K.M. Walton and others.
- Full deconstruct and line edit client on MG and YA novels landed agent and weeks later an offer for her YA novel.
- On average, five writer members of YALITCHAT.ORG who have their queries and sample page edited by me receive partial or full requests from agents/editors on our panel each month.
Comments from some very happy clients!
“I was about a quarter of the way through my work-in-progress novel and I knew something was wrong. Writer’s block was setting in, just 13,000 words into the project and I was panicking. Lurking on twitter one night, I stumbled upon #yalitchat and I was blown away. Then futzing around online afterwards I saw that Georgia offered a “firestarter” critique. Desperate for some outside perspective, I contacted her the next morning. Her critiques gave me insight into my work that helped jump start my writing again and has ultimately made it better. Beyond being helpful, however, Georgia is a fantastic communicator. I had a few follow-up questions, which she answered immediately and thoroughly. And she didn’t just tackle one major problem, but gave both positive and constructive feedback on the little things that help make a novel worth reading.” –Jennifer Iacopelli
“I’ve been recommending your editing service to my fellow writers, especially after I did a blog post about becoming a better writer for free. This stemmed from my frustration at some writing courses. A few individuals emailed me to ask about my opinion on using a professional editor. I told them my story and said I was more than delighted working with you. Of all the paid crits I’ve had (on different first chapters), yours surpassed them all. And this includes the Writers Digest workshop I took and the professional crit at the LA SCBWI last year.” — Stina
“Georgia has a keen eye for finding the changes necessary in a manuscript to make it the best it can be. Georgia pushed my writing to the next level, and for that I am thankful. Three weeks after Georgia reviewed my manuscript, I had an agent. Thank you, Georgia!” –Megan Curd
“Just wanted to say thanks for your comments Georgia! They really opened my eyes to some problems I hadn’t noticed before. Now I have a jumping point for more revision.” –Lilly M.
“What can I say? The word “wow” comes to mind. So does “amazing.” I didn’t know exactly what to expect when Georgia agreed to provide a critique of my novel, but the first thing I noticed was her willingness to communicate. She not only communicated with me about the manuscript, she also encouraged me to ask questions in case I needed clarification on her notes. The Skype consultation (after critique) was tremendously helpful. I’ve done a lot of research on professional manuscript critiques and interviewed many-an-editor about critiquing my manuscript. I have yet to find anyone else who includes a phone consultation. Georgia does, and it was one of the most helpful parts of the critique because it gave me the opportunity to ask questions, as well as follow up questions, that came to mind during our live conversation.
In addition to going the extra mile in communication, Georgia was dead-on when it came to spotting holes and inconsistencies in my plot and subplots and even made recommendations that gave me the courage to try new angles or re-implement elements I had previously taken out. She also has a keen eye for identifying less obvious issues (those a novice might overlook or not catch at all) and actually putting a name to them, both of which are so important in knowing how to correct passages or chapters that “just aren’t working” but you can’t put a finger on precisely why.” –Kimberly M. Barton
[...] Empire? Hardly. I stay busy. I write, I run YALITCHAT and I write some more. I also read a lot, vet for a few agents and editors. I recently started offering critique and editorial services to unpublished writers as opposed to only pros. I figure I see so much. I may as well help the people who really need it. Link for more info is here. [...]