“As my writing coach and editor, Sharon helped me turn a history of a medical specialty into a compelling social history of pediatric cardiology and the story of the people who gave birth to that field. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her services.”
—William N. Evans, M.D., Founder and Director, Children’s Heart Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

Although I customize to suit each client’s needs and goals, here is how I typically like to work with my writing clients.

I prefer to receive double-spaced, hard copy by mail. I like to be able to jot thoughts and comments directly on your manuscript as I’m reading. I also provide a written evaluation.

If you would prefer to send chapters to me electronically, that’s fine, but I still print them out to read and charge for printouts. I can provide comments and edits in MS Word, but again, that’s not my preferred method of working. I’m rather old-fashioned.

If you prefer, we’ll set up a timetable, where you will have so many words or chapters due to me by a certain date. This scheduling works well for both of us: you have deadlines, which keeps you on track and moving forward; and I can plan my work schedule accordingly. If there’s no schedule in place, and you send material whenever you have it ready, my clients who are on a schedule would come first. Naturally, life does get in the way at times, and I have no problem in adjusting the schedule when needed. I typically don’t remind clients of deadlines unless they ask me to.

I try to get the chapters and comments back within a week or two, but occasionally life gets in the way for me, too, and I will certainly let you know if I’m going to be delayed.

Most clients prefer I read material as they write it, but once your book is completely drafted, I also like to read it again from start to finish to not only see the revisions you’ve made, but to also get a sense of its continuity and flow. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to make specific recommendations on pieces or chapters, since I’m not always sure where each scene may be going or what function it serves; whereas, once I see the whole, I can see more easily where there are deficiencies or holes. It is helpful to me, though, that you ask questions about sections you aren’t sure about.

I charge an hourly fee, plus any expenses, such as printouts and postage. Typically, I can read and evaluate about 15-20 double-spaced pages an hour. Writing the evaluation usually takes from 30 minutes to two hours (or more), depending on the amount of material you’ve sent. I require a five-hour retainer to start, and once that is exhausted, I’ll invoice you once a month. Payment is expected within 10 days of receipt.

I work on a first-come, first-served basis. Usually, there is a four- to six-week waiting period before I can begin a new project. I reserve time for your project when I receive the retainer.

Contact Sharon for more information.