Drafting can be a wild ride.

Let me know if this sounds familiar:

The muse struck.

You set your keyboard on fire, racing along until you reached that almighty milestone: THE END.

You took a deep breath, gave yourself a pat on the back, and maybe even toasted yourself with a well-deserved glass of champagne.

Then, you sat down to revise your masterpiece. You started reading and found…a big, steaming, pile of poo.

I know exactly what comes next: shock, dismay, disappointment, maybe even a little shame.

Don’t despair. Olivia can help!

Countless writers have been where you are and countless more will follow.

Though your situation may feel hopeless, that messy first draft holds a universe of narrative potential. It’s likely that the ingredients for an amazing book are there, you just have to dig them out and make them shine.

It’s going to take a lot of work to make that magic happen. But you don't have to do it alone. I designed my revision coaching program to help writers navigate the difficult journey from messy first draft to polished manuscript.

Interested? Here’s how it works. Revision coaching occurs in four stages:

Step One: The “Draft Zero” Manuscript Evaluation

This is a manuscript evaluation tailored to rough first drafts. I like to call these “zero drafts” because they’re just a starting point for the rest of your creative process.

I read your draft to get a sense of the story. I look for what needs work (contradictions, underdeveloped characters, plot events that aren’t fully realized, confused worldbuilding and anything else that needs to be removed, altered or built-up to create your story) but I’ll also look for the gems—great ideas that can be polished and put on display through revisions.

After this initial read, we’ll meet to talk about my observations and your vision for the story. Together, we’ll create a rewriting plan to help you create the real first draft of your novel.

Step Two: Rewrite #1 - The Real First Draft

As you rewrite your manuscript, we'll meet (or email) monthly to troubleshoot your revision and keep you on track with your writing goals. There is no pre-set agenda or curriculum for these calls. Each session will be shaped to meet your needs as you work through the rewrite.

Topics could include: decisions that need to be made as part of the revision process, character development, world building, story structure, productivity, and overcoming writing roadblocks.

Step Three: Developmental Edit of Draft #1

Once you finish the “real” first draft, I will conduct a full developmental edit. This includes a marked up manuscript, detailed editorial letter, and a book map. For more information on what a developmental edit includes, check out the full description of my editorial services here. Once I finish the developmental edit, we will meet to discuss my feedback and plan your next round of revision.

Step Four: Rewrite #2 - Draft 1 to Draft 2

As you revise your first draft, we will meet for monthly coaching calls to discuss your revision process. For this round of revisions, you will be able to submit up to 8,000 words for line editing & detailed comments.

During our calls, we will focus on discussing your writing, but we'll still have plenty of time to troubleshoot issues you experience along the way. We will wrap up these coaching sessions by creating a plan for final polishing and publication. This final step includes a critique of your query letter & synopsis (if you are working toward traditional publication) OR your blurb & marketing copy (if you are self-publishing).

Time Commitment & Costs
- Coaching is highly individual. Once we meet for a discovery call, I’ll put together a detailed timeline and quote for the project that accounts for the state of your manuscript, the manuscript word count, submission frequency, and your coaching needs.
Guarantees
- Sadly, I can’t make any promises that you will get published, make millions of dollars, or even break even on the cost of coaching. That’s the harsh reality of the publishing world. However, I can promise to support you whole-heartedly, to give you honest feedback alongside the encouragement to keep going. Publishing is a brutal industry sometimes and it takes more than good ideas to make money in this business. However, I also believe that there is value in investing in your dreams regardless of the financial outcome. Don’t get me wrong, I want you to be successful—that’s why my feedback focuses on reader expectations and commercial viability. If that sounds like a bit of a contradiction, welcome to the wild world of writing! I know that coaching is a significant investment and I want to support you in making sure that this is the right decision for you right now. To book a discovery call and discuss whether coaching is right for you, click here.