Editing Services
I offer two kinds of editing services, Private Editing, in which I work one on one with a writer to hone a manuscript, and Workshops and Seminars, in which I work with small groups of emerging writers looking to market their work to agents and editors.
Private Editing
What I do:
I work with writers to develop and hone their novels and memoirs for publication. I bring to this work decades of experience reading manuscripts for writers ranging from best-selling authors to fledgling writers tackling their first book. Because I cover the publishing industry for Poets & Writers Magazine and other publications, I have forged deep connections with agents and editors at indie presses and can recommend markets for your work when it is ready for publication.
In most cases, I will edit the manuscript using Microsoft Word’s TrackChanges and include a detailed editorial note (3-7 pages) outlining broader structural issues and suggesting any changes I think will help your book find a publisher. If you would like, we can set aside an hour to talk by phone or Zoom once you’ve had a chance to look over the edited manuscript.
How does the money work?
It’s impossible to say in advance how much the work will cost without knowing how long the book is and what kind of work it will demand. In general, once we’ve agreed on a fee we can both live with, I will ask for half up front, with the second half to come after I return the edited manuscript.
This sounds like what I’m looking for. How do we get started?
If you’re interested in working with me, shoot me an email at bournem5000 [at] gmail [dot] com letting me know what you’re working on and what kind of work you would like me to do. Most likely, I will ask to see a small portion of the manuscript – the first chapter, say – along with a synopsis if you have one. I will read the first ten pages or so and return them to you with some edits and some broader thoughts on what I’ve read. If you think I’m a good fit for what you’re trying to achieve, we can discuss the scope of work you’d like me to do, arrive at a price we can both live with, and I will dive in.
Workshops & Seminars
What I do
For too many writers, the publishing world is a black box: You write up a query or pitch, send it off into the void, and hope for a miracle. I know. I’ve been there myself. I’ve covered the publishing industry at Poets & Writers Magazine for a decade, I’ve worked as a full-time journalist and as a freelancer, and I’ve shopped two books around to agents. I have also taught writing at the college level for the past twenty-five years in the U.S. and Canada, including stints at Fordham University, American University, University of Richmond, and the University of British Columbia.
I bring all this experience to a series of Zoom workshops I lead aimed at helping writers find success pitching their work to literary agents and editors. Often I structure these as two-session workshops, with the first session given over to a big-picture discussion of how to pitch your work to agents or editors and the second session dedicated to critiquing a select number of queries or pitch letters submitted by workshop participants. But it can also work as a one-session seminar outlining how literary agents or editors at print and digital publications work and what writers can do to get them to take on their work.
In the past year, I’ve led workshops at the Bennington Writing Seminars, the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival, Writing Workshops Dallas, and for Poets & Writers Live.
What workshops do you lead?
At present there are two:
Demystifying the Agent Search
After years of hard work, you’ve finished a book – now all you have to do is sell it. In the first session of this two-part seminar, we’ll drill deep on how literary agencies work, how to craft a query, who to send it to, and how to get on gatekeepers’ radar. In the second session, you’ll bring your own draft query letters and we’ll work on fine-tuning your pitch to help you find your dream agent. Q&A to follow both sessions.
How to Pitch to Your Dream Publication
In this two-day workshop, we will cover everything you need to know about how to develop and pitch stories to editors at the online and print publications you read every day. During the first session, we’ll drill deep on how to leverage your background and your experience as a writer to develop saleable stories, how to gauge the market for your work, and how to craft a pitch that will win over a skeptical editor. In the second session, we’ll reconvene to workshop your pitch letters and begin planning your strategy for getting your work published.
This is a course for writers looking to jumpstart a freelance career, build a public platform for their other pursuits, or just enter the public conversation. We will discuss payment rates as well as how high-profile bylines can bring you attention you can use to boost your career in other ways.
How does the money work?
Often I structure these as two-session workshops, with the first session given over to a big-picture discussion of how to pitch your work to agents or editors and the second session dedicated to critiquing a select number of queries or pitch letters submitted by workshop participants. But it can also work as a one-session seminar outlining how literary agents or editors at print and digital publications work and what writers can do to get them to take on their work.
Two-session workshop (up to 12 students): $750
One-session informational seminar: $500
This sounds like what I’m looking for. How do we get started?
If you would like to book a workshop for your MFA program, writing conference, or private writing group, shoot me an email at bournem5000 [at] gmail [dot] com. Let me know a little about your organization and about the writers who would be attending the workshop. Then we can decide whether it makes sense to hold one session or two and settle on a date and time.
Praise from students…
In sending Michael a draft of my novel, I was expecting solid advice for improvement, what needed to be done to move forward. In the end, I received much, much more than I expected. When we spoke on the phone to review his editorial comments, it was obvious to me from the outset that Michael is a teacher of literature. Not only did he instruct but he inspired in the way great teachers do. And how did he do that? By clarifying difficult ideas so that I could see them for myself. He critiqued my novel, but his main purpose was to get me to question myself about the larger issues: What is this novel really about? How does it fit in with the culture? And, more importantly, how thoroughly have I conceived these questions even before I’ve set a word down? … I can definitely recommend Michael Bourne as your editor.” –Stephen Cahaly, author of Superior: A Novel
“While my MFA taught me the art and craft of writing, it was Michael Bourne who opened my eyes and gave me the tools to navigate the business side of the publishing industry. If you want to be a successful writer, these two forces go hand-in-hand. Michael demystifies the process, breaks it down into simple steps, and opens up a world of possibilities.” – Allison Ellis, Bennington Writing Seminars, MFA ’21
“Michael’s class ‘From MSS to Query to Agent’ was incredibly helpful to me as an emerging writer. He struck the perfect balance of being optimistic and yet also realistic about the publishing process. Michael gave practical advice and feedback on our query letters, actually looking at them during class in a workshop-style environment. At the end of the class, I signed up for his next one!”
– Dena Soffer, Bennington Writing Seminars, MFA ’21
“With affability and candor, Michael generously shares his expertise as he demystifies the publishing process. Without pulling any punches about the competitive world of getting first an agent and then a book deal, he offers an encouraging road map for aspiring authors.” – Rachel Walker, Bennington Writing Seminars, MFA ’21
“Michael Bourne’s workshops are fast-paced, informative, and energizing. Writers leave motivated to get to work!”
– Amy Bowers, Bennington Writing Seminars, MFA ’21