Let’s get started.
I offer a range of services for each point of the writing process.
Start by booking a free 20-minute consultation to discuss your nonfiction project and goals.
Starting Out
Can I write a nonfiction book?
Is my idea worthwhile?
How do I start?
Send me your brainstorms and meet me for a generative session online. Let’s work together to turn scattered thoughts into a compelling story that intrigues readers.
I’ll engage deeply with your ideas and suggest useful books to read both for research and the creative side of drafting the book. I’ll also suggest angles or questions you haven’t considered yet, and tease more ideas out of you. We can discuss your challenges, solutions, and a plan for starting work.
By the end you should feel inspired, a little trepidatious, and ready to go.
assessment of up to 3,000 words
60-minute online meeting
post-meeting action plan
€95 inc. VAT.
Proposal
Most nonfiction books are sold on proposal but the idea of summing up your book into what is essentially a business kit for publishers can be intimidating. It can feel a little icky and uncreative. There are questions about the marketing section – do you have a “platform”? What even counts as a platform"? Are you meant to know how many books you will sell? Does it matter if you don’t have an MFA?
My goal is to work one-on-one with you to turn this task into a satisfying creative process – to get all the ducks in a row and present your idea as clearly and enticingly as possible. If you have sample chapters and a clear idea of your book’s content, this is the package for you.
a structured “lab” taking you through the process over several weeks
online feedback sessions and written notes
€550 inc. VAT.
Developmental Edit
This is for anyone who’s written a proposal, a book, or a chunk of one and wants expert feedback and in-depth constructive suggestions to take it to the next level. I create a manual for your book and your writing, swooping from sentence-level tics or problems to overviews of structure, voice, and content.
My developmental edits comprise chapter-by-chapter notes on your text, a detailed reader’s report, and an online meeting to answer your questions. I also take into account your concerns and goals and suggest not just editorial changes, but also new material or “comps” to inspire you.
A developmental edit is a significant investment in your writing, and the notes can run to twenty or even thirty pages (or more!).
With this in hand, you have a structured plan to polish or transform your project.
extensive editorial report
detailed chapter-by-chapter notes
60-minute online meeting to discuss the report
€650 for up to 20,000 words
€1,250 for 20,001–50,000 words
€1,850 for 50,001–80,000 words
€2,400 for 80,000+ words
Custom quote for over 100,000 words
All prices inclusive of VAT.
Manuscript Assessment
My manuscript assessments are an evaluation of your text, whether it’s a completed book or the first twenty pages.
They enable you to step back and see your manuscript with an outside reader’s eyes and troubleshoot any problems. I craft a reader report that tackles macro issues (content, structure, voice, readability) and some micro issues (e.g., what’s happening in your sentences? Are you using clichés too often?).
The reports can be up to ten pages long, depending on the length of your text. They do not provide as deep an examination as the developmental edit but, armed with the assessment, you can dive back into your project and prepare it for literary agents or for publication.
editorial report tackling macro- and micro- issues.
€320 for up to 20,000 words
€600 for 20,001–50,000 word
€850 for 50,001–80,000 words
€1,100 for 80,000+ words
Custom quote for over 100,000 words
All prices inclusive of VAT.
Mentor
Building a book or proposal involves structure both within the text itself and in your work process. In both cases, that structure needs to grow and adapt. That’s why I offer mentorship packages to support both the editorial and mental processes of writing a book.
I read the entire project at the start and discuss it along with your aims and status quo at the first session. I then give detailed feedback on up to 10,000 words before each monthly meeting and suggest tactics for maintaining your momentum and inspiration.
Drawing on your experiences, I suggest sustainable work practices that recognize that what you need may change from month to month. I build an editor’s understanding of your overarching project and your writing tics and set achievable accountability targets.
You’re also encouraged to contact me with smaller queries between regular feedback meetings.
You build the book, I provide the scaffolding: together we reach your goals.
feedback for first session on the entire manuscript
monthly meeting and editorial feedback on up to 10,000 words
ongoing editorial and coaching support tailored to you and your project
small queries answered by email
€220 per month inc. VAT for a minimum of three months. Discount for longer periods.
Momentum
I’m blocked!
I don’t know if the book is working.
I work better with regular feedback and accountability.
Writing a book can be lonely. It can also leave you feeling like you’ve lost your way and need reassurance that you’re on the right path after all. Momentum is a check-in that gives you professional editorial guidance on up to 10,000 words and a one-hour editorial strategy call.
The goal is to build or reinforce your confidence in your project and give you a solid plan going forwards.
If you enroll in a Mentor package within 30 days of Momentum, you get a 40 euro credit against the former.
editorial review (up to 10,000 words)
60-minute strategy call
post-meeting action plan
€140 inc. VAT.
Finishing Touch
Copyediting happens when you’ve finalised your last draft. It’s not just about catching spelling and grammar mistakes – it also involves checking for readability and accuracy. It involves very close reading and is time-intensive.
Copyediting generally does not involve feedback on structure or content.
€380 for up to 20,000 words
€850 for 20,001–50,000 words
€1,300 for 50,001–80,000 words
€1,600 for 80,000+ words
Custom quote for over 100,000 words
I also offer proofreading services. This is the stage following copyediting and should be undertaken by a fresh set of eyes rather than an editor involved in any earlier publishing processes. It also involves close reading and is time intensive, but should involve less work as it’s the absolute finishing touch for a manuscript – the last few bloopers, basically.
€220 for up to 20,000 words
€480 for 20,001–50,000 words
€750 for 50,001–80,000 words
€950 for 80,000+ words
Custom quote for over 100,000 words
All prices inclusive of VAT.
I’m Susanna Forrest, author of the global history The Age of the Horse and the memoir/cultural history, If Wishes Were Horses. I’ve published chapters on my original research in academic collections and won the Sophie Coe Memorial Prize for an Essay on Food History and the John Heygate Award for travel writing from the Society of Authors. I’ve been a writer in residence and published work in The Atlantic, the Guardian, the Paris Review Daily, and many other prestigious publications. I also taught a popular creative nonfiction course at The Reader, Berlin for seven years.
You can read about my writing here.