let’s strengthen your story

Congratulations on completing a draft of your manuscript! Before you spend precious time on revisions, you want to know if your story is working, if you’ve created compelling characters and if the world you’ve written actually makes sense. Basically, you want to know if all the disparate elements you’ve woven together translate into an entertaining, emotional and dynamic narrative.

This is where a development editor, like me, can help.

My expertise is in evaluation. I spend time inspecting the story from a global perspective, assessing how its plot, character, world, and pacing work. I look at the point of view, consistency, tone and dramatic tension to evaluate whether these support the narrative or not. After identifying what is working and what isn’t, I provide ideas, suggestions and considerations so the author is motivated, prepared and inspired to dive into their next draft.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies, have completed coursework with the Editorial Freelancers Association and have spent over a decade as a podcast producer and editor where I do simliar work in the audio space. I am also a voracious reader and write a weekly newsletter that curates books around a particular theme— a platform where my personas of professional editor and snarky critic get to play together.

My goal is to support the author’s vision and to help make their work the strongest it can be. I primarily work on female focused stories and am most enchanted by Gothic, atmospheric settings and the madwoman archetype. I am open to many fiction genres and also narrative memoir. I do not work with AI in any capacity.

Take a look at my services and a few testimonials below to get a sense of how I help authors. Contact me to see if I could be the right fit for your project: visit my contact page or email abigail.cerquitella@gmail.com.

services

Developmental Edit

After reading and spending time with your manuscript, I deliver a 10-15 page editorial assessment letter that provides an in-depth analysis of the project. This letter is outlined by element—plot, character, world, tension etc.—and includes my general impressions of the story, specific feedback of what works and what doesn’t and ideas for different avenues you could take in the next round of revisions to get your draft where you want it.

Price: $0.02 per word in a completed draft. For example: a 60,000 manuscript would cost $1,200.

Post Edit Phone Call

After you’ve had time to digest the editorial letter, I am available for a one hour follow-up phone call priced at $100.

testimonials

“Abby doesn't hold back. She pointed out crucial aspects that no one else did, and brought my novel to the next level. We all have blindspots and insecurities, and smoothing them out before publishing is key. I think she especially shines when it comes to character development -- the things readers will either love or hate.” - Nicole Wells, Upspark

“Abby is the real deal; she's insightful and careful. She read 150 pages of a novel for me, and caught everything: sections that ran over-long, characters whose behaviors seemed inscrutable (and not in a good way, ha), scenes that were low in content and could be merged with others, etc. She also caught inconsistencies between sections written months/years apart, i.e. if a character's eye color went from green to blue.

Her suggestions for story and character development were more creative and bold than anyone else I've worked with, giving a menu of great ideas to pick and choose from. Even when you don't elect to pick a menu item she suggests, just the act of analyzing, considering the suggestion is a wonderful way to break through habits and patterns you didn't know you had. She really is the type of creative partner that can improve you, not just on the immediate work, but in learning more about your own strengths and flaws as a writer.
Highly recommended!” - Author on Goodreads

“Abby beta read one of my contemporary romance novels, and she was such a pleasure to work with. She was prompt, professional, and most importantly, had a sharp eye with her critiques. She made some good points which I really appreciated. I'm so glad we connected, and I'm happy to recommend her services.” - T.L. Martin, Liar Liar

“[F]inding someone who combines literary intelligence, a good eye, and the ability to communicate what they discover in your work is not an easy task. For those searching for such a unicorn, you need look no further. Abby obviously loves what she does, and it showed in the care with which she approached my story. She went above and beyond what I expected, and I was thrilled with her feedback, which made me consider things I had not considered in my own creation.”  - John, Your Real Brother