Manuscript Consultant
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Book Doula

email mira.ptacin.gmail.com to schedule a free 15 minute consult

Option 1: Literary Breakthrough Consulting

90 minute personal conference to discuss goals and strategies, benchmarks and pitfalls, as well as craft, technique, and composition. Process includes:

  • Pre-session survey and review (form will be sent)

  • 90 minute on camera consulting session (recorded)

  • Post-session summary and “prescription” of next steps for mentee 

  • (Most) reading materials and access to literary community resources

  • Does not include manuscript reviews (see Options below)

Option 2: Semester with Mira

Modeled after the “low-residency MFA” structure, mentee will have a 13-week one-on-one semester with Mira. Over the course of this semester, mentee will: 

  • Submit four (4) “packets” of compositions (chapter drafts, essays, prose, etc up to 9k word count), where Mira will give written feedback and diagnosis that will include big-picture oversight, character development suggestions, structural suggestions, and general comments via email in letter form

  • Mentor will be available for up to four (4) 45-60 minute consultations via zoom (or in-person, if possible) during the semester

  • Mentor will also do bi-monthly check-ins so that student never feels adrift

  • Mentor will also provide reading materials and access to literary community resources

Option 3: The Glow Up 1

One round of “big picture” manuscript editing. Includes:

  • One round of detailed editorial review (written summary) of your  manuscript. 

  • Feedback and diagnosis will include big-picture oversight, character development suggestions, structural suggestions, and general comments. 

  • Editor will schedule a video or phone call to discuss the manuscript after first read. 

  • After revision, if applicable, editor help with composing a query letter and assisting author in submitting manuscript to literary agents. 

  • Editor/Mira & Author/You will negotiate timing that is mutually beneficial.

Option 4: The Glow Up 2

Two rounds of “big picture” manuscript editing. Includes:

  • One round of detailed editorial review (written summary) of your  manuscript. 

  • Feedback and diagnosis will include big-picture oversight, character development suggestions, structural suggestions, and general comments. 

  • Editor will schedule a video or phone call to discuss the manuscript after first read. 

  • After revision, editor will read and provide feedback to revised draft.

  • If applicable, editor help with composing a query letter and assisting author in submitting manuscript to literary agents. 

  • Editor/Mira & Author/You will negotiate timing that is mutually beneficial.

Option 5: Book Proposal

Mira will submit to mentee an overview of what a book proposal consists of and what makes it work, as well as "assignments" and deadlines for mentee.

  • Mentee will compose and submit five (5) “packets” of compositions of book proposal materials: overview, summary, sample chapter, and comparative titles + marketing plan to Mira

  • Mira will give written feedback and diagnosis that will include big-picture oversight, development suggestions, structural suggestions, and general comments via email in letter form to mentee in response.

  • Mira will be available for up to four (4) 45-60 minute consultations via zooms.

  • Mira will also do bi-monthly check-ins so that mentee never feels adrift in this process.

  • Mira will also provide reading materials and sample book proposals to mentee for guidance and support.

  • Once the book proposal is complete, Mira will help mentee compose an agent query and assist in pitching agents for representation.

Testimonials

  • I love Mira. With you are in very good hands. She is smart and she is curious, both make for a good editor

    - Abigail Thomas, author of Safekeeping: Some True Stories From A Life, Three Dog Life, What Comes Next and How to Like It, and more.

  • At the threshold of my early 40’s, I found Mira, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that Mira Ptacin changed my life. Doula is the perfect word for what Mira does. I desperately wanted to birth something, to be transformed by the process of creation. She helped me craft my staunchly academic thesis into a funny, sentimental, mystical memoir full of ancient mythology and critique of our modern world. Mira’s keen eye and compassionate wisdom propelled my words into another realm and her infectious optimism left little room for my imposter syndrome. Working with Mira is the best investment I’ve made in myself and my work. I wish this for all of you writers out there, too.

    - Kara Peterson, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, author.

  • I reached out to Mira late in the process of writing my memoir, a time when I needed fresh eyes to take in the overall picture. Mira immediately understood the story I was trying to tell, and best of all, she made me feel as if I was the one to tell it. She was generous with praise and equally generous with time. She gave me a concise constructive analysis of my manuscript – structure, timeline, character. She asked questions that sent me deeper into my story. Mira is incredibly open and welcoming. I loved working with her, and now, I consider her a trusted friend.

    -Sandell Morse, author of The Spiral Shell, A French Village Revels Its Secrets of Jewish Resistance in World War II

  • Working with Mira as a book doula/ writing mentor was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I came to Mira with a 10 page essay and 10 years of thoughts, ideas, and notes on the memoir I hoped to write. Mira helped me figure out how to structure my story, helped me see recurring themes, and- perhaps most importantly-she believed in me. Truly believed in me and my ability to tell my story. She was beyond generous with her time on our Zoom calls and she was always connecting me with other writers whose work spoke to and inspired my own story. Mira is an advocate and the biggest cheerleader you will ever meet, and she will truly stop at nothing to help you achieve your writing goals.

    - Shazelle Goulet, Maine

  • If you want to improve your writing, follow these steps: sign up for a class with Mira Ptacin, then do what she says. It’s that simple. Before enrolling in Mira’s class, I struggled to write anything personal, whether a short paragraph or a ten-page essay. I was timid, reserved, and uncomfortable sharing in public. Thankfully, Mira’s teaching completely changed my mindset. Through her technical skill, knowledge of the memoir genre, and unyielding empathy, she helped me break from my cocoon and share my story with the world. She is, without a doubt, the best writing teacher I’ve ever had. I can’t recommend her classes highly enough.

    - Matt Rocha, Harvard Law; journalist

  • I will read anything Mira writes. Her words have the same effect as stepping into a hot bath, after standing under a spotlight — she calls attention to what ails us (often before other writers have dared to do so) and then says, here is how I am healing myself; how we can heal ourselves. She is also the rare writer who is as good a teacher (and finds teaching to be a calling) as she is a writer. She will forever be your champion and cheerleader and sounding board, and you will leave her classes feeling seen and invigorated and a little more sure of your creative worth. She’s a gift.

    - Michelle Koufopoulos, writer and former Riverhead Books editor 

  • Mira’s skill at creating a safe and open space for writing and sharing is unlike any class I have taken. She has an arsenal of unique, generative prompts; endless source material; and unlimited inspiration from her own life (and our lives!). I come away from each class with a flowering list of things to write, research, and read. Mira understands how to appreciate and talk about details in writing and to guide the class in sequence with generous and helpful critique. Writers at any level would be lucky to attend one of Mira’s workshops.

    - Laura Dower, author of more than 150 children’s books from Penguin, Capstone, Macmillan, Scholastic, Disney, and other publishers