Consulting, Developmental Editing and Book Editing Services for Writers
How do you grab a gatekeeper’s attention? Land an agent? Get a book deal? If you're self-publishing, how do you build a readership and generate sales? All you have to do is craft an amazing book. It's as easy and as difficult as that—and it’s what I’ve helped thousands of writers do for the last fifteen-plus years.
I’ve worked with everyone from total beginners looking to streamline their learning curves to New York Times best-sellers and Newbury Honor recipients.
Whether you have a complete, polished novel manuscript or a notebook full of ideas, whether you want a quick phone call or an in-depth edit, whether you're just starting out or a veteran author, I'm here to help. I offer editing and manuscript critique services of all kinds, for all sorts of projects, including yours.
"Mary is a one-woman MFA program."
Kim W.
I believe in you. My goal for our work together is to inspire you to do a truly transformational revision. Anything less would be a waste of your time, and mine. As my past clients will tell you, I’m extremely thorough and precise, and my notes will show you exactly what you need to do to level up your craft. I’ll motivate you through your biggest blocks while providing straightforward and actionable feedback. Together, we can finally turn your publishing dreams into reality.
While I first made my name first and foremost as a children's book editor, I’ve branched out to all categories and genres. The fiction craft is the same across all target audiences, and I have experience with fiction, memoir, and nonfiction projects. So no matter what your manuscript, style, or ideal reader, I’d love to hear from you. Together, we’ll revolutionize your manuscript.
About Book Editor Mary Kole
I love helping writers.
That’s the core of everything I do, and it’s guided me as I’ve worked in just about every aspect of the publishing industry. I have more than fifteen years of publishing experience, including five years as a literary agent at some of the most prestigious agencies in the country. I left agenting in 2013 to finally pursue my first love—editing—full-time.
In 2022, I co-founded a book packaging and IP development business called Bittersweet Books. It’s my job to know what sells and where the market is moving, and I love passing my insider insights along to my clients.
My other endeavors have been the critically acclaimed Kidlit.com and Good Story Company—my umbrella brand which provides resources for writers at every stage of their writing journey. And I’m a published author myself.
“Mary Kole was a delight! Her feedback was invaluable. I have taken classes on writing, but this process was by far the most educational. She gave me a fresh and current perspective. I feel more confident in my current manuscript and know that this advise will translate to all my work. Mary was professional and is full of so much wisdom and practical advice. I would highly recommend her services to any aspiring writer.”
ADDITIONAL eXPERIENCE:
After earning an English and Theatre BA at Santa Clara University, I began my career freelance writing for newspapers and magazines, including the Los Angeles Times. While pursuing my MFA in Creative Writing at the University of San Francisco, I interned at my first literary agency, then in the children’s editorial department at Chronicle Books in San Francisco. I then began interning at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, one of the oldest and most prestigious children’s book literary agencies in America, where I eventually became an Associate Agent. I then became a Senior Literary Manager at Movable Type Management in New York City. In 2019, I founded Good Story Company as an educational, editorial, and community resource for writers. In 2022, I partnered with literary agent John Cusick (Folio Literary and Folio Jr.) and #1 New York Times best-selling author Julie Murphy to co-found Bittersweet Books, a book packaging and IP development company.
In addition to editing and dreaming up book ideas, I’ve also been a New York Times best-selling seven-figure ghostwriter and teach small group writing workshops with Story Mastermind and Writing Craft Workshop. I’ve appeared at regional, national, and international SCBWI conferences, as well as independent conferences including Writer's Digest, Penn Writers, Writer's League of Texas, San Francisco Writers Conference, WIFYR, Writing Day, and dozens of others. I have guest lectured at Harvard, the Ringling College of Art and Design, the Highlights Foundation, and the Loft, and my classes can be found online at Writing Mastery Academy, Writing Blueprints, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning.
I grew up in the Bay Area and spent many years in my adopted home city of beautiful San Francisco, CA. After three years in Brooklyn, NY, at the heart of the publishing industry, I now live in Minneapolis, MN, with my chef husband, three kids, one aloof cat, and two needy pugs.
“It genuinely feels like you’ve handed me a golden compass so I can trek off in the right direction now to ultimately find buried treasure. I’m so excited to not be wandering around aimlessly on this story any more. I can move forward on it now with confidence.”
Writing Reference Books
I'm also an author, sharing publishing insider experience on relevant craft and industry topics.
Book Editing Services
Does your story idea work? Is there a market for what you're writing? Are your craft elements as compelling as possible? Trust me: You’re not the first to ask these questions, and you’re not alone. I offer a full menu of services to help you figure out your next steps, no matter where you are in your writing or submission journey. (Don’t see what you’re looking for? I offer customized services as well. Just ask.)
30-MINUTE PHONE CONSULTATION
Perfect at any point in your journey. We can brainstorm potential ideas, talk about submission, and anything in between. You’ll learn a lot and come out of our call with direction, purpose, and an ally. If you already have something written, I can review up to 2,500 words of material from up to two projects in preparation for our call. Find out more here.
QUERY AND SYNOPSIS CONSULTATION
You may have a good story, but do you have a compelling pitch? I'll share my thoughts on your idea and its chances, as well as provide detailed notes on the voice, tone, content, presentation, and more of your query letter and synopsis. I’ve been on the other side of the pitch, and I know what it takes to help you to stand out. Read more here.
SUBMISSION PACKAGE EDIT
This is one of my most popular offerings: comprehensive query letter editing, synopsis notes, and line edits on your first ten manuscript pages. You’ll come out of this edit knowing everything a literary agent wants to see in a submission (I know, I’ve been one), and ready to make your project shine. Read more here.
NOVEL OUTLINE OVERHAUL
If you’re currently writing, or about to start, this one’s for you. We’ll start with your best idea, and I’ll find opportunities, issues, and uncover the promise of the premise. We do a total of three revision rounds, until you have a strong road map from which to write your novel. Get your outline right, and the rest of your project will flow. Learn more here.
PICTURE BOOK EDITING
I’m first and foremost a children's book editor, and picture books are some of my favorite projects to work on. You’ll receive comprehensive notes on your strongest picture book manuscript, along with feedback on your query and a critique of up to three additional ideas you might have in your pipeline. Read more about the picture book editing services I offer here.
PARTIAL NOVEL MANUSCRIPT EDITING
You don’t need a complete manuscript to benefit from editing! Whether you want me to read 50, 100, or 200 pages of your project, I’ll give you comprehensive and actionable margin feedback, from big picture to sentence-level feedback. Learn more about what you’ll get here.
FULL NOVEL MANUSCRIPT EDITING
My most time-intensive and transformative service. The Full Manuscript Edit includes careful attention on every single page of your novel manuscript, from start to finish. You’ll receive thousands of notes, as well as unlimited back-and-forth for clarification as you dive into revision. Availability is very limited due to the comprehensive nature of this service—but for writers who are serious about taking their manuscript for the next level, it’s well worth the investment. Read more about what’s included here.
MANUSCRIPT OVERVIEW
I'll read your entire manuscript, top to bottom, and give you actionable, summarized feedback in the form of a summary report. Literary agents do these all the time for clients (or to give feedback to colleagues) and writers love them. I'll comment on your major craft elements like character, plot, voice, writing style, and give you practical, concise advice with citations from the text itself. Learn more about the Manuscript Overview here.
CREATE YOUR OWN
Looking for something else? I’m more than happy to design a custom service for you. Read more here.
“Mary got me one of the best agents in the business! Okay, okay, that’s not strictly true – I did actually write the stuff myself, but I did it with the help of Mary’s editing services. After working with her on several manuscripts, I signed with my dream rep. Mary’s critiques continue to help me – I now apply her advice to every story I write and it’s really working!”
Book Editor Testimonials
My clients are the best testament to my work, and I’m honored that they’re so enthusiastic about what we’ve accomplished together. These are a few of their testimonials for my developmental editing services—if you’d like to read more (there are way too many to feature on this page!) you can see additional testimonials here.
“Whether you are an emerging novelist or one with a publishing history, every writer can benefit from working with an editor who has a keen eye and a sharp pencil. Mary Kole is not only a delight, she gets right to the heart of what works and what doesn’t. I’ve had four novels published but when trying to break into a new market the learning curve has been hard. Her input has helped me avoid the pitfalls and up my game. Plus, she is very encouraging. I give my highest recommendation to Mary Kole’s menu of editorial services. Seriously. It’s rough out there. Hire her and it will increase your chances of getting published.”
“Thank you Mary Kole for your incredibly detailed critique. Your comments resonated and made clear flaws that I had overlooked. I had several ‘a-ha’ moments while reading your feedback. I also appreciate your affable, yet professional approach. I highly recommend your services.”
“I’ve been following Mary Kole for ages on kidlit.com and loved her book Writing Irresistible Kidlit. When I found out she was offering a critique service, I had to try it. I got a synopsis and query critique, and all her comments were very motivational and helpful. Synopsis are so difficult, but after getting her feedback I had a clear list of what worked in mine and what needed changes. I felt really confident about my query letter and my story’s marketing prospects after consulting with Ms. Kole. Turned out she was right about everything — after a few months querying, I received multiple offers of representation and am now agented.”
“Working with Mary is like completing a mini-MFA! She honed in on my manuscript’s fine points and zoomed out to explain big picture questions. All the while, she was teaching the craft of writing with sensitivity to how a reader might receive the work. She’s thorough, kind, and rigorous: just what I needed. Thank you, Mary!”
“I started reading Mary Kole’s Kidlit blog when I was mustering the courage to write books for kids. Her clarity, humor and excellent knowledge of children’s literature—from writing to querying—gave me the confidence to start pursuing my dream of becoming a published author.
That dream came to fruition with the middle grade book I wrote, which launched on May 7, 2024. Mary played no small part in helping me polish my writing. She edited a full manuscript of mine and even though it wasn’t the one that eventually sold a few years later, so much of her experienced, professional eye made the difference in what I sent out into the world. I gobbled up her kidlit book when it came out, too! She inspired me, challenged me, and helped me grow. Thanks, Mary!”
“Your notes have inspired me to become a better writer! Not only did you deliver an excellent and clear critique, but your advice on my first ten pages has shown me how to make my entire manuscript stronger. I can’t thank you enough!”
“If you are lucky enough to have Mary Kole read your manuscript you will find yourself in the hands of a gifted editor. Her critiques reflect how deeply she goes into the work, from punctuation all the way through to the overall concept. For my middle grade story I am extremely grateful to her for pointing the way out of some muddled thoughts to a clear story with a strong spine throughout. She will give you lots to think about and the map to lead you in the right direction. I love Mary Kole.”
