But you're stuck at solid, but forgettable.
Your books get 4-star reviews. Readers say "I enjoyed it." But they don't rave. They don't name their pets after your characters or miss their subway stop because they couldn't put your book down. They finish your story and move on to someone else's.
You know the general principles of good fiction. But how do you write novels readers can't stop talking about? Not just the ones they finish and forget.
A Breakout Manuscript Review gives you a custom infographic to help you visualize what a bingeable version of YOUR novel would look like. Plus, strategic feedback on exactly how to get there. You'll see how to tweak your story to make it addictive and unforgettable.
Are you...
- Getting good reviews but not passionate buzz or word-of-mouth sales?
- Suspecting something's off with your pacing or structure but uncertain how to fix it?
- Worried your lead characters are forgettable rather than memorable and one-of-a-kind?
- Hitting a ceiling in sales or reviews despite applying all the standard craft advice?
- Expanding into a new genre and worried you'll disappoint your readers?
- Writing more complex stories (series, ensemble casts, braided timelines, complex subplots) and wondering if you’re in over your head?
- Uncertain about whether you’ve got what it takes to be one of those top authors?
What You'll Get
With a Breakout Manuscript Review you will:
- Transform casual readers into obsessive fans - A custom infographic helps you envision what a page-turning version of your novel looks like. You'll see where you need to focus your efforts so you can craft a novel that readers will stay up past midnight or wake up before their alarm to finish.
- Drive sales through passionate word-of-mouth - Genre-specific feedback strengthens your characters, plot, and the invisible elements that make your story world feel real and make readers look up from the page shocked that hours have passed.
- Translate the hero in your head onto the page - We'll use behavior change science to ensure that the hero who feels so vivid in your mind is the character who comes across on the page.
- Stop wasting time on revisions that don't matter - Using a framework developed from reading 1,100+ novels and 70 craft books, I'll show you where to focus so readers immediately grasp the stakes, the structure pulls them in and doesn't let go, and the polish makes your story stick with them long after The End.
- Keep readers emotionally engaged from first page to last - Scene-by-scene analysis identifies what creates the emotional bond between reader and character. You'll see which moments already work and where you're missing opportunities to pull readers deeper into your story.
How a Breakout Manuscript Review Works
Whether you're leveling up your indie career or strengthening your manuscript before you query, a Breakout Manuscript Review gives you a clear picture of where your novel stands and exactly how to close the gap between the story you wrote and the one that turns readers into superfans. Including a literal picture. A custom infographic of your manuscript, built by someone who's spent decades translating complex concepts into visuals anyone can understand.
You start by submitting your manuscript along with a story survey — a chance to share your intentions, goals, and how you feel about the story as it stands. The survey pinpoints the untapped potential already in your story — the intentions and choices that haven't fully made it to the page yet — so the feedback is tailored to your vision, not a generic prescription for how the story should work. Your manuscript read, custom story infographic, and written feedback are all developed together, so everything connects. You'll have at least a week to review everything before a call to walk through your strategic revision priorities and next steps.
Breakout Manuscript Reviews are designed for experienced genre fiction authors with a completed draft aimed at adult, new adult, or young adult readers, writing in fantasy, romantasy, romance, crime, mystery, thriller, action, suspense, or science fiction.
What’s Included in a Breakout Manuscript Review
A custom Breakout Story Infographic visualizing your plot with detailed feedback on opportunities to elevate from good to exceptional
Scene-by-scene analysis identifying which moments create the quotable, memorable experiences that turn readers into evangelists (and how you can add more of them)
Lead character evaluation to hone your hero into a character worthy of readers naming their pets after
Cast assessment to ensure your side characters make the plot feel dynamic and propulsive instead of repetitive
Plot evaluation to refine your pacing so it creates the breathless momentum that makes readers cancel plans to binge
Strategic revision priorities so you know exactly what to tackle first
Analysis of what makes YOUR story distinctive and how to amplify those elements so you can create raving fans who don't just finish your book — they hype it to everyone they know
Perfect for: Experienced authors with strong track records who are hitting a sales or buzz ceiling and ready to break through
Investment
Standalone novels (up to 100k words)
$1800 - $2700 USD
Payment plans available in 3 or 6 installments
Epic fantasy, romantasy, and other epic length novels
Priced based on scope. You'll receive a quote and as part of your free Breakout Novel Roadmap Strategy Session.
Developmental editing requires trust.
You may have worked with an editor before and walked away with generic feedback that could have applied to anyone's manuscript. Or recommendations to reshape your story into something that felt like the editor's vision, not yours. Either way, you left without a clear path forward.
A Breakout Manuscript Review works differently because experienced authors require something different. You already know the basics. Your scenes have conflict, your characters have depth, your premise is solid, and you know how you’d like readers to respond. What you need is someone who can see the distance between the story you intended and the one on the page — and show you precisely how to close it.
That's what a Breakout Manuscript Review delivers. Written feedback and visuals that show you not just what to change, but exactly how each change serves your vision and encourages your readers to turn into fans who put you on auto-buy.
If you're ready for feedback that's as serious about your novel as you are, your next step is a free Breakout Novel Roadmap Strategy Session.