The Book Whisperer
“….nobody creates better second drafts without the intervention of someone else. Nobody.”
The Book Whisperer
Book Coaching
In 2017, I finished a book I'd been working on for over 10 years. I learned many things I wish I'd known earlier. There were times I longed for that old-school author-editor relationship, guidance and support. After finishing my book and having it published my next step was clear.
I want to pass on what I learned and help other writers start their books, manage the messy middle, and - my favorite - take them to absolute final completion!
What qualifies me to do this?
It’s not the 20 years of experience teaching writing, including MFA students working on memoirs and book-length narratives.
It’s not just finishing my own book and seeing it published.
It’s not my own MFA.
I have a book coaching *superpower*
Do you…
Ever feel nostalgic about the old days when writers had editors who worked with them over time, nurturing their great works and careers?
That’s what worked. You need time, trust, and a process. You need someone to take responsibility with you for your work. You need a listener. You need a book whisperer.
And that is my book coaching *superpower.*
I have 20 years of experience working with students on individualized study in university settings. I have directed such programs, and I have mentors hundreds of students in varied areas of study. I have helped people finish books, essays, papers, Bachelor’s degrees. I know that mentorship is about a relationship, and that learning involves the whole person.
I also have a degree in psychoanalysis and have worked as a lay analyst and counselor. Analysts are trained to bring unconscious material to the surface, and this is helpful for a writer’s stories as well as their process.
Editing & 1:1 Coaching Services
Manuscript Review
$950
Free 30-minute consultation call (schedule here)
Reading up to 300pp of prose and writing a 2000-word letter response that includes:
Feedback on story/central question, plot, structure, narrative arc, voice, tone, characters and dialogue (including what is working well)
Models to read and consider
Exercises and practices to work on to take your writing to the next level.
Strategies for completion or continuing to work on the book
In-line editing with track changes addressing micro-craft such as sentences, clarity, word choice
A phone conversation to go over everything and make a plan. We don’t stop the conversation until you’re clear on where to go next.
Manuscript Review, $950 | Page-by-page editing available for $60/hr.
*NEW* Truth Talks
60 minute 1 : 1 Zoom Recorded Sessions
$125 per session
Bring your work, and let’s get to work. Truth Talks is a service where you talk and I listen and reflect back what I hear. At some point, the truth of your story will tumble out, allowing you to produce your best work and make it past any blocks you may be having.
What you’ll get:
One (1) 60 minute zoom call, where you’ll bring your piece of work and we will discuss what you’d like in detail
a recording of our 1 hour session for your reference
notes from me, from our session, along with questions and cues to get to the heart of the matter
Referral discounts offered
A La Carte Editing Services
$60/hour
Includes macro, micro, copyediting, dissertations, etc..
“Working with Janet on my memoir was proof positive that she is a book whisperer and literary Sherpa. Until your words are read by someone else, you’re never quite sure of how accurate your aim is, but Janet’s first response letter to my manuscript was so compassionate, insightful and spot on that I knew I could complete the rugged trek to the mountaintop with her help. Writing a book can be so daunting and seem endless at times, but Janet is such a skilled guide that her encouragement helped me feel like I was really moving forward at some of the most discouraging points in the process. She reads closely and takes time to respond to your work both verbally and in writing. She makes herself available for questions and asks plenty herself because she is committed to discerning who the writer is and what they are trying to achieve. Her generosity and intuitive thinking are top notch. I always left my calls with her invigorated and ready to hit the page with a higher level of confidence because it was clear “she got it,” so her feedback was spot on for me to accomplish what I was trying to achieve vs some other version. Writers are often haunted by three words --“Finish the book”---and Janet will not rest until you do.”
There’s another reason why I want to help people complete their books. Call it a hunch, but I believe that finishing is the one thing that will help you grow as a writer. And the fact that there are so many writers out there with unfinished manuscripts, well….I call it a book-finishing crisis!
We must find a way to complete them because in the finishing lies the secret to writing.
What is that secret?
It’s your own personal secret, so I don’t know what that is yet. The key to your own work is in YOU. Not in any expert.
If we work together, I guarantee you’ll find it, or your money back.
What People Are Saying
"Janet Pocorobba is a manuscript microscope - she reads effortlessly with clarity and discovers the concealed relationship between characters/setting/plot with revelation and compassion. Her teaching background gives her the necessary edge for creating reasonable revision timelines. Her comments on my novel manuscript "Hurricane Light" were insightful and beneficial for revision. We are now working together on my synopsis - concentrating on character motivation to bring the synopsis to life."
--Annie P., finishing a novel
"Janet's review of the first draft of my first novel was just what I needed! It has led me to develop a synopsis, identify major themes, and recognize areas that needed more attention. I'm so glad I invested in this kind of close review at this point in my novel. Janet's feedback turned into the signposts that are guiding me as I work on revision. How lucky I am to have found her!"
--Gin H., finishing a novel
“Janet is an encouraging, thoughtful, and engaging book coach. She asked on-point questions that allowed me to find my own insights about my work-in-progress and helped me discover the next steps without inserting any agenda of her own. She shared her field-tested knowledge of what makes a story work as well as a genuine enthusiasm for the processes of writing and coaching. I will certainly seek her out again in the future!”
--Joanna, YA novel
