Services

I help writers get book publishing deals. Sometimes it’s through a literary agent, and at other times it’s by a publisher’s direct acquisition. I do this through mentoring, editorial tough-love, and sharing insider knowledge built on my unique combination of skills as a former literary agent, former in-house and freelance book editor (of fiction and nonfiction), and as the author of two traditionally published books (memoir/nonfiction).

My clients get published. Here’s what some of them have said about working with me.

  • Sally Rynveld

    “Virginia’s searching questions and frank feedback were just what I needed to tighten the book’s focus and cut out irrelevant material.”

    – Sally Rynveld, co-author of A Good Life: the story of Guy Winship and Good Return (Ginanderra Press, 2018)

  • Ingrid Du Vernet

    “Working with Virginia has been an invaluable experience. Not only is she professional and efficient, but she has a way of immediately identifying what doesn’t work on the page and coming up with wonderful suggestions to make it work. She also excels at being able to pinpoint plot holes and loose ends and ways writing style could be improved. My manuscript wouldn’t be what it is today without her input, and I am so grateful to her for that. If you want to work with someone who will tell you what you want to hear, Virginia isn’t for you. But if you want to work with someone who tells you what you need to hear, then working with Virginia will be the best decision you’ll ever make.” – Ingrid Du […]

  • Dr Steven Lin

    “Virginia’s editing was strong but necessary for publishers to appreciate how my manuscript could be turned into a published book.”

    – Dr Steven Lin, The Dental Diet (Hay House, 2018)

  • Maryanne Moodie

    “Virginia was instrumental in my negotiations with my American publisher on my first and second book deals. After receiving an initial offer, Virginia helped me understand the process….”

    – Maryanne Moodie, On the Loom: A Modern Weaver’s Guide (Abrams) and Weave the Rainbow (forthcoming)

  • Joe Novella

    “Awesome feedback. Your suggestions really hit the mark on some of the challenges I have writing this story. Loved your feedback on the narrator, and you’re spot on about the voice…”

    – Joe Novella

  • Cassandra Pybus

    “Over a couple of years Virginia has given me immeasurable help with my writing and shepherded my book TRUGANINI to considerable publishing success.”

Honest, constructive advice about your book or book idea

Are you stuck? Not sure if your idea is good enough? Or are you wondering why you’re not hearing back from any of the agents or publishers you’ve already submitted your work to?

If so, then it’s time to reach out to someone who will be constructive, helpful – and honest.

Explore  the ways I most often help writers to get an agent or a book deal:

Business book writing/development – contact me for more information

Nonfiction book proposal development – contact me for more information

Agenting (nonfiction only)

Very occasionally I act in the traditional manner of the literary agent, in which I approach a shortlist of relevant publishers on behalf of an author’s manuscript, and take a standard 15% commission on income earned by the author, beginning with the advance sum a publisher pays on acquiring the manuscript. If I’m agenting a book then I charge no fee, just commission on the advance and any royalties earned down the track. Here’s a partial list of books I’ve agented.

Important note about remuneration:

I provide a range of fee-based services to authors that support their efforts to get published. Because I charge a fee for my services, however, I do not charge any commission on acquisition by a publisher, even if I have made the introduction of author to publisher. No double dipping here! But it is for this reason that I have never joined an association of traditional literary agents, such as the Australian Literary Agents Association.