Manuscripts to Market (MTM), also known as "The Novel Editors," was officially established in 2018 by the founder and director of Algonkian Writer Conferences, chief editor Michael B. Neff. The overall mission, as he defines it, demands that we work exclusively with sincere and promising writers, and together with them, labor towards a primary goal of developing and editing a competitive commercial novel, or narrative non-fiction, that will meet the critical demands of major agents, as well as publishers and their marketing staff. In keeping with that goal, we also strive to remake and mentor you into becoming a superior author on all levels.
Dedicated and meticulous editorial focus on your manuscript will be accomplished by not one but two highly experienced editors (including the MTM chief production editor) working in upwards of four separate phases. This customized process equals your single best chance to produce a novel of superior quality and become a published author. Much more information about this original and systematic editorial approach, as well as our fee structure, can be found here.
By the way, we only take on a small number of clients in order to maintain the attention necessary for any given project. In other words, we are not a manuscript editing factory dependent on large volume to stay in business.
Application, Thin Skin, and Interview
Potential clients must take these first steps in the following order before being accepted into our programs:
Perhaps premature at this point, but nevertheless important. If you wish to promote your novel upon completion of the MTM editorial process, and do so with a new and brilliant European book marketing outfit actually capable of producing strong sales and competitive visibility on a variety of platforms (see "Dragon Ripper" by author Melanie Bacon as an example on Amazon), you can explore the options with Ippen Digital and learn about their various proven marketing strategies.
If we believe your project will benefit from a partnership with them, and you concur, we'll set you up with one of their top execs looking for MTM to assist them with identifying and marketing books by American and British authors working in a variety of genres they believe will be highly successful now and in the years to come.
Genuinely Unique Yet Pragmatic
What are the factors that differentiate our editorial methods and credentials from the many academic instructors, former authors, ex-publishing house editors, and others of various stripes who labor daily on hundreds if not thousands of novel and narrative nonfiction manuscripts?
As follows:
Focus on the High-Concept Premise
We initiate the development process by examining and discussing your novel premise itself, not on ways to "perfect" your extant work. We see no point at putting effort into polishing a manuscript that will not sell to an actual market in the first place. In our opinion, to behave otherwise is quite simply dishonest. All of our author clients have benefited greatly from this approach. Why? Because they're far more likely to become published commercial authors with novels or narrative non-fiction they can be proud of for a lifetime.
Experience and Track Record
A proven track record of over twenty years working on the publishing side of the business as well as on the novel writing and literary agent side. As a result, we are successfully networked with many publishers in New York, and on the west coast. We work with authors to produce books that are either published by major commercial publishers and/or signed by major agencies, and unlike most freelance novel editors, we are published authors of fiction, nonfiction, and short stories who have also written extensively, and in a professional capacity, on the subject of fiction writing technique and story craft.
A Two-Editor Phase-by-Phase Approach
As noted previously, we've created a two-editor and four-step process that includes a preliminary story premise, plot, and major element review by the chief editor to address the story foundation as well as specific "high concept" marketability. Once the necessary manuscript edits from this review are input to form a second draft, the next step is a first-to-last-line manuscript edit by a second editor. The resulting notes from that process are then inputted by the author to form a third draft. A follow-up review of this manuscript by the chief editor comes next to make final tweaks, as needed, followed by the query letter process. A more detailed clarification of this can be found on this webpage.
And why is this necessary?
The inconvenient truth in the novel editorial business is that in the vast majority of cases, especially with unpublished writers, "one pass editing" will not get a manuscript published. More often, it creates enough edits and reveals enough problems to make the task seem insurmountable. As professionals, we've known this for years, and our experience taught us to devise an editorial method and program that has the best chance of working to meet a writer's goals, and our goals, for their manuscript.
The Connection with Algonkian
Manuscripts to Market and "The Novel Editors" is a spin-off from the Algonkian Writer Conferences and the Write to Pitch event directed by Michael Neff in New York. As such, it is connected by default to a whole range of people in the publishing and TV/film content business, all of whom are more than willing to hear about a potentially good and marketable high-concept story or novel from professionals they've trusted for years.
A Trip to the Write to Pitch Event
Clients of this service are allowed to attend the conference in New York at no charge in order to facilitate the launching of their new manuscripts. We will get the word out ahead of time to faculty in attendance, thereby increasing the chances of landing a contract. And yes, this is serious.
Potential clients must take these first steps in the following order before being accepted into our programs:
Perhaps premature at this point, but nevertheless important. If you wish to promote your novel upon completion of the MTM editorial process, and do so with a new and brilliant European book marketing outfit actually capable of producing strong sales and competitive visibility on a variety of platforms (see "Dragon Ripper" by author Melanie Bacon as an example on Amazon), you can explore the options with Ippen Digital and learn about their various proven marketing strategies.