"Michael Neff has been part of the industry that helps writers make their dreams come true instead of discouraging them. When I met him I knew nothing and he was one of the few people willing to open up about the world of publishing. His advice and his knowledge of writing and story helped me craft my first novel, and later, he helped me find an agent. I will always be indebted to him for his warmth and knowledge."
- Author Ann W Garvin
"Michael Neff was a godsend in helping me supercharge my thriller during the very first phase of
the "Manuscripts to Market" editorial process. He was immediately able to identify specific elements of my
story that fell flat, and based on years of experience, recommended critical changes that
I'm confident will ultimately lead to a successful, exciting, and marketable final product.
Michael has a saying that one of the worst enemies of an author is impatience. He's right.
So, I'm patiently reworking my novel and look forward to a future draft honed by his editorial process that will ultimately lead to snagging a great agent and a book deal."
- Future Author Steve Caldas
"The first novel in my "Jack the Ripper's daughter" series, DRAGON RIPPER, was edited and prepared for publication (including the cover) by Michael. Without him, I wouldn't now have this stunningly beautiful book as well as nearly 1000 reviews on Amazon with a 4.7 average rating. He also assisted with editing my ms as well as preparing a new cover for my second novel in the series, THE WIDOWING."
- Author Melanie Bacon - Former Writer for National Lampoon Magazine
"I appreciate that there are no pretenses with Michael. He's not going to sugarcoat anything or tell you what you want to hear just to earn a buck off of you. As other writers have said, Michael is the real deal. He knows what will appeal to agents and publishers and helps you shape your novel so it has a fighting chance. I attended the Algonkian workshop in March of 2023 and told him my concept idea, and he helped me outline my novel with all the needed elements, and practice writing a pitch for it. In the Fall, he helped me edit an early draft. I then attended New York Write to Pitch in June 2024 at his urging and five weeks later, got an offer of representation from an agent using the pitch he helped me perfect. I am confident it never would have happened so fast (or at all) if I hadn't taken all of his valuable development and marketing advice to heart.
FYI, I will shortly be signed by a major publisher before 2025, announcement to follow."
- Future Author Jennifer Van Der Kleut
"Michael Neff has a remarkable breadth of knowledge about the writing craft. His pitching workshops and personal editorial consults taught me to distill my manuscript down to the core concept, which is essential to getting noticed in this competitive market. Thanks to his close attention, I was able to identify problems with my narrative and begin to shape my work-in-progress into a more compelling manuscript. Those early steps made a huge difference. The Edge of Normal became an award-winning novel and has been optioned for film."
- Author Carla Norton
"After years of writing classes and an assortment of teachers, I found myself with a solid set of basic writing skills but without the necessary information. I lacked knowledge about the publishing industry, commercial fiction in general, and the connections needed to launch myself successfully into publishing. Though I'd worked hard for years on my writing, something was not coming together. Frustrated, I researched a number of different options to take me to the next level. Fortunately, I made the good decision to apply to Michael Neff's editing program.
For two years, he has guided me through all aspects of the publishing industry, starting with my pitch, premise, hook, comps, and various other elements that were not on point. He took the time to help me see what I was not seeing. He also stayed with me through the ups and downs to get past my ego and its peccadillos to understand that the book I wanted to publish wasn't necessarily a book the industry wanted to publish. Through the process, I've made a number of changes to my manuscript and gained a great deal of invaluable knowledge that will serve me well in my career.
Two years later, I've pitched the novel to agents at the New York Write to Pitch Conference and I'm currently in the revision process after getting their detailed feedback. I'd recommend Michael's services for anyone who's serious about their writing and even more serious about commercial publication."
- Future Author Elizabeth Postovit
"I met Michael at a novel workshop in Virginia, and beginning with that workshop, he turned my novel around, helped me invent a new one, and stuck with me over several rewrites and lots of anxiety until he landed an agent for me. I now have the career I've always dreamed of."
- Author Wendy Eckel
"Michael Neff will clearly tell you what is working with your project and what isn't. His feedback took my novel to the next level. Not only does he provide valuable information about the inner workings of the publishing industry in his Write to Pitch Conference, he also cares about the success of his clients. He doesn't dish out bullshit. He will provide direct feedback and work with the author to make a project as good as possible. When I finish my next novel, I will definitely work with Michael and his team again."
- Future Author Ariel Slick
"At Michael Neff's pitch conference in New York, I met with an editor from Plume, pitched the idea and she liked it, and after several weeks and rounds of discussion and so forth, she made an offer. Meantime, Michael helped to set me up with my agent, who is a lovely person at Trident Media. So I can honestly say that going to that conference changed my life. Everything turned out so much better than I had dreamed."
- Author Susan Breen
"I am currently using the Manuscript to Market and under the tutelage of Michael Neff. One of the biggest helps he has been to me is to get me to "kill my darlings" and get on with making changes I need to make to get published. Each time he boldly asked me to think through making changes to my novel, I balked, and when I rewrote a chapter or two, or part of a scene, the book miraculously became a better book. He is a dream to work with, effective and worth every penny."
- Future Author Charles Darnell
"Hey Michael. Hope everything is going well and thanks for everything you did for my career."
- Author Will Lavender
"Michael, I just want you to know that I am working daily on my edits (like you said, there was a lot to do but I would learn so much from it). Both of these things are true. I am really understanding POV in a whole new way. I am wiping out many of the flashbacks. I am really ramping up my antagonist and protagonist and trying to make this a real, commercially-viable thriller. The notes have been so helpful. I guess I am 2/3 of the way through the rewrite. I just want to let you know that I am pushing on, enjoying the work, and hoping to make something that has a chance of selling."
