Need brilliant brainstorming buddies
for your manuscript?

As I always say:
“Friends don’t let friends write alone.”

Ever notice how most authors thank a ton of people in their acknowledgements section? That’s because even though the act of writing is a solitary practice, every book is carried by many unseen hands to the finish line…

Occasionally, my all-time favorite “big-picture editor,” my sister, Carol Allen, and I say yes to a full-manuscript deep dive together.

And when we do?
It’s magical.

I used to ghostwrite books and book proposals for other people full-time, resulting in many book deals, awards, and even a couple of New York Times bestsellers. Developmental editing was my life. But years ago, I stepped away from that intensity to focus on my retreats and my own books.

What never left? The thrill of reading a manuscript before it goes out into the world.
The electric joy of spotting what’s working—and what could soar higher.

So now, while I no longer write books for others, I do sometimes say yes to a thorough assessment of a book to get it ready for market, but only if Carol jumps in with me.

We only take on a handful of projects each year, and only when we feel in our bones that we can add tremendous value. 

We must:

💜 adore the concept

💜 love the human 

💜 know the book is ready for serious elevation

When all the stars align (literally and metaphorically), I call my sister and ask,
“Wanna do this one with me?”

When she’s available, we’re IN!

Why the two of us?

Carol was one of those maddeningly impressive students who actually loved the academic side of school (while I was there for the sports and social scene). Naturally, she earned straight A’s. Show-off. Whatevs.

Malcolm Gladwell explores this in Outliers: January babies are often the oldest in their grade, which can give them an early edge. Beginning school a bit more developmentally advanced helps them feel capable from the start, shaping their confidence—and often leading to a genuine love of learning.

Sister started writing on the local junior college paper her senior year of high school (and won a first-place statewide award), then studied journalism in college, and sat in writing groups for ten years after college, sharing feedback with countless fellow writers on all kinds of projects—poems, songs, screenplays, memoirs, novels, you name it.

She studied screenwriting and won “Best Screenplay” in a Los Angeles film festival with her first script. Then she started submitting personal essays to various anthologies and was pretty much always accepted.

Soon she was mentored as a copywriter in the “self-help/personal growth” space by one of the early giants of internet marketing, whose company surpassed $100M in revenue by the time he was forty, and who created the first subscription box online. 

When a dream told me to start writing—giving me a download of six books and instructions on how to write them, I’d never taken a writing class and hadn’t paid attention in English class as my sister had. (Gladwell explains that I was a typical August baby, bored by school but amazing at tennis. All true! 😉)

But once I could see the path to being a writer, I became obsessed and willing to work around the clock to make this vision a reality.

I started sharing with Carol everything I was doing, and her feedback was always so helpful (even though she was such a bossy little sis, insisting that not every sentence had to have six commas. Who knew?). 

And here we are thirty-five years later… 

Our strengths dovetail in the most delicious way. For starters, we’re best-friend sisters (and fourth cousins, which explains a lot), just 29 months apart, who’ve been reading to and alongside each other our entire lives. We’ve been finishing one another’s sentences and comparing notes about books for just as long—ever since those childhood afternoons at the library I wrote about in my latest book.

As I also wrote in my writing memoir, Beautiful Writers, books were in our DNA. The shelves of our childhood home groaned with them. Mom had been the president of a Stanford book club for ten years and a founding member for over thirty. One of her best friends, Kay Sprinkel Grace (yes, her real name—and yes, she does), is a famous nonprofit fundraiser with many books to her name, one of which was dedicated to our parents. Our father’s best friend, Charles Sailor, is a big-time New York Times bestselling author (who’s first novel sold 6 million copies), lived in fancy Bel Air, wrote screenplays and hit TV shows, including the Charlie’s Angels pilot. Carol and I drove around with “Uncle Chuck” in a limousine on his book tour for The Second Son and marveled at how the biggest names in Hollywood—Newman, Redford, Stallone—wanted to bring that book to film (some still do!).

I was even more dazzled by the bulging canvas sacks carrying fan letters to Chuck’s house by the tens of thousands from the post office. If I could be like him, I thought, I’d really have the power to help this world! This writing thing couldn’t be that hard. Everyone’s doing it! Turns out, it was a whole lot harder than that. Ha. Hence, the thousands of hours of study and practice in my early years. 

Carol is a full-time Vedic Astrologer and Love Coach and self-published author (who’s made hundreds of thousands of dollars selling a bazillion copies on her own) and always has her nose in a book. She’s brilliant, intuitive, and the best big-picture editor I’ve ever known.

She sees:

💚 structure

💚 theme 

💚 emotional arc

💚 where “tell” needs to become “show” 

… and where the reader needs a scene instead of a summary. 

Her online newsletter has been read by millions (marketing her astrology and coaching), making her one of the most successful long-term marketing writers on the web. And even though it’s not her day job, she’s thanked in more than 30 books (mine included) because she cannot help herself—to friends and family, she’s a born giver.

I’m the obsessive ghostwriter, the in-the-weeds researcher, the line editor who can spot a missing comma at fifty paces. After countless hours spent “cracking the code” of the perfect book proposal, my first was sold by unanimous vote at HCI, my second in a four-day bidding war to Dutton, and my third for seven figures to Hyperion (the resulting book that I ghostwrote became a NYT bestseller). Nearly thirty years in the publishing trenches means I spot pacing issues, repetition, weak word choices, accidental duplication, sagging middles, and structural cracks long before they become career-limiting problems.

Together?

We’re ruthless and loving. Precise and wildly encouraging. Carol names what’s missing and what would make the book come more to life; if I feel it too and get inspired, I’ll often draft sample paragraphs to show exactly what we mean—so our writers can see the possibility on the page.

The behind-the-scenes back-and-forth is riveting—at least to us word nerds. Ha.

It feels like our own private book club… with red pens.

What it looks like

Carol reads from LA. I read from Scottsdale (or sometimes from a dusty trail if I’ve snuck away on horseback🐴).

Then come the voice memos.
Back and forth. Back and forth.

Her marveling, me ranting.
“Oh my god, can you believe chapter five?! I couldn’t sleep!”

Me questioning, her answering.
“Were his motives clear to you?”
“Not yet. The stakes need to be much higher in the first chapter, so we know what we’re rooting for.”

Then we hop on the phone and brainstorm—in the most loving way possible.

I record and transcribe everything into a massive, detailed, no-holds-barred Editorial Letter we send your way (usually within 30 days), because Carol drops marketing gems, structural breakthroughs, and thematic throughlines that are simply too good to lose. I’ve learned to capture my brain in real time, too—sometimes insights arrive in big, electric downloads, and if you don’t grab them fast, details may float off into space.

Alongside the letter, I go line-by-line through your manuscript, adding extensive Track Changes—specific upgrades you can accept or reject one at a time. Concrete refinements. Cleaner language. Sharper beats. Stronger flow.

Big vision. Micro precision.

That’s how we roll.

We look at:

• Structure and pacing
• Tone and voice
• Character arcs and emotional payoffs
• Where scenes need deepening
• Redundancies and repetition
• Word choice and rhythm
• Industry positioning and market awareness
• Resources or experts worth consulting
• A gillion other things, including how the work makes us FEEL
• And yes… even optimal timing, if astrology is your thing 😉

Then I weave everything into a comprehensive Editorial Letter—often 15–40 pages. Big picture. Granular. Chapter-by-chapter.

What we love.
What needs sharpening?
What needs restructuring?
Where the book wants to go.

You think I’m a cheerleader?
Imagine two of us. (We were both pom-pom girls back in the day…)

It’s exhaustive. It’s intense. And it’s wildly fun, supportive, and energizing.

Is this for everyone?

Nope.

This is not a light proofread.
It’s not a quick pass.
And it’s not inexpensive.

Every project is different, shaped by many factors. We’ll talk. But our work begins in the many thousands, reflecting the depth of attention each manuscript requires—and the time it draws from our own creative projects.

We invest a minimum of 40–50 combined hours in every book. That means we take on only a handful of projects each year—and only when we feel genuinely called to the work.

Not every writer seeks this level of depth. Not every manuscript is ready for it. And not every author wants to make this kind of investment—or receive this degree of rigorous, supportive feedback.

But for the right book—and the right human—it’s transformative.

And so you know it’s not just because I’m her proud, biased big sis, here’s what 3 of the 30+ authors who’ve thanked Carol in their published acknowledgment pages have said:

“An extra-special thanks to this book’s fairy godmother, the ingenious Carol Allen.” – Sam Bennett (speaker & founder of the Organized Artist Company), Start Right Where You Are

“Carol Allen – you contributed to this book in ways too broad to name. If my endorsement ever means anything, you’ve got it in spades and specifics!” – Ann Kiehl Friedman (interfaith minister, philanthropist, and entrepreneur), Higher Love

“To the pants-kickers, Carol Allen (and others) – this book would still be living inside my mind without you.” – Damona Hoffman (podcast host, recurring love coach on the Drew Barrymore Show), F the Fairy Tale

A real example

Recently, a bestselling novelist—and acclaimed Broadway and Hollywood screenwriter, with a Tony Award and A-list film credits to her name—hired us to review her latest 350-page novel after her longtime, high-powered agents rejected it with blunt feedback.

She was devastated. Confused. Unsure whether she needed new agents—or a new draft.

After 45+ combined hours of reading, brainstorming, and crafting a detailed editorial letter, we identified core issues that would have seriously impacted her career had the manuscript gone out as-is.

She had simply been too close to see them. When the realization landed, she was floored by what she’d missed—though, of course, we’re all too close to our book babies to see everything clearly. Grateful (and relieved), she pulled the manuscript for a rewrite, and is following the many steps we mapped out together. ✨

Her agents weren’t wrong. They adore her—and she’s made them a great deal of money. But every project brings its own challenges, and most agents simply don’t have 45+ hours to dissect and summarize a manuscript. Once they sense structural problems, they often stop reading. Very few have the bandwidth to deliver a true masterclass on what isn’t working—and how to fix it.

That’s what we do.

But isn’t that much feedback overwhelming?

Yes, at first.

Our clients often experience a swirl of relief, shock, sadness, excitement, and “Oh wow, how did I miss that?” Especially when they’ve already worked with other editors.

But once the initial emotional wave settles?
They get excited. Clear. Energized.

Because so much of what we offer is actionable. Concrete. Immediately implementable.

And suddenly the book they thought was “almost there” becomes something sharper. Stronger. Infinitely more valuable.

A love letter to mastery

AI is amazing. We love Grammarly when we have a grammar question. 

But there’s something irreplaceable about two seasoned publishing brains sitting with your work for many, many hours. Caring about it. Arguing about it. Championing it.

Mastery + Craft + Human devotion to story.

That great pride in your own mind—and what it’s capable of building on the page—cannot be outsourced. We don’t feed our own books into AI platforms (other than sometimes Grammarly, and only in disjointed pieces that we erase immediately, just in case), so you can trust your manuscript is held with the same care. The publishing world is navigating this new AI terrain carefully. Many agents and publishers currently restrict AI use to research and/or very light editorial support, requiring written confirmation of 100% human authorship. Until there is greater consensus, we believe in erring on the side of extreme precaution, protection, and patience.

Deal specifics…

💚 Timeline: Once we’ve spoken and reviewed some of your work and determined we’re a good fit, we typically begin reading your book as soon as we receive your Word document. Carol and I deliver your Mac Mama Editorial Letter, along with the Word document of your book’s manuscript (with Track Changes), within 30 days of receiving your work. If an unexpected personal matter arises and we need additional time, we’ll let you know promptly and keep you fully informed about any adjustments to our timeline.

💚 Price: While comparable services can exceed $20,000, our fee is $12,000 for now. Payment is structured in two installments: an initial 50% to secure your place on our calendar, with the balance due upon delivery of your Editorial Letter. We accept payment via PayPal or Zelle.

💚 Depth of Edits: Your comprehensive Editorial Letter will offer in-depth guidance tailored specifically to your book, including a chapter-by-chapter analysis of what’s working beautifully and what may still need strengthening. We’ll address market positioning, tone, style, grammar, and even the competitive landscape. It’s impossible to list everything here, as each manuscript is unique and opens its own creative world within us.

While a full line-by-line edit of every chapter in your book would extend well beyond our typical fifty-hour limit, we do provide a thorough line edit of your first three chapters. Because writing patterns tend to repeat, you’ll be able to apply much of our feedback confidently throughout the rest of your manuscript.

You’ll also receive detailed, thoughtful notes woven throughout your entire manuscript. And if your draft is especially strong, expect plenty of celebration (think: “This line is FANTASTIC!” or “Hilarious viewpoint”)—which is more than just fun, it builds confidence.  

💚 How Much of the Book Should Be Complete: We love working with a full manuscript. That said, it can be incredibly helpful to receive feedback before you’re finished—it often shortens the process and helps you avoid time-consuming rabbit holes. We prefer to begin when at least 60–75% of your book is drafted. Please note that our fee covers one full read of the manuscript submitted. If you revise and return with additional material, a completed draft, or a book proposal for the manuscript we’ve read, assuming we have the time and desire to continue our collaboration, we’ll simply move into the next phase together—either under an hourly retainer or an agreed-upon new project fee.

💚 Follow-Up Call: After delivery, we’ll schedule a Zoom call for the three of us to celebrate your work, share some laughs, answer your questions, and map out next steps. You’ll also receive the audio recording and a written transcript so you can revisit the conversation anytime.

💚 Do You Offer Refunds? This hasn’t come up—thankfully. We trust our instincts and are careful to take on projects that feel like a strong fit, and we trust you do the same. Because we begin reading promptly and invest significant, focused time from the start, we do not offer refunds. We ask that you feel fully confident in moving forward before we begin.

Publishing can be a long and often challenging road. Not every manuscript secures an agent or lands with a dream publisher, and we can’t guarantee specific outcomes. What we can promise is that we will give your work our very best—and be among your most enthusiastic champions. And it’ll be fun—because isn’t that the ultimate point?!

💚 Ongoing Support: If you’d like continued guidance—detailed email support or calls discussing career strategy, additional manuscript, query, book proposal reads and edits, or agent introductions (when your work is truly ready)—we’re happy to support you as schedules permit at an hourly rate. 

If you’re curious…

I’m only now posting this sister service on my website, even though we’ve been doing this work together for a few years, because, frankly, we’ve been too busy reading & brainstorming to write about it.

But if you’re sitting on a manuscript and thinking, “I need seasoned eyes. I need depth. I need honest brilliance from people who know what they’re talking about,” reach out. 

If the stars align—and we’re available—we’d love to explore whether your book is one of the few we champion this year.

Remember that electric, can’t-wait-for-morning feeling from childhood holidays or birthdays? That’s how we feel every time we begin a new collaboration.

We adore books. We adore bold storytelling. And we can’t wait to put our heads together for you.

You feelin’ it? Fill out the below form, and we’ll hop on Zoom to see if teaming up is the next right step for all of us. ✨

See you soon. Write on! 

Not quite ready to go that deep? That’s perfectly okay. If you’re earlier in your journey and craving steady support without the overwhelm, start with Beautiful Writers—in print or audio—and tune into the podcast of the same name. Then come join our wonderfully affordable (and genuinely fun) Beautiful Writers Group. With twice-weekly Write-Ins and plenty of extra inspiration, you’ll not only get on track—you’ll stay there.