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FEARLESS
HOME • LITERARY
SERVICES
BOOKS •
FEATURES •
KEEP IN TOUCH
Fearless Literary has been assessing both fiction and nonfiction manuscripts for over fifteen years, and has given scores of authors priceless advice on refining and preparing their work for publication. We have also provided editing and manuscript assessment for major publishers including Viking, Crown, Warner, Doubleday, Avon, Simon & Schuster, J.P. Tarcher, Hay House, and others. We know a number of literary agents and we help promising authors make publishing connections. Finally, we have been publishing independently since 1997 and know the ropes of conventional publishing, print-on-demand, e-books, and other forms of publication. No other manuscript service can offer our breadth and depth of expertise. If you’re wondering whether your manuscript has what it takes to succeed — and what you can do to improve its chances — investing now in a Fearless review is the smartest literary move you’ll ever make!
It all began with a Fearless manuscript review. In early 2003, unknown and unpublished author Gary Renard sent Fearless Books a manuscript entitled The Disappearance of the Universe for a full assessment. By late 2003, that title was published under the Fearless imprint and went on to become a metaphysical best-seller. After 25,000 copies of the Fearless edition were sold, the title was taken over by Hay House, which now has 200,000+ copies in print worldwide.
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Comments from Authors
who have worked with
Fearless Literary
“I’m probably the most inexperienced writer who ever lived. Instead of going forward with a print-on-demand house to produce my book, I decided to engage the expertise of a publishing professional who could specifically meet my needs – that is, help me with EVERYTHING. Patrick Miller of Fearless Literary gave me excellent feedback, continuous direction, and even the title of my book. A TASTE OF GRACE would never have been completed without him. He held my hand from A-Z, every single step of the way.” — Elizabeth Griffin, author of the latest Fearless Books title A TASTE OF GRACE: Meditations and Recipes for a Fulfilling Life
“I believe Patrick Miller’s counsel was vital as I pitched my first novel. His advice forced me to fundamentally rethink the manuscript I was about to present. His critique was not sparing, and at first I said insulting things about him. But it made too much sense to ignore. Patrick’s remarks were savvy on two levels: they forced me to imagine a thicker story and, frankly, had me produce a more marketable book. I'm not sure I would have sold it without his help.” — Brian Brown, author of TV: A Novel of Media, Madness and Redemption (Crown, 2001)
I decided to be brave and make the cuts Sari Friedman suggested. I’m thrilled with the results. Having worked in the government and business world with editors, I’m accustomed to reworking material. It’s never easy but usually worth it. TIDE POOL is a better manuscript thanks to Sari Friedman. The novel’s overall structure is stronger and the drama is heightened. Plus, it’s polished, free of those pesky mistakes that can sink a project.Thanks for all Sari’s hard work. I wouldn't hesitate to use Fearless again.
— Therese Dyer-CaplanI was a book editor for a decade and never achieved the kind of bird’s eye clarity that Patrick has brought to my manuscripts. His assessments are as thorough and impeccably reasoned as his suggestions, which are surprising and always helpful. One of my biggest challenges when I embarked on a writing career was finding honest and objective criticism. Patrick delivers both, and more. — John Meils, former book editor (Workman; Macmillan; Stewart, Tabori & Chang)
After completing my novel Settling I received favorable feedback from agents who liked my style but didn’t love my story. A full critique helped me understand that I needed to re-imagine Settling on a larger scale... and start over. I wish I had known about Fearless before I sent out all those queries! If you want polite encouragement, look to your friends. If you’re ready for honest criticism that will help you write a better book, I sincerely recommend Fearless Literary. — Rachel Arends, author of Settling (currently represented by Park Literary Group)
____________________PUBLISHED WORKS CRITIQUED OR EDITED BY FEARLESS LITERARY INCLUDE:
Touching: Poems of Love, Longing, and Desire
Double Award Winner, 2011 Next Generation
Indie Books Award (Fearless Books, 2011)The Light in Ordinary Things
(Fearless Books, 2009) poetry anthologyHow to Stop Screwing Up (Hampton Roads, 2007)
by Martha Woodroof
Stay Tuned: Conversations with Dad from the Other Side
(Hampton Roads, 2007) by Jenniffer Weigel
Self-Publishing for Dummies (Wiley, 2006)
by Jason R. Rich
The FLIP (Hampton Roads, 2006)
by Jared Rosen & David Rippe
The Lost Girls (Simon & Schuster, 2004)
a novel by Laurie FoxLilith A. Wilith (Lilith & Co., 2002)
children’s picture book by Susan A. KrauserBoy Still Missing (William Morrow, 2001)
a novel by John Searles
The Way of Adventure (John Wiley & Sons, 2000)
by Jeff Salz, Ph.D.
My Sister from the Black Lagoon
(Simon & Schuster, 1999) a novel by Laurie FoxFacing Death and Finding Hope (Doubleday, 1997)
by Christine Longaker
Inventing the AIDS Virus (Regnery, 1996)
by Peter H. Duesberg
At Long Last Love (Warner, 1994)
by John & Julie WingoThe Undefended Self (Pathwork Press, 1994)
by Susan Thesenga
The Power of Ethical Persuasion (Viking, 1993)
by Tom Rusk, M.D. with D. Patrick Miller
Instead of Therapy (Hay House, 1991)
by Tom Rusk, M.D. with D. Patrick MillerWhat is a manuscript review?
A review is a full, professional assessment of your work in progress, including sample editing and comments on the manuscript plus a comprehensive letter of review, offering further observations on what’s working in your project and what could be improved.We have experience and expertise in all forms of adult fiction, and in writing for children and young adults. We can assess virtually all types of nonfiction, including memoir, biography, political and cultural commentary, popular science, self-help, spirituality, and inspiration. We may not be able to review projects of a highly technical nature.
Our advice deals with both the literary quality and publishing potential of your work. We aim to help you achieve a greater sense of accomplishment as a writer and find the most efficient route to publication. That may mean helping you land representation with a literary agent, find an appropriate independent publisher, or pursue independent publication. Through the years we have found that too many writers invest in editing prematurely, often spending several thousand dollars on a full line-edit of their manuscripts before necessary developmental work has been done. Thus, a review can be a valuable time- and money-saving investment. If we feel that your work only needs line editing — or is in fact ready for consideration by an agent or publisher — we will let you know and recommend the most efficient route to publication. We have relationships with a number of literary agents and are also well connected in the independent publishing field.
We answer follow-up questions about manuscript reviews without charge, and offer discounts on subsequent assessments of revised manuscripts in progress. In some cases, review projects provide the start of a coaching relationship for the continuing development of a project.
Who are we?
The principals of Fearless Literary are widely-published writers who have made a living in the fields of writing and editing for most of our lives. Fearless founder D. Patrick Miller has published fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry with several major New York houses, two large independent presses, and under his own Fearless Books imprint. Sari Friedman is an award-winning fiction writer, poet, and journalist who earned her MFA from Columbia University. She has also sold numerous nonfiction pieces and taught writing in a variety of venues. Bruce Bawer has authored a dozen books and served as a board member of the National Book Critics Circle. For details on our experience, see our biographical statements below.How long does a review take?
For standard-length projects, we generally allow eight weeks from the time of submission and payment to the return of a manuscript with comments, sample editing, and the letter of assessment. Short or partial manuscripts will be assessed more quickly.How do I submit a manuscript for assessment?
Write to consult@fearlessbooks.com and let us know of your interest in pursuing a full manuscript review. We will reply with instructions for submitting payment and submission of your manuscript in Word as an e-mail attachment. For a novel, we also require a synopsis of the storyline; for nonfiction work, we require a table of contents and chapter outline. With any work, you should submit a cover letter in the text of your e-mail, describing the history of the project to date and your writing experience.See our rate schedule below for costs of reviewing a long manuscript, short or partial manuscript, nonfiction proposal, poetry, and query or cover letters.
We’ve both been helping writers refine their work for over fifteen years, and we share a keen sense of what it takes to survive and succeed as writers in a rapidly-changing market. We look forward to reading your work!
Basic Rates and Conditions for Manuscript Reviews
$1495.00 is the standard fee for assessing a book-length manuscript (50,000-100,000 words). Manuscripts of more than 100,000 words are subject to a $200 surcharge. All manuscripts should be accompanied by a synopsis (for fiction) or table of contents and chapter summaries (for nonfiction) of the entire project. It’s also helpful to have a brief biographical description of you, including your age, education, writing experience, and a statement about your short-term and long-term writing goals. Payment can be made online, and we accept submissions as Word files submitted via e-mail. When we are ready to begin your project, we will send the link to a page where you can pay online.
You will receive a written review of approximately 2000 words, providing a professional opinion of your material’s strong points, weaknesses, marketing potential, and overall impact. We generally include sample editing and additional comments directly on the first 50 pages of Word manuscript files. If we feel that your work may be interesting to an agent or editor, we will inform you before making a referral.
$250-$1250.00 is the fee range for reading and evaluating complete or partial manuscripts of fewer than 50,000 words, such as novellas, children’s picture books, middle-grade novels, short stories, nonfiction articles, and so on. The written assessment will be about 1000 words. Payment must accompany manuscript. Please inquire about a custom quote for your project by writing consult@fearlessbooks.com.
$695.00 is the standard fee for a Proposal Assessment, reviewing a cover letter and/or query, chapter outline, and short writing sample for a nonfiction project. Or, you can submit a full proposal if it’s available. This assessment helps with the refinement of nonfiction proposals intended for agents and editors.
$250.00 is the standard fee for reading and reviewing a poetry collection. We will assess a maximum of 200 lines for $55; inquire about custom rates. Payment must accompany manuscript.
$95.00 is the standard fee for reviewing and editing a query or cover letter, professional introductions, resumés, press releases, and other brief business-related media. Turnaround is within 48 hours, in most cases. Payment must accompany manuscript.
$75.00 is the standard fee for a quick review of a book idea. See Great Idea Review.
We prefer electronic files in Word format. Please inquire about other submission methods or media.
PLEASE NOTE THAT RESERVATIONS ARE NOW BEING TAKEN FOR REVIEWS AND ASSESSMENTS. Reserve by May 1 and save 15% (up to $225 on a full-length manuscript review). If you would like to reserve a start date for the next available Fast Assessment or Review, write consult@fearlessbooks.com for the current schedule and reservation information.
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Before founding Fearless Books in 1997 to continue the publication of his writing, D. PATRICK MILLER sold three solo projects to major publishers: Viking, Henry Holt, and Dell. He is now the author of nine titles, including Understanding A Course in Miracles (Ten Speed/Random House), and Living with Miracles (Tarcher/Penguin). As a collaborator, ghostwriter, or principal editor, Miller has helped other authors prepare manuscripts for such publishers as Viking, Doubleday, Warner, Crown, Simon & Schuster, Jeremy P. Tarcher, Hay House, Hampton Roads, and John Wiley & Sons. His poetry has been published in a number of magazines and several anthologies. A top-ranked volunteer expert on publishing at AllExperts.com, Miller provides professional consultations to literary agents and publishers as well as published and unpublished authors working in fiction and nonfiction. He has worked for many years with the Linda Chester Literary Agency of New York, which recommends the Fearless Literary critique service. He is a member of the Authors Guild and Independent Book Publishers Association, and serves as president of the Northern California chapter of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA).
SARI FRIEDMAN’s poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and book reviews have appeared in literary magazines, trade journals, and anthologies including the O. Henry Festival Stories Collection, San Francisco Chronicle, Berkeley Daily Planet, and Manhattan Poetry Review. She has been nominated for The General Electric Younger Writers Award and The Pushcart Prize Collection, and won the New Voice in Fiction First Prize from The Writers Voice in NYC. She is the former Assistant Director of the Summer Writers' Festival sponsored by Columbia University Graduate Writing Division, and served as an Advanced Fiction Workshop Instructor in the Washington Heights Writers’ Workshops. Sari has consulted on manuscript acquisitions for Avon Books and New American Library. She is a member of the California State Poetry Society, Northern California Book Reviewers, the Women’s National Book Association, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. See her website.
BRUCE BAWER’s dozen books range from literary criticism (Diminishing Fictions: Essays on the Modern American Novel and Its Critics) and film criticism (The Screenplay’s the Thing) to commentary on Christianity (Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity), Islam (While Europe Slept), free speech (Surrender), and gay rights (A Place at the Table). He has also published volumes of poetry, edited a collection of essays, collaborated on an as-told-to memoir, and written a composition textbook. His books have been issued by such publishers as Simon & Schuster, Dutton, Doubleday, and Crown, and have been translated into several languages. He has also been a prolific book reviewer for such publications as the New York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post Book World, has written voluminously for scores of magazines, newspapers, and websites, including The Hudson Review, American Scholar, Wilson Quarterly, and City Journal, and has been included in numerous anthologies. Bawer has taught writing at Stony Brook University and Adelphi University and served as a board member of the National Book Critics Circle and as editor-in-chief of its professional journal. His 2006 book While Europe Slept was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle award. See his website.
