Step 1: Define the Offer
The most common mistake is starting with a vague offer. "Manuscript feedback" is not a service people can easily buy. "A 60-minute live review of your first three chapters, with written notes delivered within 48 hours" is.
Specific offers convert better because the buyer knows exactly what they are getting. Before setting up anything else, decide:
- What scope? One chapter, three chapters, a full short story, a query letter, a pitch document, an entire manuscript draft.
- What format? Live video session with in-the-moment discussion, async written notes only, or a hybrid of both.
- What length? 30, 45, 60, or 90 minutes for a live session. Turnaround time for async deliverables.
- What do you bring? Your specific perspective: genre experience, publishing credits, editing background, developmental focus, line-level prose feedback.
A strong starting offer for most writers: a 60-minute live review session focused on one chapter or a short piece, with a brief written summary of the main feedback points delivered afterward. This is concrete, completable in one session, and easy for a client to evaluate before booking.
For writers who primarily work with authors and have an online presence, see also cameo alternatives for authors and writers for context on how published authors are monetizing reader access.
Step 2: Price It
The right price depends on your experience, your niche, and what the market around you charges. Here is a practical starting framework:
| Tier | Scope | Session length | Price range |
|---|
| Starter | Single chapter, short story, query letter | 30-45 min | $50-100 |
| Standard | First 3 chapters, full short story, 5,000 words | 60 min | $100-200 |
| Premium | Full novella, multi-chapter arc, novel opening | 90-120 min | $250-450 |
These are starting points. If you have publishing credits in a genre, a significant editorial background, or a following that trusts your taste, your rates should be at the higher end or above them.
Do not price by the hour. Price by the outcome. A 60-minute session that saves a writer four months of spinning their wheels on a structural problem is worth $200 regardless of what your effective hourly rate works out to. Hourly framing trains clients to focus on time rather than value.
For a deeper framework on pricing coaching and expert calls, see how to charge for coaching calls.
Step 3: Set Up Booking, Video, and Payment
This is where most writers overthink it. You need three things: a way to collect the manuscript and context upfront, a place to run the live session, and a way to get paid before the call.
The one-link approach: A platform like Talkspresso handles all three in one booking flow. You create a service, add intake questions, set a price, and get a booking link. Clients land on your page, fill out the pre-session form (including pasting their manuscript excerpt or uploading a document link), pay, and get a confirmation with the video call link. The session happens inside the platform with automatic recording.
Intake questions to include:
- What genre and target audience is this piece for?
- Where are you in the writing process? (First draft, revision, querying?)
- What specific aspect would you most like feedback on? (Plot structure, character motivation, prose style, pacing?)
- What is the excerpt or chapter you want to review? (Google Docs link or paste)
- What has previous feedback told you about this work?
Good intake forms turn a vague "manuscript help" request into a session where you know exactly what the client needs before you say hello. See how intake forms save coaches time for intake form best practices that apply directly to writers doing review sessions.
Fees: Talkspresso's free plan charges 10% of session revenue with no monthly cost. Pro plan at $29.95/mo drops the fee to 0%. Payment processing (2.9% + $0.30) applies on both plans. At 10 sessions/mo at $150, you keep about $1,302 on the free plan.
For a guide on building out a full paid session offer for an audience, see how to sell 1:1 video calls to your audience.
Step 4: Fill the Calendar
You do not need a large audience to sell manuscript reviews. You need visibility in the right communities and a clear offer.
Writing communities: Reddit communities like r/writing, r/worldbuilding, r/fantasywriters, and genre-specific communities are full of writers actively looking for feedback. A genuine, helpful presence plus a link in your profile bio can drive consistent traffic to your booking page.
Discord writing servers: Many genre communities on Discord have channels for promoting services. Check the rules before posting, but most communities welcome service providers who are genuine members.
Email list or newsletter: If you write a newsletter about craft, writing process, or publishing, your subscribers already trust your perspective. A single announcement of your manuscript review service to an engaged list of 500 people can generate 10-20 bookings in the first week.
Social media: Short posts sharing a single insight from a recent review session (anonymized) demonstrate expertise without requiring the audience to commit. A link in bio to your booking page captures interested followers.
Referrals: Ask every satisfied client to share your booking link with one writing friend. Word of mouth inside writing communities moves fast when the experience is good.
For ideas on converting newsletter readers into paid session clients, see how to monetize your newsletter with paid office hours.
Step 5: Deliver and Follow Up
The session itself is straightforward once you have done it two or three times. A structure that works well for manuscript reviews:
- First 5 minutes: confirm what the client most wants to focus on, set expectations for the session
- Middle 40-45 minutes: work through the manuscript together with the client sharing their screen or you reading along in the submitted doc
- Last 5-10 minutes: summarize the top three takeaways and the most important next step
After the session: Send a brief follow-up within 24-48 hours. If you promised written notes, include those. Thank them for their time. Mention that you welcome referrals if they found the session useful. Ask if they would be willing to leave a testimonial.
The recording matters here. Talkspresso records sessions automatically. Share the recording link with the client in your follow-up. Writers often want to rewatch feedback while revising instead of relying on memory. The recording turns a one-time session into an ongoing reference resource for the client.
Scaling Up
Once you have run 10-15 individual manuscript review sessions, you have the material and the systems to scale:
Packages: Offer a multi-session package covering an opening, a midpoint, and a final chapter at a bundle price. Packages increase the average transaction value and lock in ongoing client relationships.
Group sessions: Run a small-group manuscript critique session with 4-6 writers per call, each sharing a short excerpt. Charge $40-60 per participant. A single 90-minute group session can generate $200-360 with less total prep time than individual sessions.
Recordings as products: After 20-30 sessions, you likely have a library of common revision problems you address repeatedly. Edit a selection of (appropriately anonymized) session recordings into a course or tutorial series and sell access as a digital product.
For a guide on converting session recordings into sellable products, see the broader guide to monetizing your audience with office hours and group sessions.
The Bottom Line
Writers who have developed their craft have something concrete to sell: the ability to see what is not working in a manuscript and explain it clearly. That expertise is worth real money to writers who are stuck, revising in circles, or preparing to query.
The offer is clear. The tools to set it up are simpler than most writers realize. The audience exists in every writing community online. What is usually missing is just the decision to start.
Create your manuscript review booking page on Talkspresso. Free to start, built-in video and intake.
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