Testimonials

Here are some of the enthusiastic testimonials I’ve received about my work:

“Whether you are an emerging novelist or one with a publishing history, every writer can benefit from working with an editor who has a keen eye and a sharp pencil. Mary Kole is not only a delight, she gets right to the heart of what works and what doesn’t. I’ve had four novels published but when trying to break into a new market the learning curve has been hard. Her input has helped me avoid the pitfalls and up my game. Plus, she is very encouraging. I give my highest recommendation to Mary Kole’s menu of editorial services. Seriously. It’s rough out there. Hire her and it will increase your chances of getting published.” – Saralee Rosenberg, Author of DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD

“Mary got me one of the best agents in the business! Okay, okay, that’s not strictly true – I did actually write the stuff myself, revise and so on, but I did it with the help of Mary’s editing services. After working with her this year on several manuscripts (picture books and a middle-grade novel), I signed with Tricia Lawrence of EMLA. Mary’s critiques continue to help me – I now apply her advice to every story I write and it’s really working!” – Franziska

“Thank you Mary Kole for your incredibly detailed critique. Your comments resonated and made clear flaws that I had overlooked. I had several “a-ha” moments while reading your feedback. I also appreciate your affable, yet professional approach. I highly recommend your services.” – Allison Morgan, whose project THE SOMEDAY JAR was bought by Berkeley Publishing (Penguin) for a July 2015 release!

“I’ve been following Mary Kole for ages on kidlit.com and loved her book Writing Irresistible Kidlit. When I found out she was offering a critique service, I had to try it. I got a synopsis and query critique, and all her comments were very motivational and helpful. Synopsis are so difficult, but after getting her feedback I had a clear list of what worked in mine and what needed changes. I felt really confident about my query letter and my story’s marketing prospects after consulting with Ms. Kole. Turned out she was right about everything — after a few months querying, I received multiple offers of representation and am now agented.” – Kim

“Your notes have inspired me to become a better writer! Not only did you deliver an excellent and clear critique, but your advice on my first ten pages has shown me how to make my entire manuscript stronger. I can’t thank you enough!” – Lauren, who signed with her dream agent after our work together

“If you are lucky enough to have Mary Kole read your manuscript you will find yourself in the hands of a gifted editor. Her critiques reflect how deeply she goes into the work, from punctuation all the way through to the overall concept. For my middle grade story I am extremely grateful to her for pointing the way out of some muddled thoughts to a clear story with a strong spine throughout. She will give you lots to think about and the map to lead you in the right direction. I love Mary Kole.” - Cynthia Magriel Wetzler, writer for The New York Times

“Writing is a very personal and oftentimes frustrating endeavor. As an aspiring author you pour in all the skill, dedication, intelligence and courage you can muster. You should demand nothing less from your editor. Mary Kole poured herself into making me a better writer. Not just better for my current project but better for the rest of my career. As much as I value the treasure trove of improvements she offered for my manuscript, they pale in comparison to her advice on honing my craft. If you have labored to bring the story you love to life, then don’t sell yourself short when it comes to editing. You will not regret having Mary give your manuscript the most thorough reading it has ever had.” – Joe

“I just wanted to let you know how much your notes have helped me. I felt so inspired! I have been working furiously since I received your notes and today presented my revised text and storyboard to my group. I wasn’t sure if my new idea was going to work and, believe me, my writers group would tell me if it was a bad idea. They were thrilled and even got tears in their eyes – I knew I had hit a home run!” – Elizabeth

“Your feedback on my submission package was extremely helpful—specific, thoughtful, and really insightful. The comments helped me take a deeper look at my character’s inner life and motivations and shine a brighter light on them. I am especially appreciative of the fact that I could take your comments and apply them throughout my manuscript. Thanks so much for your clarity, encouragement, and truly valuable feedback!” – Deborah

“Thank you so much for your detailed feedback!  You really got to the heart where my query is strong and where it needs some work.  Your advice will not only help with my current project, but with future projects as well.  After reading your notes, I was compelled to pick up a copy of Writing Irresistible Kidlit and I have no doubt it will be an invaluable resource!” – Clara

“I just have to write and say thank you so much for all the extremely helpful editing suggestions you have given me, regarding my submission to you. You have really given me a lot to think about. It was so enlightening to read your notes. You have such a gift of explaining how to improve the work, without the criticism being offensive. It was, on the contrary, very constructive, and made me feel a renewed enthusiasm towards my writing goals.” – Susan

“Mary’s critique offered compact, POWERFUL suggestions I’d never considered or heard from anyone else. She helped me push myself to find creative and stronger ways to tell my story…all with a balance of professionalism and teamwork. I honestly felt like we were collaborators. Even after reading her book and following kidlit.com for years, I’ve learned new lessons. I don’t know anyone else out there who can offer this level of experience and expertise on manuscripts written for young people. Worth every penny!” – Elizabeth

“If you’ve read Mary’s blog or her book, you know she’s an expert on craft. I hired her for a query critique, and she gave me an incredible amount of helpful feedback — much more than I was expecting. My critique partners and I had polished my query as much as we could, and working with Mary was the perfect next step. She pointed out some bigger issues I hadn’t spotted and gave me great line edits, plus she answered a bunch of questions I submitted with my query and invited me to send her follow up ones. It’s hard to see one’s own work objectively, and given her background, Mary is great at critiquing work from an agent’s point of view. I can’t wait to get to work incorporating her feedback, and I already feel so much more confident about sending it out to agents. You only get one shot at grabbing an agent’s attention with your query, and Mary helped ensure my work was the strongest I could make it. This was a great investment, and I’m so glad I finally took advantage of Mary’s services.” – Kate

“Mary Kole encourages you to go deeper into your manuscript. You’ll find gems you didn’t know were down there. A wonderful experience.” – L. Jennings

“Mary’s notes are a combination of insightful and supportive. She calls out your strong points as well as your weak ones, leaving you inspired to pick up your own editing pen but with a more precise sense of purpose. She is generous with her time and experience and I couldn’t be happier with the results and the directions I’m going next.” – Kurt

“Mary has a gift. She takes the story she is given, as an entire entity and picks it apart in a way that truly teaches the writer why elements work or don’t work together. If you are serious about getting published, willing to work hard and able to handle advice that will truly change the way you write in a beneficial way, then Mary Kole is the one to do this with. She is a partner, literature expert and knows what works and what doesn’t. I highly recommend her to any expert or aspiring writer.” – Agnes

“I decided to fulfill my dreams of seeing my children’s book (already successful in Europe) on U.S. bookstore shelves. People told me I was crazy, but that motivated me even more! With no knowledge at all about the U.S. book market, I chaotically started submitting my manuscript, only to find myself in a depression, thinking maybe I was crazy. But then I accidentally found Mary Kole´s website. This lady knows what she’s talking about! I immediately wrote to her, and this is how the second chapter of my story started. She is just excellent and my other dream is to hug her one day once I cross the ocean for the launch of my book. I feel that with her support, I can overcome the obstacles of the book business and finally please readers around the whole world. Thank you, Mary!” – Mia

“Mary’s critique was spot-on. She did editing at a micro level and also at a macro level, all the while weaving her comments together harmoniously. The energy and purpose her notes brought made me want to read her notes more than once (which i did) so I could really mull over what she had to say; sitting down to chew the cud, so to speak. She gave a great idea that freshened (read = revolutionized) the story’s entire premise by blasting out of the box and reframing the tale from a brand-new POV. Loved her suggestion, which led to a good shift – could almost hear the sound of multiple glass ceilings breaking with that change in POV. Also, she is so encouraging and couches every comment tactfully, which got me a bit jittery and confused at first but then after I let the comments rest for a few weeks, came back, had another look, and it was veni vidi vici from there, y’know. Picked out lots of meaty goodness between the comment lines when I had a second perusal. There was a lot of mined potential she helped me pick, promise she helped focus my attention on and the best thing was she achieved that without having to say anything at all discouraging. Not even once! Even the comments she made pointing out unmistakable errors were made with tact. I thank Mary VERY MUCH! She’s a great editor and a genuine person and that makes for a lethal combo – good lethal!” – Ruth

“There are many parts that comprise an edit by Mary Kole. The most important one, however, and the one I am most grateful for, is that she identified the limitations of my writing. She also pointed out the way I can push back those limits. To me, that is gold.” – Len

“What can I say? I will start with Thank you! I read your notes, and I it was so amazing to me how you were able to see things I did not, some things I should have, and other things, I quite possibly never would have. I feel as though you totally understand me, yet you give it to me straight. I have always wanted to be a novelist, so now that I find myself writing children’s picture books, I often get a little lost. Thank you for helping me to find my way. Your suggestions on my query letter are just what I needed to begin fearlessly searching for a place to call my own. I know confidence is important, but I am guessing it is more annoying than appealing when it’s coupled with a bad query. I now consider you my secret weapon.” – Tracy

“I was planning to submit my novel to Indian publishing houses and I was basically looking for a line edit of my submission package. But I got much more than that. Mary showed me where my plot was slightly off. It was a very subtle
thing that most people would not think of pointing out – till Mary, no one I worked with did. Now, of course, it’s jarringly obvious to me. I guess that’s why working with a professional who has industry experience is important. It wasn’t only my mistakes that Mary pointed out. She showed me what I was doing right. It came as quite a surprise, actually. And I realized then that it’s far more important to know what you’re doing right than what you’re doing wrong. It’s so much easier playing to your strengths.” – Sia

“Mary edited the first 100 pages of my novel, and gave me the most thorough critique I’ve ever received. In her feedback she pointed out areas in my story that weren’t working, explained why they did not work, and gave me suggestions on how to fix the problems. As a new writer, I’m finding Mary’s advice invaluable.” – Rose

“As my manuscript consultant, Mary Kole was like a clam-digger. She put on boots and jumped in to see what she could uncover. She brushed off the mud and dirt of my words, and then picked and poked around until she managed to break the weathered shell of mediocrity open. And while at first I recoiled with the light shining so brightly on my weaknesses of words, when I put my pride aside, I realized Mary’s insights were just what had to happen in order for me to find my pearl inside.” – Tammy

“Thank you for the excellent feedback for my query and manuscript. The comments were very clear, detailed and delivered in a very motivating way. It gives me a clear understanding in which direction I should go and I am excited to work on the changes.” – Anna

“Your suggestions were so granular and useful that I was able to make changes that (I think) make the characters more engaging and improve the story overall. I’m going through the manuscript, applying your suggestions throughout, and then more querying!” – Robin

“It genuinely feels like you’ve handed me a golden compass so I can trek off in the right direction now to ultimately find buried treasure. I’m so excited to not be wandering around aimlessly on this story any more. I can move forward on it now with confidence.” – Kendra

“When I first read through a picture-book critique from Mary my shoulders droop, my face sags. So this MS isn’t perfect?! It’s not completely, definitely, undeniably The Next Big Thing that should go out to editors today, right now?! (Yeah, I’m a dreamer.) But then I read her comments through again. She’s expertly pinpointed my strengths and my weaknesses. So I go away to think, shoulders slightly less droopy. Later, I attack that MS with zeal and it’s completely, definitely, undeniably improved. Even better, I use her comments on one MS to improve my other picture book stories too. I’d highly recommended her editorial services to anyone who wants a proper, grown-up critique of one of the most difficult-to-nail genres in kidlit!” – Siski

“Mary Kole has a sharp eye for detecting weaknesses in a manuscript and her critiques are incredibly thorough. Thanks to her comments and suggestions I not only improved my manuscript and proposal, but I’ll be able to use her sound advice for all my future works.” – Mayra

“I really can’t thank you enough for the breadth of your analysis. Even after a fast first pass, you’ve identified fundamental areas for improvement. I’m tellin’ ya, Mare, once your corrections are in place, this pup is gonna dazzle readers!” – Greg

“You provided the most thorough comments I’ve ever received and I appreciate how you gave me suggestions without trying to teach me a totally different way of approaching my manuscript. Your suggestions were logical and easy to digest. You gave me a clearer vision of the potential of my work.” – Janie

“Mary scratched more than the surface of my PB going deeper than any book or class I’ve taken. Her specific and thorough edits pushed me to grow in an educated direction toward my dream.” – Debbie

“Mary, your advice has been invaluable. I am truly thrilled to have gotten your feedback and am excited to finally know what I need to do to improve my manuscript. I didn’t expect any sugarcoating–I just wanted the plain and dirty truth, holes, missteps, etc. so I can move forward. And that’s exactly what you gave me! I can’t wait to work on more projects with you to glean even more of your insights and benefit from your expertise. Thanks again!” – Kim

“This story is going to be so much better thanks to you! As will the next one, and the next… you really are a one-woman MFA. Hope I’ll do you proud :).” – Krista

“Your comments and suggestions are fantastic and dead on, complete with actionable advice. Thank you. This is exactly what I needed, and it’s like you knew it without me telling you. I’ll be revising with a new eye. If I were an audience, I’d give you a standing ovation.” –Mary

“I took a look at your notes and I have to say: they’re some of the BEST DARN NOTES I’ve ever received. You were so honest, thorough, refreshing, and helpful! I am printing them out AS I TYPE so I can apply your amazing advice before I send the manuscript off. I gotta say: you’re one of the best critiquers I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. You were so thorough! I can’t thank you enough.” – Christine

“Thanks so much for the detailed critique of my story. I think all of your criticism and suggestions are spot on and will go far in making my story stronger. It’s so hard to see some of these things for yourself as you write and you have a great eye for pacing that I haven’t quite developed yet.” –Alice

“Wow…. I’ve just read your comments and I have to say that this is the most complete critique I’ve ever had! Thank you so much for your time and your thoughtful comments. I knew that this manuscript still needed a lot of work and you’ve given me a lot of specifics.” –Nicie

“Thank you SO MUCH for the great feedback! I’m feeling very encouraged by your comments, and you pointed out some important things that I need to improve.” –Sarah

More coming soon!