“After the third draft of my novel, I had written myself into a corner. I wasn’t sure I’d ever find my way out. I was ready to give up on my manuscript, and knew I needed outside help. Maria’s expertise in editing and story craft were essential in helping me discover the true essence of my novel. She helped me pull the most vital elements together to create something compelling out of the chaos. Maria is a genius at seeing the big picture as well as the nit-picky details. Her commentary on my manuscript was so helpful, and her edit letter was honest, educational, and funny! She gave me the confidence to tackle a full rewrite and create something I can now be proud of.”
Paulette Kennedy
represented by Jill Marr of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, author of International Bestseller Parting The Veil.
"After querying for two months and getting several form rejections in my inbox, with a broken heart and, honestly, unaware of what was wrong, I decided I needed help and I went to Maria. We've been following each other for over two years on Twitter now and I knew that she was the right person to help me find the answers I needed. I purchased her Submission Package Critique. Once she got back to me, all of sudden everything clicked and I understood why I was getting passes. She helped me rebuild my query letter, my synopsis, and clearly highlighted why the first pages weren't pulling the agents in. And she did it with kindness and patience. Her critiques never feel like critiques. You see that behind every comment, every suggestion, she has your best interest at heart, and how determined she is to make your work shine.
In short: hire her. I'll surely work with her again, because she's great. She pointed me in the right direction, made me understand that I needed to take bolder approaches, and gave me the hints I needed to turn it all around. Now thanks to her, I know that I've got the best foundations within every aspect of the material I'm sending out to agents. I can't thank her enough."
Fatima Carrero
“I got the chance to work with Maria thanks to Revise & Resub’s annual #RevPit revision contest. I submitted to her, she picked me, and my life changed forever. (Okay, my writing life.) I had never worked with an editor before, developmental or otherwise, and I was still new to the book-writing game. I LOVED working with Maria. Not only did she help me make my story stronger in preparation for querying literary agents, but she was also kind and encouraging through the whole process. It was great working with someone who loved my story as much as I did and who wanted me to succeed just as much. Maria’s notes were invaluable—she really has a great eye for developmental editing. She told me what things weren’t working and we brain-stormed together to fix what needed fixing. She was always honest, open to discussion and my own suggestions, and answered all of my (many) questions. Working with her not only made my story stronger, but I think it also made me a stronger writer, too. Overall, it was an incredible experience, and I consider myself SO SO lucky that she chose me as her #RevPit mentee.”
Katie Davis
now represented by Melanie Castillo and Taylor Haggerty of the Root Literary Agency.
" When it came to query letters, I felt lost. I sent revision after tired revision to agents, not having any idea if what I wrote would land. Maria took a complicated process and broke it down into manageable pieces, encouraging me the whole way through. I’m confident in my new query letter, which has taken a lot of the fear out of the querying process. If querying feels like a stab in the dark, contact the Query Queen!"
Bonnie Maisen
"I contacted Maria to review my query letter and first fifty pages. My only regret is that I didn’t reach out to her sooner! Maria’s comments and guidance resulted in a completely revised (and improved!) first chapter, edits to the rest of my manuscript that make it much stronger, and a query letter I’m excited to send. I’ve read numerous craft books and regularly listen to writing podcasts, but Maria’s thoughtful remarks helped me put all the pieces together. If you’re looking for a true professional to help polish your work, look no further. Maria knows her stuff!"
Amanda George Wheaton
“Maria is amazing, no better word to describe her. She took my MS in a direction I would have not seen myself and it was just what it needed. I’ve had other editors help along the way, but Maria by far exceeded them and even charged less!! She not only told me what I exactly needed to do, but she caught mistakes others missed, and made me laugh along the way.
I can’t think of anyone outside family members who has been more helpful and encouraging. I am so thankful I found her.”
Erin Wilkerson
“Maria chose my manuscript as her RevPit runner-up in 2019, and she gave me a clear direction for revisions at that time. When I was ready with a shinier version of my ms, I hired her for another round of feedback. She critiqued my query letter, synopsis, and first chapter. I was amazed at how quickly she got back to me! Her edits were helpful, and her comments were entertaining and thorough. There was an encouraging mix of positivity and constructive criticism, which I really appreciated. If you’re looking for someone professional and fun to work with, you won’t be disappointed!”
Sierra Pung
“I reached out to Maria regarding her query critique services. My query was not receiving the request rate I expected, and even though I’d revised it with the help of my peers, I knew it still needed work. Maria responded quickly and was able to provide detailed and helpful feedback, pointing out not only what came across well, but the areas that were confusing or simply weren’t doing the work they needed to do. She gave examples and helped me think about how to approach my query blurb in a new way to better demonstrate the stakes and character arcs. After revisions, I now have a query that I’m excited about, and that highlights the unique and exciting elements of my story that had been lacking in my previous query. Most importantly, she gave the confidence to jump back into the query trenches knowing that I am putting my best foot forward.”
Megan Van Dyke
“Oh my gosh, I don’t even know where to begin. I received a Developmental Edit from Maria, and it opened my eyes. She was concise. Her comments made me giggle. And she patiently explained some elements of craft that I had read about/seen advice on…but they didn’t make sense until I read her edit letter. If you can, hire this woman. She’s a real professional, versus some others who claim to be editors. I feel like I took a writing course, and she’s more affordable than most.”
Seleina Smithfield
“After months of soul-crushing queries with no feedback, Maria provided me with the straight-forward answers I desperately needed. She was honest and critical, but never in a way that felt overwhelming or degraded me and my work–and that’s rarer than it should be. I can go back into querying with a little more confidence this time!”
Lana King
“Maria completed a Developmental Edit for me, and I have two words: Hire Her. I can’t stress that enough. If you want a coach, not just a Developmental Editor, hire her. I love Maria’s humor, her style. There were times when I couldn’t understand why I needed to change the things she suggested, but when things started to click, I couldn’t believe it. The answers were right there all along, I just needed a wizard to show me the way. Worth every penny.”
Alex Kroschtov
“The right editor can work magic and that is exactly what Maria did for my work. The feedback from Maria Tureaud is the best I’ve ever received from an editor, and I’ve worked with a few. Her suggestions for my query were especially useful and helped me focus on some of the weaker spots so that I am presenting my best work possible. Her comments on my synopsis and character development were very detailed, and I am confident that my story is moving in the right direction. Maria’s help has been invaluable and I hope to use her again!”
Shellie Fajardo Richards