Work With Me
I work one-on-one with poets to help you improve your poems, learn new skills, grow your confidence, and get published.
“Brian—thank you SO much! I appreciate the affirmations and how you offer suggestions for making the poem more meaningful. The quality of your feedback is exactly what I was hoping for. I feel like I can learn not only how to make a specific poem more of whatever its intention is, but also learn how, in general, to look at my poems with a reader’s eye to suss out things I have been missing in the past.”
— Darlene G., New York
“Brian’s knowledge is extensive, and his suggestions for which poets to read become like suggestions for different levels of pleasure. Brian’s ability to restructure a poem, to build tension, to cut superfluous elements and to develop a distinctive voice, makes each poem we work on together an exciting process.”
— Sue S, UK
“Brian saw possibilities in my work I didn’t see on my own. He helped me find a through-line that snapped everything into place. His keen eye and ear helped me re-order the poems and take out the one or two that didn’t serve. Few writers can do this on their own; if you can work with Brian, do it.”
— J.-M. Osterman
Author of Shellback and There’s a Hum
Critique Service:
Find out how you’re doing right now
Mentoring:
Improve your poetry skills fast!
Manuscript Prep:
Publishing a book or pamphlet/chapbook
Critique Service
Feedback on a selection of your poems
Sometimes it’s really helpful to have someone else’s opinion on your poetry.
It can boost your confidence, give you areas to work on, and help you polish specific poems too.
That’s what my Critique Service does!
You send me as many poems as you want, and I will read them and give you detailed feedback.
My comments will include:
An assessment of your strengths—what you’re doing well
Clear guidance on what you can do next to improve as a poet
Specific comments for redrafting each individual poem
Suggestions for poets to read based on your style.
The Critique Service is suitable for poets of any level.
Costs:
US$22 per page for fewer than 10 pages (1 poem per page), minimum $66.
US$17 per page for 10 pages or more (1 poem per page).
So a 20-page group of poems would be US$340, for example.
Poetry Mentoring
Get a personalized boost for your writing
A strong poetry connection with an experienced teacher can take you rapidly up the poetry ladder.
My Mentoring service consists of a series of one-on-one online meetings where I will give you what you most need to progress as a poet.
This might include any or all of these things:
Teaching you techniques, craft, and/or poetic forms
Giving you prompts and exercises to practice skills and stretch your range
Providing detailed feedback on specific poems
Helping you boost your creativity
Developing your redrafting skills
Suggesting poets you can learn from
Assisting you with preparing and sending magazine submissions.
Before each hour meeting, you will send me 4-6 poems, or around 100-150 lines, for me to read and think about.
These poems will be the starting point for our discussion, though we will also range more widely into the craft, the draft, and the industry.
Mentoring is most suitable for Intermediate or Beginning poets.
Costs:
A one-off Mentoring meeting (1 hour) costs US$150
3 hour-long meetings costs US$360 (20% discount)
6 hour-long meetings costs US$660 (27% discount).
(Note: If you choose the 3 or 6 meetings options, you will book just your first meeting when you pay. We will schedule the others as we go along.)
Manuscript Preparation
Help with taking your next big step
As poets, we all dream of seeing our name on the cover of a book or a chapbook/pamphlet.
But sometimes this can seem like a very distant goal.
How can you choose which poems to put in, find a strong order for them, select a good title, and figure out where to submit to?
My Manuscript Preparation service helps you find your way through these questions, and make a manuscript that makes your work shine!
The service can involve a wide range of help, including some or all of these:
Help select your strongest poems
Line-by-line feedback so you can polish the poems
Suggestions for new poems to write to fill in any gaps
Help with creating an order and/or sections that show your poems with the greatest impact
Assistance with choosing titles for poems, sections, and whole manuscripts
Guidance with suitable places to send your finished manuscript.
The Manuscript Service begins with a 30-minute Zoom call where we discuss your situation. Then I will come up with a package that meets both your needs and, of course, your budget!
This service is most suitable for poets who’ve been writing for a few years and have had several poems published in magazines already.
Costs:
The cost of this service depends on the package we create for you, but here are some example costs to give you an idea:
$325 for a chapbook/pamphlet package that includes:
Help with sequencing an existing manuscript
Title ideas for poems and for the full manuscript
One 1-hour Zoom meeting.
$1,475 for a full book package that includes:
Help selecting your best poems
Line-by-line poem feedback
Help with sequencing the poems
Suggestions for new poems to fill gaps
Guidance on titles for poems, sections, and the book
Advice on places to submit to
Two 1-hour Zoom meetings.
The Initial Consultation costs $50, but this will be taken off the cost of the package I create for you.
