SELECT Books published by Manuscript Works Clients

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Book Proposal development

manuscript development

Client testimonials

"There is no way I would have gotten moving on my book proposal without the structure that the Manuscript Works Book Proposal Accelerator offered (especially the gentle deadlines) and Laura's thoughtful approach. I'd been too anxious to even open my dissertation for a year and after completing the Accelerator I'm feeling much more confident on how to reframe so much of my data into something more appropriate for my book.” —Dr. Florence Zivaishe Madenga, Assistant Professor of Race and Communication, Boston College

“After reading The Book Proposal Book, I immediately signed up for the Accelerator to support writing the proposal and submitting it to publishers. It was the best decision I could have made. Laura provided in-depth, responsive feedback at every stage of writing the proposal and I always felt supported by the community of other writers in the program. The Accelerator was clear, well-organized, and provided accountability to make sure I got everything done on time. I appreciated the opportunity to work with scholars from many different disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and hard sciences. Upon completing the Accelerator, I finalized my proposal and submitted to a number of university presses, receiving significant interest from three academic publishers. I ultimately signed a contract with Princeton University Press for my book on gun violence and health disparities roughly six months after completing the Accelerator program. If you are a first-time author looking for clear-eyed support and guidance on the journey towards publishing your book, this program is for you.” —Dr. Daniel Semenza, Associate Professor of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice, Rutgers University

“I cannot express how helpful the Book Proposal Accelerator has been for me. I really appreciated the Book Proposal Book, but the deadlines, guidance, and feedback of this course have really advanced my book. I appreciate how accessible and concrete the modules are, the flexibility and accountability of the deadlines, and the clarity of insight into a process that was totally opaque. I also really appreciate the specific and thoughtful feedback. What you all have created here is pretty incredible.” —Jennifer Merrigan, JD, Principal Attorney, Phillips Black

"I’m eternally thankful to Laura and the Manuscript Works Book Proposal Accelerator program for demystifying the book publication process, and I am happy to share that my book manuscript is now under contract with Harvard University Press. As a first generation scholar from a working-class immigrant background, I have learned to navigate the tenure process one step at a time. It has been programs like the Accelerator that have allowed me to successfully meet all my benchmarks thus far for tenure and promotion." —Dr. Marla A. Ramírez, Assistant Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"Writing the book proposal felt like a monumental task but doing it in bits and pieces and receiving feedback along the way in the Manuscript Works Book Proposal Accelerator has made me feel so much better and like I might actually be able to accomplish it, even with all the teaching, and research, and meetings and life." —Dr. Melissa Santillana, Assistant Professor of Journalism, Texas Tech University

“I dreaded and struggled with writing my proposal for a year. The Manuscript Works Book Proposal Accelerator not only helped me complete my proposal but it actually made me excited about writing the book. Every aspect of the course is so thoughtfully executed-- it’s clear that Laura has thought a lot about how to make this an effective and enjoyable course. Laura is also a lovely person who is supportive, knowledgeable, and provides wonderful feedback.” —Dr. Rennie Lee, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Social Science Research, University of Queensland

“Before finding Laura's book, and completing the Manuscript Works Book Proposal Accelerator Accelerator, I found the process of writing a book proposal overwhelming and confusing, especially as a non-native English speaker. The course was filled with useful insight and was very helpful at answering questions that I did not even know I had. It very much demystified the process, and I don't think I could have sent in a successful book proposal without her. Now my book is being considered by my dream editor! I would recommend the Accelerator to anyone wishing to write an academic book proposal, especially people outside the US.” —Dr. Annelie Drakman, Senior Lecturer and Researcher, Department of Culture and Aesthetics, Stockholm University

“I came into the Manuscript Works Book Proposal Accelerator with a well-regarded but still rejected NEH proposal that readers said just needed a more convincing “So what?” answer. The Accelerator helped me piece together that answer step by step, and the feedback from Laura was exactly what I needed to feel confident I was moving in the right direction.” —Dr. Christine Becker, Associate Professor of Television, University of Notre Dame

“Before I joined the Manuscript Works Book Proposal Accelerator, I felt lost regarding my book proposal, as I come from a non U.S. academic context. The Accelerator allowed me to tackle what originally appeared like an insurmountable task by guiding me through each step of the process. I was able to submit every section of the proposal and receive detailed and encouraging feedback, which was invaluable. I started the course with a high level of anxiety and concluded it with the confidence that not only I would be able to deliver a high-quality proposal but also that my book project is worth pursuing.” —Dr. Katia Schwerzmann, Research Associate, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany

“The Manuscript Works Book Proposal Accelerator course opens up the “black box” of academic book publishing and breaks down the process of writing and submitting a book proposal into concrete, doable steps. Her timely feedback on the different parts of my book proposal was on point, thoughtful, and extensive. I also learned a lot about writing up my research as a book (as opposed to articles) and academic book publishing in general by attending Laura’s virtual office hours. I highly recommend the Book Proposal Accelerator!” —Dr. Lily Liang, Assistant Professor of Sociology, SUNY Cortland

"I learned so, so much in the Manuscript Works Book Proposal Accelerator. I really cannot overstate how helpful it was, and more than learning how to write a good proposal it helped in conceptualizing my entire book project." —Dr. Firuzeh Shokooh Valle, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Franklin & Marshall College, and author of In Defense of Solidarity and Pleasure (Stanford University Press, 2023)