Several members of the Orca staff now offer full manuscript consultations. These are in-depth critiques of your writing that cover all aspects of fiction, from premise to climax and resolution. Rates are based on each staff member’s experience. Please read the bios below and contact the editor you’d like to work with to discuss your project.
Jump to: Joe Ponepinto Renee Jackson
Joe Ponepinto is one of the founders and senior editors at Orca. He’s been writing and editing professionally for more than 25 years, first as a journalist and later as a creative writer. He’s published two novels and nearly 50 short stories in the US, Europe, and Australia. He has taught creative writing for more than 10 years in college and similar settings, and has been a frequent panelist at writing conventions.
He specializes in developmental and substantive editing for short stories, flash fiction, and novels. Many of his clients have gone on to have their work published. Joe says one of the most satisfying aspects of being an editor is when a client comes back and says that their story was published thanks to the revisions he suggested.
Joe adds: “As a writer myself I understand the time and passion writers invest in their manuscripts, and how difficult it can be to open that writing to criticism. That’s why I evaluate every manuscript based on the author’s intent, as well as literary conventions.”
Authors and editors who have influenced Joe’s critical approach include James Wood, Zadie Smith, Robert Olen Butler, Margaret Atwood, Robert McKee, Francine Prose, George Saunders, Gordon Lish, and many others. He has also learned much from the great writers and critics of decades past, especially Chekhov, Joyce, Forster, James, and Stein.
Joe’s fees
• flash fiction – $40
• short story (1000-3000 wds) – $75
• short story (3000-5000 wds) – $110
• short story (5000-8000 wds) – $145
• longer forms, including novels – quote
Renee Jackson is one of the editors at Orca. Her editing style advocates for the reader’s experience of the text while always working to honor the writer’s intent. She specializes in developmental and substantive editing for short stories, flash fiction, and theatrical scripts. She has done literary development work for many plays receiving their first workshops and stagings.
Renee notes, “Writing does not exist in a vacuum: the audience is as much a part of the story as the author. Editing at its purest is truly about opening up a dialogue between reader and writer in order to make sure the final product serves the needs of both.”
Renee’s fees
• flash fiction – $30
• short story (1000-3000 wds) – $50
• short story (3000-5000 wds) – $75
• short story (5000-8000 wds) – $95