Planning

Second Eyes for

PLANNING

your novel or memoir

Premise and/or Plot Theme

Share your novel’s premise with Second Eyes, and we’ll help you make it the strongest possible foundation for your novel. Check back with us during construction, and we’ll see what might further inspire agents and publishers to favor your novel.

A great plot theme balances clarity with complexity in presenting your novel’s central message, Second Eyes Editorial can help you achieve that balance with a thought-provoking plot theme that resonates with the widest possible audience.

Character story

Let’s look at your central characters. The plot may or may not give them wide story arcs. Characters are best defined by the obstacles you create and their character’s firm intention to overcome them. You reveal that by showing behavior that stirs up the reader’s emotion and keeps the pages turning.

Backstory

Caution: It’s easy to detour from the story into a backstory. A quick look back might be necessary if the character’s behavior confuses (rather than intrigues) the reader. Second Eyes Editorial will pinpoint essential details and recommend where to salt them into the pages of your novel. Behaviors — not backstory — keep the plot moving.

360° planning

This is a description of the 360-degree Planning Package

Premise and/or Plot Theme

$25.00 – $40.00

critique

Clear

Character story pages

$6.00

Priced per double-spaced page.

Backstory pages

$0.10

Priced per double-spaced page.

360° planning

Any combination of premise, plot theme, character story, and backstory pages — up to 20 pages.

About the format

Your writing is ready for Second Eyes, so there’s no need to obsess about format! Microsoft Word (.DOCX) is preferred, but we also work with files in RTF and TXT formats. Set the margins, spacing, fonts, and font sizes as you wish!

Where to word count

A double-spaced page with 1” margins has about 250 words, but rather than guess, please get a word count for each item. Chances are that a word counter is built into your word processing software. Popular writing tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Scrivener feature put them in plain sight. In Word, the count is tucked into the lower left corner of the screen and doesn’t immediately display. Free word counters are available online if you choose to cut and paste text from any other software.

Setting the quantity

When sending over 1,000 words, set the quantity to the number of thousands. If the remainder is less than 500, “round down,” otherwise, round to the next 1,000.
If you have more than one item for Second Eyes, combine them or send separate files—either way is fine! The cart total will be based on individual items, not a combined word count.

How to send your files

You’ll see a web page for uploading files when you place your order. We suggest that you retain backup copies. Your order will trigger an automatic receipt, including our email address for future contact.
If you have more than one item for Second Eyes, combine them or send separate files—either way is fine! The cart total will be based on individual items, not a combined word count.

What you'll receive

Our feedback and suggestions will be attached to an email. The file type will be the same as the one(s) that you uploaded. You’ll also receive a discount code for sending a revised document, which is valid for a specified time.
We generally quote a 14-day turnaround, but you will hear back from us as quickly as we complete a thorough, thoughtful response.

More Second Eyes services

Outlining

Work in Progress

Promotion