Sarah’s Critique Services
Who am I? And why should you work with me?
My name is Sarah Mughal, the author of HOPE ABLAZE and other forthcoming titles in young-adult to the adult category in contemporary, magical realism and fantasy genres!
As a storyteller, I love escaping into magical worlds and helping shape beautiful ideas into stronger stories! I’ve mentored many authors over the years – both as a Pitchwars mentor – and as a critique partner. (Some of these novels are now bestsellers!)
Writing a novel is a daunting task and having someone who can brainstorm, read a draft, and bring out the unique elements of a story is incredibly important to make the pages shine! At the same time, you want editing to be a collaborative experience. The worst is when you’re told what to do. Based on my experience working with mentors, mentoring authors myself, and working with agents and editors – I’ve learned editing should be aa enjoyable, fun, but learning experience. I want to help writers make the best story possible – the kind that makes readers cry and scream with joy!
What do I read and edit?
I read a wide spectrum. My favourite genres are never-ending but in particular I love contemporary, magical realism, fantasy, anything action, and stories of unique friendship, and everything in between. I love tragic and happy-endings, I love difficult emotions especially in romance, high-stakes, and cozy stories. I have a martial arts background so I am also great at action scenes and choreography!
What editing services do I offer?
Scroll below to see what some amazing authors say about my editing. And have a look at my range of services. Pick a service and just book below through the form!
Editing is a collaborative relationship. I want you to feel confident. The goal is to give you the tools that you can take away to improve as a storyteller.
My strengths as an editor:
Emotional beats (romance, friendship, family — let’s make your readers cry and cheer!)
Plot Progression (making every scene and word count!)
Big-picture edits
World-building
Magic System development
Pacing
Fight Scenes
Digging into the internal, and external motivations / arcs of characters
If you want an emotional story while having a strong plot, I would be the perfect editor for you! If you’re having trouble condensing the story; running into plot holes, pacing issues, or you’re just stuck, I can help with that. I’ve critiqued hundreds of stories for friends who’ve gone on to become agented and / or sell their novels. My favourite part of critiquing is watching how a story evolves and blossoms! I offer line-level edits as well.
What I do not offer
I do not critique grammar or spelling but obviously, I will keep a look out and catch any obvious issues.
I do not guarantee an agent or book deal. I do not offer query services however, in our calls if time allows, I’m happy to give any advice based on my own query and agent experiences.
Testimonials from bestselling published authors
“Sarah provided manucript feedback on Kaikeyi before I ever got an agent or editor. She is great at identifying weaknesses and inconsistencies, and helped me get Kaikeyi ready to sell. Sarah has an eye for detail and for prodding in the right places, as well as a strong collaborative mindset to suggest solutions that work for you rather than for a generic wrtier. She is an excellent develpmental editor!”
“Sarah’s critiques were an absolute game-changer for me. Her talent in shaping a manuscript and offering invaluable feedback is truly incredible.”
— June Hur, Edgar Award-winning and international bestseller of The Red Palace, A Silence of Bones and The Forest of Stolen Girls
“I truly don’t think I’d be able to write a book without Sarah, and I include her in the reasons I have a book deal at a Big 5 publishing house. Sarah’s insight and instinct for story will transform your book. For fantasy writers her knowledge of magic systems and worldbuilding is absolutely invaluable. I know any writer will benefit from having Sarah in their corner — from her brilliant craft suggestions on the sentence level to her understanding of character and ways to drive the plot forward and pacing tips. I don’t think you could find a better editor for your work and would recommend her services!”
—Emily Varga, fantasy author of forthcoming For She Is Wrath, Wednesday Books / Macmillan
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First Ten-Thousand Words $200
Inline comments, Short Edit Letter, Half-Hour Zoom call after to discuss, brainstorm, and resolve any edits or questions
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First Twenty-Thousand Words $450
Inline comments, Short Edit Letter, Half-Hour Zoom call after to discuss, brainstorm, and resolve any edits or questions
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First Thirty-Thousand Words $700
Inline comments, Short Edit Letter, Half-Hour Zoom call after to discuss, brainstorm, and resolve any edits or questions
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First Forty-Thousand Words $850
Inline comments, Short Edit Letter, Half-Hour Zoom call after to discuss, brainstorm, and resolve any edits or questions
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First Fifty-Thousand Words $900
Inline comments, Short Edit Letter, Half-Hour Zoom call after to discuss, brainstorm, and resolve any edits or questions
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Standard Manuscript Critique $1500
(95-100k maximum words)
Detailed Edit Letter, 45 min Zoom call after to discuss, brainstorm, and resolve any edits or questions. 0.04 charge per word over.
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Full Manuscript Critique BRONZE $2000
Pre-edit 10 min Zoom call to discuss questions and fit after I edit 1k sample
Full Detailed edit letter, inline comments, One hour zoom call to discuss, brainstorm, and resolve any edits or questions. 0.04 charge per word over.
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Full Manuscript Critique and Developmental 2 Rounds SILVER $3500
Pre-edit 10 min Zoom call to discuss questions and fit after I edit first 1k sample
Full detailed edit letter for both rounds of reads, inline comments (only first read through; in second read through, in-line comments will be sparser); One hour zoom call after each round (so two total) to discuss, brainstorm and resolve any edits or questions.
0.04 charge per word over.
Payment divided ($2000 paid before 1st read. $1500 before 2nd read. 2nd read requested within 12months of service acquisition.