Getting Started
with Allen R. Kates, MFAW
As a ghostwriter and book editor, I work with you at any stage of your writing, from inception of the idea to a polished work you can sell.
Let's take a meeting
Contact me and, as they say in Hollywood, Let's take a meeting. They also say Let's do lunch, but if you are in Wichita, Kansas, or Paris, France, that may not be practical. A phone call or an email will get us started.
Kinds of writing
- all genres, nonfiction or fiction
- books, screenplays, short stories, essays, journalism, memoirs, life stories, family histories, autobiographies, oral histories, novellas, plays, biographies, novels, storytelling, current affairs
What I do first
- read your manuscript and analyze its structure, qualities, techniques and your use of scenes, description, characterization, language, action, dialogue, location, mood, atmosphere, and so on
- write an analysis that describes the good parts of your story and what needs more work
- determine who your reader is and your manuscript's market potential
- if your manuscript is not ready for editing, we discuss what changes you may need to make and how to make them
- the analysis saves you a lot of time and money
What I do next
- when your manuscript is ready, I begin editing
- apply fiction techniques to nonfiction work to make it more exciting
- make notes directly on your manuscript, either on your hardcopy or into your electronic file
- revise, rewrite, smooth out transitions between sentences and paragraphs, improve word choice, fix punctuation and grammar problems, make suggestions
I help you
- rearrange the order of scenes so they build on each other with more intensity
- enrich the characters
- heighten conflict
- apply literary techniques such as humor, irony, foreshadowing, mystery and suspense
- design the narrative flow
- refine the dialogue
- create setting, imagery, and description
After your manuscript is finished, I help you
- search for a literary agent, publisher, film or television producer
- assess multiple ways of publishing such as Print on Demand, self-publishing, e-books
"Allen taught me pacing and timing. Most important,
he taught me to keep it simple and believable and not
overwrite; embrace the reader, make him a partner
in your endeavor.
"As an editor, Allen Kates is the real deal."
—David Platt, novelist, author of The Sculptress and The Girls' Club
Request a Sample of Work I've Edited 
Please contact me if you would like to read a sample of work I've edited. Indicate if you would like to see nonfiction, fiction or academic work.
To contact Allen, please click here.
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