The Witches
of Pitches
We provide you with a magic potion that will make editors and agents swoon
ABOUT US
The witches have workshopped numerous articles, essays, book proposals, and manuscripts, helping writers produce top-notch material. Now we are sharing our knowledge.
Combined, we have placed articles in top-tier publications including:
The Washington Post, Travel and Leisure, WIRED, Oprah Daily, The Smithsonian, BBC, and AARP, among others. We have worked in the publishing industry and have published multiple books, so we have the inside scoop. The witches have helped over one hundred writers find their angle and voice.
THE WITCHES
Aileen Weintraub is an award-winning author, strategic content writer, and editor. She began her career as a copy editor and then as a developmental editor working for both children’s and adult publishing companies. As a freelance editor she has worked with clients to help develop their manuscripts, proposals, pitches, articles, and essays.
She has written for The Washington Post, BBC, Oprah Daily, The Smithsonian Magazine, NBC, AARP, Travel and Leisure, Glamour, InStyle, and other publications.
Aileen is also the author of over fifty children’s books including the middle-grade social justice book WE GOT GAME! 35 Female Athletes Who Changed the World, which was honored as A Mighty Girl’s Best Book of the Year, and the best-selling Never Too Young: 50 Unstoppable Kids Who Made a Difference, a Parents’ Choice Award recipient. She also writes licensed books for Scholastic.
Her memoir Knocked Down: A High-Risk Memoir, is about marriage, motherhood, and the risks we take. The Erma Bombeck Workshop named Aileen Humor Writer of the Month for Knocked Down and Publishers Weekly says, “…there’s beauty on every page.”
Aileen has also created a series on marketing and platform building in collaboration with Writers’ Digest.
She lives in New York but her heart is in Seville. You can learn more at www.aileenweintraub.com.
Abby Alten Schwartz is a writer who refuses to stay in one lane. Her work includes essays, reported stories, creative nonfiction, flash, humor, and craft articles exploring health & wellness, parenting, creative living, and Gen X culture. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, HuffPost, AARP, Salon, WIRED, Scary Mommy, and other publications, as well as Hippocampus, HAD, The Citron Review, Oldster, Brevity Blog, and elsewhere.
Abby’s literary work has won Best Creative Nonfiction and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Her articles have been reprinted globally, including an essay central to her memoir-in-progress, which was later published by Reader’s Digest International as an eight-page feature in over 12 countries and multiple languages.
Abby lives with her husband and splits her time between the Philly suburbs and the Jersey Shore. She still binge-watches Bravo with her daughter, who recently fled the nest. To learn more about Abby’s writing, including her memoir-in-progress, Hypervigilant: A Memoir of Uncertainty, Intuition, and Hope, visit www.abbyaltenschwartz.com.
There may be other editorial services out there, but only with The Witches of Pitches will you get edits with a dose of witchy advice and the opportunity to kvetch as much as needed. Really. We’re all about the kvetching.
\ ˈkvech , ˈkfech \
Definition of kvetch: intransitive verb: to complain habitually : GRIPE
TESTIMONIALS
Rachel W.
“For anyone trying to establish yourself as a writer and get your essays accepted into national publications The Witches of Pitches is the way.”
Jessica G.
“The Witches deliver! Megan and Aileen both offered me robust and honest feedback on my project and I am going forth in my querying process with confidence and clarity.”
Glenda F.
“With your suggestions, I had the best book event ever!”
Brian W.
“Perhaps it was the darkening Solstice, but I went in to my session with the Witches in a profound funk. Forty minutes later I had a plan I could deliver on, together with the realization that my woes were far from unique. I had half-expected the kvetching to be for sympathy, but no, the Witches were ready for me with concrete suggestions that let me shed some writing stress before the holidays kicked into higher gear.”
Noah E.
“"Fire burn and cauldron bubble, the Witches magic really works. I feel so immensely more confident in my pitch!"
Cathy S.
“I am so glad I met with Megan and Aileen to review my pitch for a short story. I didn't know the first thing about pitching and these lovely witches offered lots of helpful pointers, ones that will be useful as I work on companion pieces for my book launch.”
Ann P.
“Your enthusiasm is heartening, and your feedback feels spot on.”
Steffi G.
“Thank you so much for your uplifting words and all the work you have put into my piece! You made me jump forward in leaps and bounds today!
SERVICES
Are editors “GHOSTING” you?
Here’s how we can help you bring the magic back into your writing:
The Pitch
Each witch will read and edit your pitch in MS Word track changes to help it get noticed among a sea of pitches in an editor’s inbox.
Price: $150
Add-on options:
A thirty-minute follow-up Zoom will be used to further flesh out the pitch and provide suggestions on places to send it.
Price: $60
The witches will review your edited pitch to make sure it’s polished and ready to go.
Price: $75
(Note: We do not give out editor’s email addresses, but we can give you tips on how to find them.)
The Essay, Op-ed, Reported Piece, Excerpt, or Craft
We will read your double-spaced piece in MS Word and provide comprehensive feedback in track changes.
800-1200 words. Price: $275
1200-2000 words. Price: $375
2000-5000 words. Price: $475
Add-on:
A thirty-minute Zoom session with both witches to discuss ways to develop and flesh out a piece, along with suggestions on places to pitch.
Price: $70
Add-on: The witches will review your edited essay to make sure it’s polished and ready to go.
Reach out to discuss pricing!
Query Letter Review
We will review your query letter, providing you with edits to get it in stellar shape. We will then follow up with a 30-minute Zoom call to flesh out ideas for getting you out of the slush pile.
Price: $300
Proposal Consult
Not sure how to get started on your book proposal? In a 1-hour Zoom call, we will help you map out your ideas and show you how to build your proposal from the ground up, explaining everything you need to include to get an agent interested in your work.
Price: $300
Nonfiction Book Proposal
The witches will edit up to fifty pages of your nonfiction book proposal (double-spaced), and will follow up with a 30-minute Zoom to discuss ways to strengthen and develop your work so that it’s agent ready. Evaluation of additional pages available for a fee.
Price: $1400
First Fifty Pages
Working on a manuscript? The first fifty pages (double-spaced) need to be rock solid to grab an editor or agent’s attention, and will likely be included in your book proposal. We can help you develop your work, add threads and themes, and gracefully build up to the arc of your story. Included is the edited document, a detailed letter, and a 30-minute Zoom session to answer questions and discuss further.
Price: $1200
Accountability Partners
Sometimes you have a story but you don’t know where to start. We can help keep you on a schedule and read your pages to provide you with encouragement and advice. The level of editing you desire at each stage is completely up to you. We will meet bi-weekly or monthly to discuss your pages, your goals, and focus on platform building strategies. We’ll brainstorm ideas for companion pieces, speaking events, and we’ll kvetch about writing and how daunting the process can feel.
Kid Lit Developmental and Line Editing Combo
We will do a big picture evaluation to help you develop the narrative arc, plot, and characters in your manuscript using age-appropriate vocabulary and language, and then provide a line edit to make sure every word counts! A detailed editorial letter will be provided, along with our in-text edits, and then we will follow up with a 30-minute Zoom call to help you flesh out ideas, discuss submission strategy, and answer questions about the publishing process.
Price: $450 for up to 1,500 words, $100 for every additional 500 words
Kvetch Session
Even witchy writers need support sometimes. Whether it is discussing how get unstuck on a project you’ve been working on or how to take the next step in your publishing journey, we’re here to listen with a one hour Zoom call and offer advice based on years of experience.
Price: $300
Career Kvetch
If you’re thinking about a career in writing or want to pivot mid-career to journalism, content writing, copywriting, or kid lit, we’ll share our spells with you to help you get started. We’ll set up a 45-minute Zoom call to give you the inside scoop on the industry, along with advice on how to network with thought leaders, where to focus your niche, and what you need to get started.
Price: $250
Service for Published Authors
Do you have a book coming out? Congratulations! These services are tailored for authors with forthcoming books.
Companion Pieces
One of the best ways to get word out about your book and build your platform is by writing companion pieces. We know how incredibly overwhelming that can be. We specialize in writing companion pieces and we’d love to share our secrets to mining your work for angles and ideas. We will brainstorm with you on a 45-minute Zoom call, and help you come up with fresh topics to write about. We’ll even suggest places to pitch.
Price: $250
(Note: We do not give out editor’s email addresses, but we can give you tips on how to find them.)
PLEASE NOTE: Followup services available. If you don’t see a service here that fits your needs, reach out and we would be happy to customize a package for you. We edit full manuscripts on a case-by-case basis. Just ask!
CANCELLATION and SERVICE POLICY: You must reschedule 24 hours in advance or charges will apply. All services must be initiated within 30 days of payment unless otherwise agreed to in advance.
SUMMON THE WITCHES
We can’t wait to kvetch with you. Go ahead, summon us by using the contact form below.
Please note: Our replies sometimes end up in your spam folder, so if you haven’t heard from us within 48 hours, please check your spam folder!