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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Barncat Basics
Who or what is a Barncat?
Who are Barncat's clients?
Who is Jami Bernard, and why should I listen to her?
What is her success rate?
Enough about Barncat; what about me?
What can Barncat do for me?
How do I know whether Barncat is right for me?
What is the difference between copyediting and "content" editing?
If I am a published author, why would I need a Book Doctor?
What will this cost?
Why do writers have it so rough?
Why are book proposals so hard to write?
Why am I having so much trouble finishing my book?
Can writing really be taught?
What problems has Barncat solved for others? Can I talk to them?
The Master Workshop
How does it work? Where is the classroom?
What can I expect from an online Master Workshop?
How does the Master Workshop differ from other online writing courses?
The Master Class books
What course books do you offer?
If I'm already signed up for a workshop, why would I need a course book?
Who or what is a Barncat?
Barncat is place for writers. It was founded by author and nationally known film critic Jami Bernard as an online gathering place for writers who need help ... either learning a new technique, getting feedback, or finishing a project that is under way but frustratingly incomplete. True, that describes pretty much all writers ... but when the struggle to finish your work and get published becomes too painful or overwhelming, that's the time to come to Barncat.
Who are Barncat's clients?
We work with first-timers and seasoned pros, published authors and writers who keep hitting a brick wall with agents and publishers. We don't care about your credentials, only your level of commitment. Please read carefully and make sure that these services are right for you before applying—and feel free to e-mail us with any questions or concerns. References are available for serious applicants. Read more about who we work with here.
Warning: Barncat does not accept every private client.
Please continue only if you are SERIOUS about getting published and can appreciate the difference between garden-variety copyediting and "content copyediting," in which every aspect of a manuscript is addressed—from story and structure to characters and word choice.
Who is Jami Bernard, and why should I listen to her?
Jami Bernard, the founder of Barncat, is a writer, film critic, copy editor, book doctor and media consultant based in New York. She has published seven books, a Lois Lane comic, thousands of newspaper and magazine articles (no, really!), and is a keynote speaker and frequent TV and radio guest. She also publishes a line of Master Class coursebooks. She studied with the late essayist and literary critic Elizabeth Hardwick at Barnard College, and has extensive experience on New York City daily newspapers.
Jami has published in nearly every style and genre: memoir, non-fiction, satire, op-ed, feature, first-person essay, biography, arts review, reporting, travel, celebrity interview, column, how-to, web, radio, TV, comics, speeches, more.
WHAT? You expect me to believe that?
It's all documented! Jami might have her failings, yet she is blessed with just a touch of hypergraphia, otherwise known as The Midnight Disease. She is accordingly prolific.More importantly, she has taken beginning writers from their first paragraph to getting top agents ... in less than a year.
Hmmph. What does her success have to do with me?
Getting oneself published and teaching others do not always go hand in hand. But Jami's background offers unusual benefits to her students and private clients:
- She is the rare writer with a complete background in copyediting (she was the copy chief at a major daily newspaper early in her career). There is a history of bad blood between writers and copyeditors, but Jami has been on both sides of the desk and understands the concerns of each camp.
- She has published in most genres and through several publishing companies, as well as having worked at newspapers and magazines.
- Her 20 years as a nationally recognized film critic, and the thousands of movies she has seen, give her an innate knowledge of storytelling. After the first thousand movies, you know precisely how stories need to be shaped and told, and you can see mistakes a mile away—and how to prevent them.
What is her success rate?
Glad you asked! MOST of Jami's original students, including first-time
writers, are now working with top agents less than two years later. Of
Jami's original students:
1) An entrepreneur and first-time writer landed a top agent at Sterling Lord less than four months after she began working with Jami; her book is now being pitched to publishers
2) A first-time book writer from the entertainment industry is now represented by the William Morris Agency; her manuscript is going out to publishers in early 2009
3) A psychologist and first-time writer landed a top agent on her second try
4) A stay-at-home mom who had written only technical articles signed with William Morris after being wooed by several agents; while her memoir is being shopped, she has begun working on a novel
5) A fashion designer who vowed to have a published byline before a milestone birthday got her wish when, after working closely with Jami, a first-person essay she wrote was featured in a prominent New York City arts weekly
6) A well-known cultural critic came to Jami with a nearly completed manuscript; Jami made her rewrite and rewrite until several agents came knocking
7) A former newspaper journalist is now putting the finishing touches on her proposal to send to agents
8) An international journalist worked with Jami to switch book genres; he is now in the process of switching agents to match
9) A published author worked with Jami to develop comfort in a new genre; not only is she nearly finished with the new sample chapters, she also worked with Jami to revive an older manuscript, in yet another untried genre, that she had given up for dead
10) A struggling memoir writer hit her stride after Jami worked with her to change to fiction; she is now finishing up the final chapter
11) A medical textbook writer came to Jami with a crippling case of writer's block; she recently announced the upcoming publication date of the book that had been making her miserable!
12) A stay-at-home mom and first-time writer has already been interviewed by The New York Times and NPR for her forthcoming book; Jami has worked with her every step of the way, including preparing her for media interviews
13) An artist and computer instructor with an ambitious first-time book project worked with Jami and now has most of her manuscript completed
Enough about Barncat; what about me?
What can Barncat do for me?
We offer a range of professional, individually tailored services for writers at various stages of skill and achievement. Barncat can help you polish your work if it's near completion, get creatively rebooted if you're stumped, get back on track if you've strayed, find the writer's voice that is most comfortable for you, and get your book and book proposal in shape for attracting top agents.
The emphasis is on individual support in the areas you need it most. In the online Master Workshops, for example, you write at your own pace in a relaxed, supportive environment and receive detailed weekly reports and feedback aligned with your personal goals.
With the Barncat line of Master Class course books, you will learn the secrets of fine-tuning your manuscript on every level. We provide the kind of detail that cannot be found eleswhere—not even in classes costing hundreds of dollars more.
If you have taken your manuscript as far as you can at the moment and agents still aren't biting, Barncat offers top-notch book-doctor services, whether the problem is structure or dangling modifiers. We preserve your voice if rewrite is needed.
With content copyediting that fixes story and structure problems along with a line edit, we can help you locate your theme, rebuild your structure, revive your characters, add humor and dialogue, and tease out the real story behind the story you're telling. Consider Barncat your personal sherpa up the Mount Everest of publishing!
How do I know whether Barncat is for me?
Barncat is not for the faint of heart! Our workshops, course books, bootcamps and book doctoring services are only for writers who are serious about getting published.
You can arrive with just the glimmer of an idea or with a manuscript that seems to defy completion. You can be published or unpublished, stuck or confused, switching genres or hoping to chuck the day job and write full-time. You can be writing a quickie How-To or polishing a heartfelt work of staggering genius. As long as you are serious about getting results and you are willing to work and withstand the terrors of honest, constructive criticism, Barncat is for you.
What is the difference between copyediting and "content" editing?
TK
If I am a published author, why would I need a book doctor?
Good writers are not necessarily good editors. And good editors have a tough time editing their own copy. The difference between a completed manuscript and a polished manuscript can be the tipping point for snagging a book contract. It's an open secret within the publishing industry that many authors do a pit-stop at a book doctor or copyeditor before submitting their manuscripts.
Isn't that cheating?
Absolutely not! Hiring a book doctor is not the same as hiring a ghostwriter. (And having someone "ghost" your book is not "cheating," either, if you simply cannot write your book on your own.) A good book doctor can take your words and your story and make both major and microscopic changes that make the difference between a competent manuscript and a winner.
What will this cost?
Barncat's rates are consistent with the superior quality and individual attention we provide. No other writing class or workshop—at any price!—offers the kind of targeted feedback and guidance you get from Barncat. You'll never get a simplistic, dismissive "good job, keep going!" comment from us. Ever.
We price our courses and workbooks competitively, but there will inevitably be other companies offering similar-sounding services for less. It is our firm belief, however, that no one can top the personalized attention that we at Barncat provide. You may be able to find a better price, but you won’t find a better deal.
Private Client Rate Sheet
Barncat offers a range of top-level professional editing services. If all you need is a proofreader to catch stray spelling errors, this is NOT the place for you! Our book-doctor services are about as intimate as an editor can get with you and your work without a medical license.
Why do writers have it so rough?
Why are book proposals so hard to write?
The sales-tool fundamentals of the book-proposal package are foreign to most literary sensibilities. The proposal is written in a language all its own and contains sections on marketing and audience/competition that requires research and marketing ingenuity. Also, proposals require special formatting. If you have ever tried to master headers and footers or a simple Table of Cotents in Microsoft Word ... 'nuff said.
Why am I having so much trouble finishing my book?
You're asking that as if that's unusual! Nearly
all writers struggle the last few yards. Writing a book is a huge, solitary
commitment of time and energy. It's not unusual to write most of a book,
realize it's not working and start over. The question, really, is not
WHY you are having trouble, it's whether you have the resources
you need for moving forward. You may need an editor or
the feedback
of other writers to see where your book went off the rails. Or you
might have come down with a toxic dose of writer's
block.
Can writing really be taught?
YES. Barncat has coached first-time writers
all the way to getting top agents. Good writing is a combination of
things, including ineffable undefinables such as talent and drive. But
there's an either/or philosophy that too many subscribe to, that you're
either born with talent or you'll never have it ... but that assumes
a level playing field where everyone knows everything about technique,
where everyone has practiced writing within supportive environments.
Until you master certain writing skills that can be learned, you may
not even guess the depths of creativity that lie dormant within you.
What problems has Barncat solved for others? Can I talk to them?
Short answer: Many. And yes. More details tk
How does it work? Where is the classroom?
The classroom is online; details TK
What can I expect from an online Master Workshop?
Barncat's online workshops provide you with a virtual community of diverse writers. In the past, workshop members have included novelists and memoirists from Bangkok, Paris, Brazil, Africa, Canada and across the United States. All writers are of a high caliber, allowing for intelligent, insightful and stimulating conversation in the virtual classroom.
The workshops are designed to fit your schedule, with 24/7 access to discussion boards. Our online workshops offer you the rigor and dialogue of a traditional classroom, but from the comfort of your home and on your own schedule.
How does the Master Workshop differ from other online writing courses?
In many ways! Details TK! (We're not trying
to be coy; just updating the website slowly ...)
What course books do you offer?
Right now we have self-paced home tutorials
in Advanced Memoir and Overcoming Writer's Block. Several more titles
are on the way in 2009.
If I'm already signed up for a workshop, why
would I need a course book?
The course book offers lessons, examples and
exercises that are not available in the workshops, where
the emphasis is on getting large chunks of your book ready for publication.
REGISTER NOW FOR MASTER WORKSHOPS
You don’t need a class to tell you how to write. Your problem isn’t writing … it’s finishing. Pulling it all together. Believing in the power of your story and giving it the polish that will have agents believing too.
REFER-A-FRIEND
DISCOUNT
Receive a $25 coupon off your next Master Workshop when you bring a friend who is new to Barncat ... and your friend gets a coupon too!
HEAR WHAT WRITERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BARNCAT
“Jami Bernard has the charisma of a standup comic, the writing skills of a master and the insight of Sigmund Freud. She helped me take my writing to a level I never thought possible. Thank you, Jami!"
– Rebecca Thatcher Murcia, author, Carl Sandburg; Shakira
“I wanted to write, but I needed a safe environment. Jami gave me much more than that; it was life altering! Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced, Jami Bernard's class is the best gift you can give yourself."
— Cara Coslow, producer,
Dante's Cove
“Jami Bernard doesn’t just teach writing. She inspires, nurtures, supports and improves it. Always brilliant, insightful, fun and open, Jami gives writers the technical tools, the creative push, and the practical focus to go beyond what they thought possible."
– Keller Grace, writer
“Because of Jami's help, my memoir is ten times better now!"
– Janiss Garza, author, White Line Fever and Dear Sparkle: Advice from One Cat to Another
“Jami Bernard is an amazing teacher. She helped bring out my theme and kept me going when I thought I had nothing in me. She’s great!”
– Liza Deyrmenjian, owner, Liza D. Productions
“Not since Annie LaMott has anyone found ways to knock down the obstacles and ease the neuroses that keep even the best writers from their work."
– Judy Rakowsky, journalist
"My initial writing attempts were like a preschooler's self-portrait: My story had a huge distended potato head for a beginning, with a tiny stick body and flailing limbs ... until I met Jami Bernard. She is really a writing muse in disguise who is always hard at work, focusing her energies on helping others."
– Gisela Mojica, artist
"WARNING: Jami doesn't have dainy discussions or do easy edits. She is the dominatrix of the memoir world, cracking the whip on tenses and digging her heel into grammar until we scream for mercy. And we love her for it!"
– Cator Sparks, freelance writer
“Jami Bernard has an amazing ear for writer’s voices. Her edits enhance an author’s voice instead of changing it. Her humorous and insightful lessons helped make our prose sing.”
– Christine Koubek
“Jami Bernard's teaching style for memoir works because she floods the zone with easy-to-grasp details and how-to writing tips. Her advice for how to organize and present your life's story is accented with true wit and wisdom.
– Melody Simmons
“Jami Bernard edited my work with the kind of tough love that encouraged me to sharpen my writing while teasing out compelling storylines I didn't know were there. She showed total dedication to helping me reach my goals."
– Griffin Shea, deputy bureau chief, Agence France-Presse
“Jami Bernard’s humor, experience and accessibility were apparent from the first day. I live in France with a six-hour time difference but I didn't miss a single online class. Merci et bravo!”
– Kathryn Kemp-Griffin, owner, Soyelle