PERSONAL STATEMENT​

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After spending over a decade in banking—a career I admittedly hated—I walked away, driven by a singular focus to write a novel. The obstacles were numerous: lacking formal training, navigating an overwhelming flood of resources, bridging cultural gaps as a writer from the MENA region seeking to publish traditionally in English, and a background of reading mostly classical fiction that, while enriching, left me ill-equipped for modern writing conventions.
 

Having spent eight years writing, revising, and eventually publishing my debut novel—and supplementing my experience with specialized developmental editing training from the Editorial Freelancers Association and Club Ed Freelancers, plus broader editorial training from the Publishing Training Center—I decided to offer selective manuscript assessments for fiction writers, with a focus on underrepresented voices. My goal is to provide the kind of feedback that helps writers at any stage—whether it's the supportive critique I wish I'd received earlier in my journey or a second pair of eyes to identify the subtle flaws that can persist even in advanced drafts.
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A manuscript assessment provides a comprehensive editorial report, typically 2,000 to 3,000 words, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and actionable revisions—plus, for stories engaging with the Arab world, notes on cultural authenticity and language.​

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Since I am also working on my second novel, I can only take on a limited number of projects per year. My strongest fits are literary, historical, and speculative fiction. Rates follow the guidelines of the Editorial Freelancers Association, with flexibility for financial constraints.

 

If you’re working on a story that could benefit from this approach, please email me your manuscript and a brief summary.

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