Book Revision Lab
Is your memoir or novel manuscript finished but not quite ready for the world? What if the difference between a good draft and a great book comes down to how you revise it?
Book Revision Lab is a four-month revision program for creative writers ready to transform a completed memoir or novel draft into a publication-ready book. Writers get structural and sentence-level revision techniques, peer feedback from fellow writers, and the accountability of a dedicated community, all built to help you unlock your book’s full artistic and commercial potential.
Revision is where the real writing happens. This is your chance to do it with expert guidance and a community of writers who understand exactly what you’re working toward.
Applications are required for all program participants. Acceptance is based on your commitment to the revision process and your ability to work collaboratively within a community of writers.
Ready to revise your book? Apply today and join our 2027 Book Revision Lab cohort.
APPLY NOW!
We are now accepting applications for our 2027 Book Revision Lab, starting Thursday, March 11, 2027. Complete an application and commit to revising your book in 2027. Questions? Email bookinc@projectwritenow.org.
COMBINE & SAVE!
Pair Book Revision Lab with Story Lab in The Full Revision Path, a connected journey from structural diagnosis to chapter-by-chapter execution, guided by two distinct rounds of expert feedback. Questions? Email bookinc@projectwritenow.org.
How Our Book Revision Lab Works
During our Book Revision Lab, writers explore practical, powerful revision techniques to improve their memoirs or novels, with a primary focus on increasing the story’s overall effectiveness. Writers exchange feedback on their completed manuscripts, build revision plans based on the feedback, and execute their plans to complete a meaningful revision, with an eye toward publication.
Throughout the four months, we meet twice a month for two hours on Zoom every other Thursday (7 to 9 p.m. ET / 4 to 6 p.m. PT). We also interact daily on Slack as we share our revision journey through the following phases:
Revision & Best Practices
We will revise our books, sharing our challenges and successes along the way. During our sessions, we will do deep dives into both structural and sentence-level revision techniques, providing an array of best practices to realize the potential of your book.
Reading Round
We will break into groups of 3-4 to share our manuscripts, relying on our training on how to give and receive effective feedback. Each participant will receive feedback from two readers, along with reading and providing feedback on two manuscripts.
Revision Plan
After our reading rounds, we will organize the feedback from our readers into a revision plan for the next stage of your book.
Are You a Good Fit for Our Book Revision Lab?
To participate in the Book Revision Lab, you should:
- Have a completed memoir or novel draft of 50,000 words or more that you feel comfortable handing off to fellow writers for supportive feedback
- Have experience in writing workshops at Project Write Now, book inc, or elsewhere
- Be open and interested in learning about the process of revising a book-length memoir or novel along with boosting a consistent writing practice
- Be eager and available to support your fellow writers to tackle a long-term book project through the exchange of encouragement and positive feedback
- Be able and willing to read two manuscripts, each within a two-week period. The maximum number of words you will be required to read is 80,000 for each manuscript
- Be able to commit 7-10 hours a week to the revision process over the course of the second half of the program
Program Details
Cost: $550
Tuition can be paid in full or in two increments according to our payment schedule. Your registration will not be considered complete until your payment, payment plan, or scholarship seat has been confirmed.
Note: Proceeds help support Project Write Now‘s community outreach programs. Partial and full scholarship seats are available. Email bookinc@projectwritenow.org for more information.
2027 Schedule
Book Revision Lab meets from 7 to 9 p.m. ET / 4 to 6 p.m. PT every other Thursday from March to June on the following dates:
- March 11
- March 25
- April 8
- April 22
- May 6
- May 20
- June 3
- June 17
Meet Your PAL: Michele Prestininzi
Michele Prestininzi is an enthusiastic writer and educator with a specialization in children’s literature. She runs a critique group for middle grade writers and mentors students in the creative writing process. She’s published in Hopscotch for Girls magazine and won the Candlewick Press Scholarship Award for Picture Books. The transformative power of stories has always inspired her, and she’s thrilled to share her passion for storytelling with others. Michele holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and an MS in Education from Hofstra University. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, three almost-out-of-the-nest kids, and two adorably evil kittens.
Application Process
- Applications are required for all program participants. Acceptance is based on your commitment and your ability to work together in a community.
- Financial assistance is available. Complete the application to apply.
- If you have any questions about our application process or the program, please contact us at bookinc@projectwritenow.org.
APPLY NOW!
We are now accepting applications for our 2027 Book Revision Lab, starting Thursday, March 11, 2027. Complete an application and commit to revising your book in 2027. Questions? Email bookinc@projectwritenow.org.