FIND YOUR VOICE. GET PUBLISHED.

            Get the attention of top agents

   with a professionally polished manuscript

                      and a perfect pitch

Are you having trouble finishing or polishing your book? The struggle to get published can be painful and overwhelming. Too many rewrites. Not enough traction.

This is the most vulnerable time for a writer. But if you follow the urge to tuck that baby back into a drawer, your chances of getting published and using your book as a springboard to personal, business or career success plummets ... to zero.

What if the solution to your book’s problems were clear—just not to you? What if someone else could look under the hood and explain why the engine won’t start, then either fix it or hand you the tools and show you how to use them? You would regain and refine your writer’s voice. You would fall in love again with your book and with the creative process, and have a professionally polished manuscript and/or a perfect pitch that is guaranteed to capture the attention of agents and publishers.

• At Barncat, we helped a coach who needed a book to anchor her business land a top agent—followed by a bidding war and a six-figure deal with a top publisher—all within a few weeks.
• With Barncat’s help, even first-time writers have signed with top New York agents, including at ICM and William Morris.

Writers come in all flavors, but even the most experienced have trouble taking their book the last mile. It’s almost impossible to see your own work with the clarity that makes the difference between a rejection letter and a publishing contract—so if you're tempted to hide under the covers, join the club. Hang around writers long enough and this is what you’ll hear:

“I'm almost finished with my book. I've been almost finished for years.”

“I need a book to help me stay competitive in my business, but I don't know where to begin.”

“Everyone loves my ideas, but no one will give me a book deal.”

“I can’t get an agent.”

“Agent? What's an agent?”

“I'm a published author, but I need to step up my earnings and prestige.”

“I get the most beautiful rejection letters.”

“My book needs to be shortened/lengthened/edited/turned inside out.”

Whether you have a few promising chapters, a finished manuscript that won’t sell, or a book that is completely written ... in your head ... you will need to:

• Pinpoint and address any underlying creative, technical or structural problems. Even the wrong formatting can send your book to the slush pile!

• Understand what agents and publishers want, and give it to them without sacrificing your voice or vision.

• Learn the basics of book proposals and when you need one.

• Explore the pros and cons of the various publishing options.

• Know what to do before and after publication to get the most out of your book.

Barncat was founded by author and nationally known film critic Jami Bernard to help writers find their voice and finish their books. Because of Jami’s unique blend of qualifications, experience and versatility, no one in the business has a better success rate. She specializes in helping writers bring their creative vision to life and giving them the tools to write and troubleshoot in the future.

Eight of Jami’s books have been published by major houses, including Penguin, Warner Books, Harper Collins and Perseus. Two more of her books, on memoir writing and overcoming writer’s block, are available here.

Jami has been interviewed by Oprah, Katie Couric, Charles Gibson, Joan Rivers, Geraldo Rivera, Montel Williams, and more, in addition to numerous appearances on radio and TV. She has sold thousands of articles (yes, really!) to newspapers and to magazines such as Entertainment Weekly, Seventeen, Glamour and Self. She is a keynote speaker and writes the columns “Cancer Girl” for Mamm magazine and “Ad Rant” for walletpop.com.

Jami has appeared in documentaries as herself, including the IFC’s Indie Sex series, on which she was a consultant. She is widely known for her 20 years as a film critic for The New York Post and New York Daily News. Among the pieces of which she is most proud is a Lois Lane comic she wrote for DC Comics, in which Lois is based on Jami’s early career as a writer and editor for theNew York dailies.

Barncat is dedicated to helping writers find their own true voice and move past the emotional, practical and creative hurdles that keep them from telling their stories and getting published. With “ghost editing” and book-doctor packages at all levels, along with online workshops, self-paced course books and private coaching—plus equal parts humor and tough love—Barncat will work with you to help you achieve your professional goals. We can take you from the glimmer of an idea to finishing your manuscript, pitching an agent, getting published and marketing your book. We can even help you prepare for the book tour!

Oh, and one last thing. Getting control of your manuscript can lead to the best lifestyle in the universe, the noblest state to which a human being can aspire:

The ability to write from home in bunny slippers.

HEAR WHAT WRITERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BARNCAT

“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 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’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, writer; Paris 

Learn at home

Check out Barncat's specialized course books.