It's hard to generalize about this, but most of our clients are writers who have taken a complete manuscript through at least a couple of revisions prior to submitting it to us and who have already made the effort to learn the basics of their craft. (Many clients are familiar with our book, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.) While literary talent and/or a great concept can improve the chances of an untrained author’s creating something publishable, a one-on-one relationship with an editor is likely to be more fruitful when a writer has first studied his or her craft.