A Manuscript Assessment begins with a friendly conversation about your manuscript and what you’d like assessed, what your aims for it, and so on. Tell me everything you need to tell me. Your work might be a short story or series of short stories/flash fictions, or a completed nonfiction book or novel.
I then read the draft manuscript. Depending on what’s required and has been requested by the author, I might make notes on the manuscript itself (digital; using comments) and also provide a detailed report. My assessment grows out of my many decades of reading both draft manuscripts and works-in-progress and published works of all kinds. I pay close attention to the work’s genre (literary, hybrid, YA, romance, etc), its intended readership. My goal is to understand the writer’s aims for their manuscript and to help them achieve those aims.
After the manuscript assessment is completed and sent to you, there’s opportunity to discuss the report by email, zoom or phone, whatever works for the writer. You can then raise questions, and clarify anything you’re unclear about.
Start by contacting me to discuss your project.
My manuscript assessment service is suited to writers —
- Who want an experienced and empathic editor and author to read their work and respond with expertise, care and engagement.
- Have completed a longer manuscript (e.g. short story collection, creative nonfiction manuscript or novel) and want an appraisal before further revising and/or sending to agents, publishers, or competitions. This is an especially important role for me as a manuscript assessor, helping the writer judge when the manuscript is ready for sending out.
- Have one or two short stories, micro fictions, creative nonfiction essays or other literary experiments they want appraised, along with suggestions as to potential journals and other opportunities.
My report will be between 1,000-2,500 words long depending on the length of the original work; feedback for a short story or personal essay will be 1-2 pages in length, and will include some in-text feedback. The report will appraise the work overall, taking consideration of its genre and intended readership/audience; structure of the whole and its parts (sections, chapters, scenes) ; characterisation; pacing; language etc. I will provide suggestions for further development of the work.
I’m as supportive of genre writers as I am of others aiming to be innovative and bring new ideas and approaches to established audiences. I gladly work with diverse writers and have a commitment to being a diverse ally.
Manuscript Assessment Rate
- Short story/creative nonfiction essays/chapters up to 3,500 words: $350.00
- 7000 words: $500.00
- 7,500-10,000 words: $600
- 10,000-20,000 words $700
- Novella, novel, long-form narrative, over 21,000 words: $750 + $200 per additional 10,000 words. (e.g. a 91,000 word novel = $750 + $1,400)
Process
Start by contacting me. Let me know the kind of manuscript it is and your publishing history if you have published before. From there we’ll have a conversation via phone or email about the best format for sending the work to me; payment; time frames and any other questions you might have.