Manuscript Assessment and Development
MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT
A manuscript assessment (or editorial report) provides an independent, professional appraisal of your work. You could think of it as a health check, or a reality check.
Whether you are wanting to submit your work to a publisher or agent, or are intending to self-publish, a professional assessment is an important part of the process of making sure your book will serve your intentions appropriately, and be of the highest standard.
We are experienced in working with fiction (literary and popular), narrative non-fiction (e.g. memoir, travel), general non-fiction (e.g. reference, educational, how-to books) and children's books. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about the genre of your manuscript.
We prepare a written report (3,000–5,000 words) outlining the strengths and weaknesses of your work in terms of structure, pacing, story line and character development, genre, style, language usage, consistency and continuity, and any other issues that may be pertinent to a particular genre and a particular manuscript, such as ethical and legal questions.
The report will address issues of the 'publishability' of the manuscript and offer suggestions on how to work on the next draft. We have not encountered a manuscript yet that hasn't required at least a little reworking, even those that have gone on to be best-sellers.
There are some basic 'rules' (for want of a better word) about writing in terms of the elements listed above — plot, character development, structure, language usage, etc. We consider all these areas and how they are working to achieve the writer's intention. Sometimes this process is important simply to help the writer clarify what his or her intention is. Writers can break rules, of course, and if they do it well it can be magnificently successful. But it takes considerable skill to be able to pull it off.
Apart from the basic elements, what do we look for in a manuscript? What makes a manuscript successful in our eyes? At the most fundamental level, the answer is simple and not at all mysterious. 'Do we want to turn the page? Do we want to keep reading?' Clearly there is an element of subjectivity in an assessment, just as there is in a publisher's decision to publish, or an agent's decision to represent an author. However, as a professional service with wide experience across a range of genres, we are able to consider the manuscript on its own terms.
EDITORIAL CONSULTATIONS
Editorial Consultations offer writers the opportunity to discuss their ideas, explore options, consider potential issues and pose questions.
Often publishers and agents are unwilling to discuss a book idea unless they are able to consider samples of your writing or a finished manuscript. However, getting advice early on in the life of the project can be pivotal in helping your intentions become a reality. And sometimes talking through the issues of a book idea is a reality check, saving you a lot of time and effort in the long run.
Sessions usually last for one hour (longer by arrangement). Sessions can be held face-to-face or over the phone. Some writers opt for a series of consultations where we can offer guidance and advice at different stages of the manuscript development.
