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 is designed to guide you through the next level of manuscript development. It 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 conventions 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 you clarify what your 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?' We approach the manuscript with an open mind and an eye for problem solving. If we stumble over something, or something feels not right, we unpick why. 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, assessing whether you have succeeded in writing the book you want to write.

ASSESSMENT OF A PARTIAL DRAFT

We offer assessments on an excerpt of your work, such as the first three chapters plus a synopsis, and, where appropriate, a chapter outline. An assessment on a partial draft can help you understand what is working well, and what may need further development in order to capture the curiosity and attention of a publisher/agent or general reader. While we are unable in these circumstances to offer a detailed critique on how the story unfolds over the course of the entire work, the report can provide valuable feedback on the direction your work might take. 

EDITORIAL CONSULTATIONS

Editorial Consultations with an industry professional 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 before you commit months and years to it can save you a lot of time and effort in the long run.

If you have some of your ideas already down on paper, the editorial consultation can be based on material read prior to meeting. For example, you may have a synopsis and a chapter outline, or one or two chapters that you'd like some feedback on, perhaps some early jottings you are playing with. Our editors will read your work, make brief annotations on the work, and prepare a brief summary of feedback points to be discussed at the consultation.

Sessions usually last for one hour (longer by arrangement) and can be held face-to-face or by phone/Skype.

A fee is charged to cover the consultation time and any reading time required prior to the meeting. Please contact us for further information.

If you'd like to extend your editorial consultation with more ongoing guidance, we suggest you consider our mentoring service.

 

MENTORING

Through our mentoring service we aim to create positive, supportive and encouraging relationships with writers to help them achieve their writing goals.

There is no one-size fits all. Mentoring sessions can be tailored to your circumstances. You may have a work-in-progress and want on-going feedback to make sure you're on the right track. You may want help to structure not only the work itself, but your writing practice. Perhaps a regular deadline will help you to move forward with your writing project. If so, you can opt for weekly, fortnightly or monthly sessions, for example. Or, if you need more flexibility, you can check in with your mentor as the need arises over an extended period of time. It is good to know there is someone who can guide you along the way offering personalised feedback.

While there is flexibility in the mentoring process, there is a structure to the sessions negotiated between writer and mentor. In most cases, the mentor and writer will together decide on a writing goal for each session. Work is sent to the mentor to read prior to the session. The mentor makes annotations on the work and prepares talking points. Wherever possible, these are sent to the writer in advance of the session.

Sessions usually last for one hour (longer by arrangement) and can be held face-to-face or by phone/Skype. Fees are charged to cover the mentoring session and any required reading time. Please contact us for further information.