Is your manuscript ready for a professional assessment?

So you’ve written a manuscript – perhaps you’re now considering professional feedback or assessment, and wondering if the manuscript is ready for this.

Writing a book is not easy, so it’s understandable to be unsure about next steps, especially when it comes to something massive like sending your work out to a professional for feedback. It might be the first time someone has read your work outside of your own family and friends – or at all!

Many authors are unsure of when they should seek feedback, especially if they’re still revising.

Deep breaths! You don’t have to rush into anything. But there are some ways to know if your manuscript is ready for editorial assessment, so you can take the plunge if you choose to.

But first, what does a professional assessment involve?

What is involved in a manuscript assessment?

A manuscript assessment is a professional analysis focused on the big-picture elements of your book, such as your plot and structure, pacing, stakes, characters, setting/world-building, your target market, and any broader areas of creative writing craft (such as exposition and point of view).

An editor will write a comprehensive set of notes on these different areas of your manuscript. The editorial feedback will be actionable and will contain plenty of solutions – meaning you can move forward and revise with confidence.

The focus is on expert guidance, helping to steer you towards a better draft.

A manuscript assessment is most suitable before line-level work begins. It’s ideal for both more developed full manuscripts and early drafts – though the draft should still be complete so the editor can assess the bigger picture.

Signs your manuscript is ready for editorial feedback

As a professional editor and an author myself, I’ve noticed a few commonalities when manuscripts are ready for assessment.

You’ve gone over it so many times, you’re sick of looking at it

We’ve all been there! This is a clear sign that you may have become too close to your own work to see it clearly anymore. This is extremely common for authors who have spent a lot of time writing, re-writing, and revising their work.

If you’ve reached the point where you can’t stand to look at it – it might be time to enlist some help so that you can see the woods from the trees.

Having outside eyes on your work is so important for gaining a fresh perspective.

Comments from an editorial professional who has a wealth of experience in the publishing industry and with your genre can spark thoughts and ideas you might not otherwise have had!

What does a book editor do? »

You’re stuck or have lost direction

You may have written a first draft and don’t know where to go from here. Perhaps you just don’t know where to start revising. Maybe you’ve realised that you’ve written yourself into a corner, or that some elements of the storyline aren’t working and you aren’t sure how to fix them.

This is where professional assessment can help.

An editorial assessment identifies these exact problems and teaches you how to fix them. It can help you pull the storyline from the corner it has found itself in and get it back on track.

Having your work assessed also provides you with a list of elements to focus on during your revisions, so you don’t feel lost or unsure of where to start.

My own manuscript assessments include a detailed guide to revising, in stages, with clear steps to plan out your revisions.

You’re struggling to identify your target market

If you’ve written a genre mashup or something that defies the expectations of the market or the genre you’re aiming for, you may end up struggling with how to pitch it.

You might have received some rejections, if the story is particularly difficult to pitch or doesn’t meet genre/age category expectations.

Publishers and literary agents love a book that slots neatly into a target market, so it’s really important to get this right if you want to publish traditionally.

Even readers of self-published books will have expectations when it comes to the market – so this is crucial for indie authors, too.

You might not have realised that manuscript assessments can help with this – but they absolutely can! Editors are extremely familiar with the genres and age ranges they work on, and they can suggest changes to your manuscript to help you fit your book more neatly into a market or genre. They can provide expert advice on the market you are aiming for.

With those changes identified and made, you could see yourself getting far more requests for your manuscript from literary agents, and you have a higher chance of getting picked up for publication.

how to get your book published »

You’re planning to submit or self-publish

Professional assessments are useful for authors who are submitting traditionally and those who plan on self-publishing.

If you’d like to submit traditionally, having a stronger and more developed manuscript will help you stand out on the slush pile. Agents are keen to find manuscripts that require minimal work before they can shop them around to publishers!

And if you’re self-publishing, a manuscript assessment can ensure you have the strongest draft possible – with a compelling plot and characters – before you move on to line-level edits and publication.

When another service might be a better next step

A professional assessment isn’t always the right option for an author for a variety of reasons. It may be that another type of editorial service is more beneficial.

You want heavier, more hands-on editorial help

Manuscript assessments are incredibly detailed and comprehensive, and can be beneficial to all types of writers. But some authors want even more intensity – they might want direct, in-manuscript comments throughout, and a higher level of guidance. Perhaps they’re keen on doing even heavier revisions.

In these cases, a developmental edit may be more suited as it dives even deeper than an assessment.

It really depends on the author – some authors prefer manuscript assessments as they find them less overwhelming.

You would prefer to start smaller

A full manuscript assessment is a big commitment, and it isn’t the right next step for every author. If you’d prefer to start smaller, there are plenty of options available.

You could opt for a partial manuscript service, such as an opening chapters service, or a review of your outline. These services offer similar big-picture feedback on a smaller section of your work. It can be a useful way of gaining direction.

Many authors use these services to test an idea or gain clarity before deciding whether to move forward with a full manuscript assessment later on.

You’re still building foundational writing skills

Manuscript assessments are focused on story, structure, characterisation, and other broader creative writing craft elements. But if you’re still exploring or learning the basic mechanics of writing, an assessment may not be the most helpful option for you.

You might find it useful to participate in workshops, courses, and classes to build up those fundamentals first.