detailed professional analysis
Manuscript assessment
A manuscript assessment provides you with:
what you get
Service includes…
You’ll receive a comprehensive editorial report (10–20 pages, depending on the length of your manuscript). This will focus on key big-picture elements: plot, structure, characterisation, setting/world-building, your target market, and any other specific areas you may need help with, such as broader areas of writing craft. The report will be constructive and solutions-focused, with some examples from your manuscript included to guide you in implementing feedback.
I’ll also send you a manuscript revision guide to help you implement changes, and a customised resource sheet so you have plenty of further reading for areas covered in the report.
Follow-up questions are taken via email, and I’m also happy to provide some general feedback on your plans for revising, so you know you’re on the right track.
What’s the difference between developmental editing and a manuscript assessment?
I know this can be confusing – I’ve written an entire blog post to explain this.
Both of these services are forms of developmental editing. The key difference between developmental editing and a manuscript assessment is the intensity. They both focus on the big picture, but a developmental edit is more hands-on, since it also includes marginal comments in each chapter and, quite often, a consultation with the editor.
A manuscript assessment covers the same big-picture areas in the form of an editorial report. It’s a detailed, thorough evaluation, but leaves out the more intense aspects of a fuller dev edit, like the marginal comments. It’s ideal for authors who want a professional overview but worry about being overwhelmed by too much commentary.
Investment
No two books are the same, so timelines and pricing can vary depending on the manuscript’s length and your needs. Most manuscript assessments for full-length novels fall between £1,200 and £1,800.
The process typically takes four weeks.
still unsure?
What other writers are saying
She is simply amazing
The manuscript assessment I received from Rachel was extraordinarily helpful. Some of the feedback confirmed suspicions I had, which as a new writer helped me gain confidence in my own inner critic. But much more of the assessment addressed aspects I had not considered or those I thought I had worked out well. Rachel provided explanations as well as specific examples from my manuscript on each area of strength and weakness. That made the feedback much more impactful, as I could see the passages/lines and immediately understood her points. She even provided some excellent resources to help me improve on some of these areas.
I was blown away by Rachel’s thoughtful and thorough work and there is no doubt that my novel will be incalculably stronger because of Rachel’s feedback. She is simply amazing. If you are a writer in search of professional editing services, you found them. End of search.
An injection of energy
Rachel’s manuscript assessment taught me so much, and unlocked a completely new way of looking at and understanding what did and didn’t work in my manuscript. Her notes were incredibly thorough, thoughtful and detailed, returned in a well-structured document with constructive ideas for fixing the big issues. I felt such an injection of energy after working with her, it has been invaluable for me.
Inspiring
Your manuscript assessment was exactly what I was hoping for. You confirmed some thoughts I had, raised plenty of new ones and helped me see where things were working where otherwise I had doubts. My head was nodding throughout and I found your suggestions/explanations inspiring. I can’t wait to get to work. Thank you so much.
I feel much more immersed
Thank you so much for your feedback – it’s really helped me cut away all the fat from the story and streamline it, and to really focus on the story that I want to tell and what I want readers to get out of it. I’d struggled to explain my book to others and I see now that this was because I was throwing too many plotlines and characters at the wall and seeing what would stick. I’ve re-written around 50,000 words from scratch and it already feels so much better and is more snappy than the earlier draft. I feel much more immersed as I feel I know the characters and the world better than before.
