detailed professional analysis

Manuscript assessment

A manuscript assessment provides you with:

  • Actionable editorial feedback, covering key areas like plot, structure, characterisation, setting/world-building, and writing craft.
  • Comprehensive guidance on major revisions you can implement to strengthen your manuscript.
  • Key knowledge on your target market and how your book fits in – with detailed editing solutions to meet those reader expectations.
  • Clear strategies and resources to help you move forward based on your publishing goals.
what you get

Service includes…

You’ll receive a comprehensive editorial report (10–20 pages) focusing on key big-picture elements of your manuscript: plot, structure, characters, setting/world-building, your target market, and any other specific areas you may need help with. The report will be constructive and solutions-focused, with examples from your manuscript included to guide you in implementing feedback.

I’ll also send you a manuscript revision guide and a customised resource sheet to help you with any particular craft areas you might be struggling with.

Follow-up questions are taken via email, and I’ll look at a revision plan for your next draft (maximum 5,000 words) within two months of the assessment.

What’s the difference between developmental editing and a manuscript assessment?

I know this can be confusing – so I’ve written an entire blog post to explain!

Both 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 extremely hands-on. It’s a far deeper and more intense service, which may include direct edits or changes and lots of comments.

A manuscript assessment covers the same big-picture areas in the form of a comprehensive editorial report. It’s a detailed, thorough evaluation, but leaves out the more intense aspects of a fuller dev edit. It’s ideal for authors who want a thorough, professional overview without the level of intensity involved in a developmental edit. Perfect for authors who worry about being overwhelmed by too much feedback!

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.
The Ruiner by Wes Cook
wes cook
Author of The Ruiner

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.
Rachel Dauncey
YA author

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.
Charlie kelly
Romance author

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.
Flames of Rebellion by Aaron S. Jones
aaron s. jones
Fantasy author
Website | Twitter

Book your manuscript assessment