What is a Manuscript Assessment? Writerful Books, 2 May 202316 October 2024 In the competitive and ever-changing landscape of the publishing industry, a manuscript assessment can become the vital tool for authors in getting their works published. Our manuscript assessment service can provide constructive feedback and advice to authors on how to enhance their work before publication. A manuscript assessment is an in-depth analysis of the story and craft of a novel or nonfiction book after the most recent draft has been written. It is a deep-dive into the manuscript conducted by an experienced editor but can also be undertaken by an industry expert, such as a literary agent, to evaluate the potential of the manuscript by providing valuable feedback to the author. It is different than a book review or beta reading which is usually focused on the content rather than the structure and craft of a manuscript. Manuscript Assessment FAQs A manuscript assessment is also known as an editorial evaluation and can uncover ways to strengthen the storytelling and correct any issues before the book is sent out to agents and publishers. The result of this assessment is a comprehensive report that provides feedback on elements such as the plot, characterization, dialogue, style, and grammar, as well as suggestions for improvement and overall marketability. What Should Authors Expect from a Manuscript Assessment? Authors should expect an honest evaluation of their work in the form of a comprehensive manuscript assessment report. The assessment will provide detailed commentary on the authors’ strengths, weaknesses, and improvements needed, as well as marketability ratings to prepare the author for the traditional publishing or self-publishing process. “The best thing an author can do to increase their chances of success is to have their work assessed,” advises Maria Loboda, a senior acquisitions editor at HarperCollins. “A manuscript assessment can provide a much-needed objective opinion on the work and provide actionable insights and recommendations on how to bring out the best in the story.” How to Prepare a Manuscript Before Submitting it? Prior to submitting a manuscript for assessment, authors should ensure that it is in its absolute best shape. This means that the manuscript should be proofread with a number of rounds of revisions and self-editing, to reflect professionalism and give a good first impression. It should also be formatted correctly, as per the correct guidelines or industry norms, as incorrect formatting can be a huge deal breaker for agents and editors. Be Open to Constructive Feedback When authors receive constructive feedback, they have the opportunity to make significant improvements to their manuscript and improve their writing. They can strengthen the plot, develop their characters, and improve the overall writing style. This, in turn, increases the chances of securing a publishing deal or signing with a literary agent. As a result, authors must remember to take the feedback seriously, revise their work as best they can, and resubmit it for review. Can a Manuscript Assessment Boost Your Chances of Being Published or Land a Literary Agent? A manuscript assessment can help authors determine whether their manuscript is ready for submission and increases the chances of successfully signing with a literary agent or obtaining a publishing deal. It can give authors the confidence needed to move forward in the publishing process and also provides them with a competitive edge when approaching agents and editors. “An assessment can give authors encouragement to take the next steps in their publishing journey,” says Allison Freedman, a literary agent from the Ross Yoon Agency in Washington, DC. “It can also give authors the knowledge they need to make improvements to their manuscript, and identify potential issues that might limit their ability to successfully sign with a literary agent or acquire a publishing deal.” A manuscript assessment is an invaluable tool for authors seeking to increase their chances of success in the publishing process. By providing an independent review, it gives authors feedback on where they can improve their work and strengthens the possibility of success with either a literary agent or a publishing deal. How to Prepare a Manuscript before Submitting it for an Assessment? Before submitting the manuscript for assessment, authors must proofread and review their work to the best of their ability. It should be error-free and easy to read. The manuscript should be in the correct format and meet the submission guidelines provided by the assessment service. Recommended: How a Manuscript Assessment Can Help You Find Your Voice as a Writer Are you Ready to Have Your Manuscript Assessed? A manuscript assessment can be a valuable tool for writers, especially those who might be new to the publishing process. The feedback you will receive can help you shape your work in a way that can make it irresistible to agents and publishers. Our manuscript assessment reports contain constructive and insightful feedback that can help you as a writer to improve your work before submitting it to an agent. The more polished your work, the higher the chances of it being noticed by the agent and securing a publishing deal. Manuscript Assessment FAQs Here’s what our authors had to say.. - Marlane A. Thank you for your feedback. I’ll work through your editing recommendations, which I found helpful and encouraging. Sincerely, Marlane - Marlane A.Read Moreread less - William Thank you so much for the invaluable feedback on Zoa's Arks. I am grateful for the cogent points you brought up. - WilliamRead Moreread less - Jodi L. I just read your comments and am feeling deeply grateful. You've given me a new confidence that the subtleties I was hoping to convey are coming through to a caring and thoughtful reader. I will certainly work on the few words you suggested reconsidering. One one of them ("knacker") I was wondering about myself ... whether it had too many other meanings to be clear in that context. Indeed I struggled with hating to use the language of the era, but knowing it was how the characters would speak. I am glad you felt that was a reasonable choice. Also, as this was a new epilogue (after several tries that weren't working all that well), I am quite grateful that you've given it a stamp of approval. I do feel that I'm finally ready to send this book to agents... to let it out of my own little world. It's been a very long road of discovering this challenging craft, and readers like you make it worth it. Many thanks to you, and I quite expect I'll get back in touch for the next one. Rinse and repeat.... that's a writing life! - Jodi L.Read Moreread less - Christopher M. Thank you so much! This is great feedback, I appreciate your ability to see the grammatical details, while still evaluating the manuscript on it's broad strokes. That's not an easy thing to do. Thanks again, Chris. - Christopher M.Read Moreread less - Nella R. Thanks so much for your thorough and constructive review! Being into romance writing, I'm not surprised the romance is a little overdone. I will revisit and find a way of dealing with the issues you so proficiently highlight. It does all make sense, and yes, I did want to finish the story quickly. I got my idea for the ending from The Birds(Hitchcock) - when they drive off leaving behind a problem that is clearly not going away. Regards, Nella. - Nella R.Read Moreread less - Patrick L. Thank you for another wonderful assessment. This is very helpful and I greatly appreciate your suggestions and compliments. Everything makes perfect sense. I'm working on the revisions now and I am very excited to complete the next draft. I was planning to start querying agents/publishers after that, but I was curious if you think feedback from beta-reading might be necessary/helpful before moving forward. Thanks, Patrick. - Patrick L.Read Moreread less - Hugh A. Thanks for your report and your encouraging remarks, as well as your advice and criticisms. Your detailed comments under the various headings are invaluable to me. I accept your point about the beginning, introducing the protagonist rather than the protagonist. I’ll work on it. [...] As for the other issues that you’ve highlighted, I’ll work through the story and fix them as best I can. - Hugh A.Read Moreread less - David R. Hi Declan, First and foremost, thank you for the quick prompt service to my story collection, Human Being Human Doing. I will look at this over the next few days and email you with any explanation that may be required. Thanks once again; stay well and all the best. - David R.Read Moreread less - Jenni J. You are currently my new favourite person after saying such positive things about my writing. I was quite taken aback with your appreciation of ‘Boundary Lines’. I’m really pleased you enjoyed reading it and were able to connect with it on a personal level. Thank you for your comments and editing. I look forward to playing around with the passages you highlighted. All of your comments are valued by me. Your honest and personal response really touched me and perfectly explains why you did not make an initial comment on the assessment regarding this passage of writing. Thank you for clarifying this. Although unsettling, my heart desires to create hope for the reader – a thought you did express in the initial manuscript assessment - so thank you! - Jenni J.Read Moreread less - Lulu K. Thank you so much for the report and for all your observations within it. Having this professional guidance is what I have been yearning for since I started writing the book. I am an early school leaver and also suffer from dyslexia so I knew there would be many grammar mistakes as well restructuring to be done. I sometimes overwrite things as what I am trying to express gets tied up in my mind in knots of confusion. - Lulu K.Read Moreread less - Paul B. Declan, just read your report. I'm hugely relieved by your comments. Thank you so much for your thorough assessment. I'll ensure you get a mention in the acknowledgements. - Paul B.Read Moreread less - Susan M. Thanks for your thoughtful and generous response. I look forward to speaking with you. In the meantime, may I include a quote from you on the promotional website I’m building to show prospective publishers? Thanks again, Susan. - Susan M.Read Moreread less - Katherine S. Please let the reader know that I'm flattered, and none of your beta readers should ever fear causing offense. I want their honest opinions, besides I'm pretty thick-skinned 🙂 - Katherine S.Read Moreread less - Bryce B. Thank you so much for your excellent evaluation. I knew the manuscript had problems but I am so close to the material I did not know what they were. You found the science section interesting so I think I will open with that. the answer to your question about the tea kettle not boiling over is: it does in the form of steam. Did you find any of the Bible information interesting besides the word of God bit? Or am I correct in concluding nothing was interesting or surprising in the Old Testament section and the relevance was not obvious? Thanks, Bryce. - Bryce B.Read Moreread less - Morgan V. I appreciate your quick and efficient work on this. As a writer, my biggest fear is that I'll bore people in the process of the read. Hopefully that wasn't the case here, though it sounds like it did a bit in the middle. I think my plan is to go the self publishing route. Perhaps that will make a difference in my word count. I did shave off about 10,000 words before I gave it to you. I don't know how in the world I'd ever get it down to 90. Then again, if it is in the YA category, perhaps it needs to be. Which brings me to that. Where do you think you would find it on a Barnes and Noble bookshelf? And is there a certain niche readership that I would need to find for it to latch on? - Morgan V.Read Moreread less - Catherine C. Thanks so much Declan. I’m going to make a few modifications now thanks to your suggestions. Great thanks so much! As you say good writing is rewriting, and as I re-read the rest of the manuscript I am struck with how many glaring holes there are and how many (lots!) opportunities for improvement! So, I think I will continue to work on it before I send the rest of it to you. Thanks for the feedback. I felt my writing had improved, so its nice to know I am not delusional. BTW, this is a completely new story, with the previous 2 manuscripts as only back story. Thanks so much. It is a very well written, comprehensive report. I’m very impressed with the quality. There are some helpful suggestions for improvement and the summary of characters and plot is spot on. [...] Thanks again for such an in-depth report, I know that was beyond the realm of a beta read, so I really appreciate it! Catherine Craig. - Catherine C.Read Moreread less load more Our team of experienced editors is committed to providing you with the highest quality service possible. If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with the quality of our work, we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We will work with you to address any issues or concerns and either redo the service to your satisfaction or provide you with a full refund. We are dedicated to exceeding your expectations and helping you create the best book possible. You can have full confidence in our commitment to quality and client satisfaction. Book an Assessment Below! 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