Manuscript Evaluations
A writer might seek a manuscript evaluation for a few reasons:
- You finished your first draft but are unsure where to begin with revisions or editing. (common with debut/newer authors)
- You finished your self-edited draft and know an evaluation is all you’ll need to guide you through major revisions. (common for experienced/seasoned authors)
- You finished your draft but something about your story feels wrong or is falling flat, and you can’t pin down the problem.
At the end of a Manuscript Evaluation, you’ll receive an editorial letter—typically four (4) to six (6)+ pages—detailing your manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses in broad terms. You’ll get advice for things like: your story’s main arc, character arcs, side characters, worldbuilding, cohesiveness between character and story, cohesiveness between your main story and any subplots, believability, your story’s structure and POV, and your story’s point (your “why”).
A Manuscript Evaluation’s job is to help you find your starting point for revisions and give you solid, actionable steps for where to begin and why.
Rates starting at $0.015 USD per word
Optional 50-minute coaching call: $99
Payment Plans Available
10% Discount for debut authors
During a Manuscript Evaluation, I’m looking for…
- Big-Picture (Main Story) Problems: Are the obstacles presented to your characters relevant to the plot, or do they feel like side quests that don’t strengthen the main plot? What are the stakes in the book, and how would winning/losing affect the main character? Are your themes clear and consistent? Is the story trying to say and do too much for just one book?
- Character Issues: Do the characters, whether they have a large or small role, feel like people? Do your main and side characters feel like individuals with their own fears, needs, and wants? Am I able to tell what they want more than anything and what they’re willing to do to get it? Do personalities and desires clash, even sometimes? How does your main character change from beginning to end?
- Cohesiveness: This looks at your story as a whole. Do the plot points fit together? Does one problem lead to another or to a solution? Are there confusing events (that don’t get resolved) or out-of-order storytelling?
- Worldbuilding Consistency & Believability: (in context with your story and genre) Do you follow the rules you’ve created for your world, be they magical, political, economical, etc.? Are there worldbuilding elements missing that could provide a more solid skeleton for your book? Is there too much worldbuilding?
- Overall Story Structure: When I’m looking at the structure of a story, I’m truly looking at it as a whole and from a distance. Imagine an eye-in-the-sky. I question the chain of events: does the story begin in the best place? Is there context missing somewhere? Is a prologue necessary? If you wrote a multi-POV story, I’m also questioning if each chapter is told from the best point of view. Maybe the escape chapter would work better from Character B’s POV instead of Character A because of something that happens later in the story.
If a Manuscript Evaluation sounds good but you’d prefer to have an editorial letter and in-line comments and highly detailed feedback throughout your book, have a look at Developmental Editing! If your draft is UNFINISHED, and you’d appreciate sustained guidance and support, have a look at Book Coaching!
5-Chapter Review
A review of your first several chapters can provide the boost you need to (re)start revisions by confirming your story is doing the job you wrote it for and setting you down at the correct starting line.
You’ll receive a mini editorial letter (2 pages) detailing what’s working well in your early chapters and what parts could use some love, including specific next steps for revision.
5 Chapters (up to 20k words): $249
Optional 30-minute coaching call: $49