Price:
From £5 per 1000 words.
My Manuscript Assessment (also known as a Structural Edit) is ideal for authors who have finished their novel or non-fiction book but are aware that it needs further work and require some professional, unbiased feedback prior to Copy Editing. I will read through the manuscript and examine its overall tone, structure and readability. Then I will make suggestions on parts that need to be extensively rewritten, developed or researched. For novels, this also includes characterisation, themes and plot. Previous authors have come to me with various concerns, ranging from fears that one of their characters wasn’t convincing enough, to the feeling that they had gone into too much detail regarding one area of their book while brushing over another entirely. This is natural and sometimes you simply have to take a step back and let someone else take a look.
A note on how I work
I tailor each of my services to the specific requirements of my clients, but I usually write my feedback in the form of an overall report, using track changes within the manuscript to mark up smaller points. Once the author has made the appropriate changes, and we are both happy with them, I usually Copy Edit their manuscript for them.
As a Manuscript Assessment is my most in-depth service, I only take on work that I feel a genuine connection with, and where I fully believe that my advice will help the author take their work forward. I usually read the first three chapters before making a decision, and do this with no obligation on the author’s part. Below is an example of some of the feedback I provided to the author P. Symonloe. He was about to begin his search for a publisher and wanted to perfect his crime plot before doing so. His book The Dirty Rascal was published in 2015 and is available in bookstores and via Amazon.
Here is what P Symonloe said about the service I provided:
“I chose a Manuscript Assessment because The Dirty Rascal is my first book and I wanted a professional to help me get my work up to the standard that publishers and agents expect. The advice that came back from Danielle’s service was detailed, revealing, balanced and objective. Danielle not only made points that sometimes were a little uncomfortable, but she also focused on the positive and progressive. I urge other aspiring authors to seek out Wrate’s Editing Services.”