Editorial Services
MANUSCRIPT EVALUATION
for when you’ve taken your manuscript as far as you can on your own and you want global feedback
Have you finished a draft of a middle grade or young adult novel? Have you taken it as far you can with your own edits and feedback from trusted critique partners or beta readers? Want to see whether your manuscript is ready to pitch or needs more revision?
With a manuscript evaluation (also called a manuscript critique or a manuscript assessment), you will get a thorough read-through of your children’s book manuscript, focusing on big-picture topics like plot, setting, characters, pacing, and theme. You’ll receive feedback about what you did well and what could be strengthened to really make your story shine.
Included:
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I will review your children’s book manuscript for macro-level story elements, like characters, theme, plot, point of view, structure, setting, and genre fit. I point out both your strengths and areas you could improve, and give you honest, specific, and targeted feedback.
The report is a summary of the comments from the manuscript. It will be broken out into sections, like Characters, Theme, Narrative Drive, Plot, Setting, etc. Then these are further organized by the Stoplight Method:
Red-light issues that should be addressed first (usually high-level issues that affect the story as a whole).
Yellow-light issues that should be addressed after the red light issues. But, a lot of times these issues fix themselves when you fix the red-light issues.
Green-light issues that you would address in a line edit or a copy edit, or things to keep in mind for future writing.
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I will make inline/annotated comments and edits in the manuscript itself. These include questions, observations and recommendations, and at-the-time reactions as a reader.
A developmental edit will have more comments and edits in the manuscript than a manuscript evaluation.
Note: Many editors do not offer comments or edits on a manuscript evaluation. I do!
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You will always get a personalized list of suggested next steps so you don’t lose your momentum. This gives you a path through your revision. This could be things like, the first things to work out, what you should address first, what resources you should seek out.
I can also work through your revisions with you in real time with my book coaching services.
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I’ll do a more detailed edit on the first chapter or so, so you can get a sample of what a developmental (story) edit would look like.
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After you receive and review your editorial feedback, we will have a follow-up coaching session to discuss the feedback and how you can move forward. You’ll receive an auto-generated transcript and recording of this call to keep.
I want to make sure you feel comfortable with the feedback and have a plan on what to do next.
Partial Manuscript Evaluation*
INVESTMENT
$0.025 per word
(~$150 for 25 pages)
TURNAROUND TIME
~4 weeks
NEXT STEPS
a full manuscript evaluation, a story edit (see below), a coaching package
*This is a great place to start to get a taste of all of my services in one package.
Full Manuscript Evaluation
INVESTMENT
$0.02 per word
($1,400 for a 70,000-word manuscript)
TURNAROUND TIME
~4 weeks
NEXT STEPS
a story edit (see below), a revision coaching package, editing on your own
DEVELOPMENTAL (STORY) EDITING
for when you’ve taken your manuscript as far as you can on your own and you want scene-by-scene feedback
Have you edited your manuscript draft and taken it as far as you can on your own? Do you need fresh eyes on your work? Do you want to make sure you don’t have any plot holes, confusing scenes, or underdeveloped characters? Is your manuscript too short or too long?
A developmental edit (also called a structural or story edit) addresses the same high-level craft aspects of your book as a manuscript evaluation: voice, pacing, structure, plot, and character development. But a developmental edit also includes scene-by-scene feedback. It looks at the story and the way you’ve told it, and makes sure the reader’s experience of the book matches with your vision. You’ll get two thorough read-throughs, inline edits and comments, a detailed letter of editorial feedback, and a book map—which together serve as both a revision plan and a personalized learning tool.
Included:
-
I will review your children’s book manuscript for macro-level story elements, like characters, theme, plot, point of view, structure, setting, and genre fit. I point out both your strengths and areas you could improve, and give you honest, specific, and targeted feedback.
The report is a summary of the comments from the manuscript. It will be broken out into sections, like Characters, Theme, Narrative Drive, Plot, Setting, etc. Then these are further organized by the Stoplight Method:
Red-light issues that should be addressed first (usually high-level issues that affect the story as a whole).
Yellow-light issues that should be addressed after the red light issues. But, a lot of times these issues fix themselves when you fix the red-light issues.
Green-light issues that you would address in a line edit or a copy edit, or things to keep in mind for future writing.
-
I will make inline/annotated comments and edits in the manuscript itself. These include questions, observations and recommendations, and at-the-time reactions as a reader.
A developmental edit will have more comments and edits in the manuscript than a manuscript evaluation.
-
Developmental edits include a book map of your manuscript—an overview of your book, broken down scene by scene. It tracks elements, such as the most important characters, storylines, arcs, themes, timelines, and recurring elements, in an easy-to-view chart.
Download a lite version of the book map template for your own use here.
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You will always get a personalized list of suggested next steps so you don’t lose your momentum. This gives you a path through your revision. This could be things like, the first things to work out, what you should address first, what resources you should seek out.
I can also work through your revisions with you in real time with my book coaching services.
-
After you receive and review your editorial feedback, we will have a follow-up coaching session to discuss the feedback and how you can move forward. You’ll receive an auto-generated transcript and recording of this call to keep.
I want to make sure you feel comfortable with the feedback and have a plan on what to do next.
Story Edit
INVESTMENT
$0.03—$0.05 per word (~$2,100–$3,150 for 70,000 words)
TURNAROUND TIME
~4–6 weeks
NEXT STEPS
revising on your own or a 1:1 coaching package
Are Your Editorial Services Right For Me?
This is for you if…
You are writing a middle grade or young adult novel.
You have taken your manuscript as far as you can on your own and/or with critique partners.
You are open to honest but compassionate feedback to make your story stronger and more impactful.
You want macro-level feedback (not sentence-level).
This is NOT for you if…
You are writing for adults. I specialize in books for young people.
Your manuscript is not complete. Try my book coaching services instead.
You haven’t done any self-editing of your manuscript.
You aren’t ready to hear feedback on your writing.
You want copyediting or line editing. Contact me about these services.
You aren’t open to suggestions to help you strengthen your story and your writing skills.
Book your FREE Curiosity Call to get started!
Note: If you need special accommodations, please let me know! Cameras optional.
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