Manuscript Help – Assessments

What is a manuscript assessment and do you need one?

If you are a novelist and you aren’t sure, read on (or scroll down to watch the presentation).

First, is your manuscript ready for an assessment?

• You’ve written a novel–short or long–and typed ‘The End’.
• You READ it, REVISED it, RESTED it, REREAD it–and repeated The Fours Rs several times.
• But are you too focused on the fifth R–i.e. The RUSH to submit (or upload)?

In your mind, the work is ready to go. Publishers/readers will love it and you can’t wait. To your friends it’s a sure thing (launch outfits sorted), while family believe it’s a masterpiece. They’ve laughed, as required, cried and sighed, and argued about who you got your talent from but …

• Has the family considered the overall structure? Is your chosen structure the best one for your story and does it sustain the plot over hundreds of pages?
• Did Mum/Dad/Sister/Brother/in-law/etc comment on your chapter hooks? I bet no one dared mention your sagging middle. And they probably didn’t mention the slow start or the missed opportunities that could take your story to the next level.

For an objective opinion of your work, you need a professional manuscript assessment but . . .

1. Are you ready for one? (I have an enquiry form at the bottom of the page you can jump down to now.)
2. Are you sure a manuscript assessment is what you really want? (Or are you confused by editing terminology?)  See my blog post for more info.
3. Do you want to avoid the dreaded DNF Review? (DNF stands for Did Not Finish and no author wants that feedback in a public forum. All that time you spent writing that amazing plot twist, that life-changing reveal in the final chapters, that ending that requires a box of tissues, will be wasted unless your early pages hook the reader. That means the start of your story is more important than the ending.)

My expensive lesson: As there can be substantial rewriting and other significant changes to the work, an assessment should NOT be done in conjunction with other editing processes. E.g. copy/line edits.

My lesson can be yours for FREE.

After ten years in the biz, six novels published, both traditionally and independently, I’ve learned:

• what works and what doesn’t,
• how and where hooks work best,
• and what publishers love (and hate).

I’ll examine and report back to you on your manuscript’s structure, characterisation, imagery, POV, tone, style and your voice. An assessment does not include rewriting your work. My comments are suggestions for the writer to accept or reject. I’ll identify any strengths and weaknesses by pointing out any bad habits. Things such as overused and redundant words, inconsistencies, clichés, and those saggy middle bits. I’ll highlight your strengths (to build on) and your weaknesses (to flush out and rework) and provide feedback on specific areas you requested, plus suggestions for improvement.

What you’ll get from me: a full manuscript assessment or a critique of those early pages

Full manuscript: scope of work

1. Both a written report and your document highlighted using Microsoft Word Track Changes. (Unlike some assessments that provide a written report only, with references to your manuscript, I mark up your word document with track changes/comments, where deemed necessary/appropriate, in addition to a written report containing more general advice.)
2. My ‘Stay Connected’ offer: providing direct access to me by phone or Messenger to discuss the assessment results while you’re working on the comments.

 What you won’t get:

• A full line/copy edit.
• My personal opinion on the ‘publishability’, or a guarantee a publisher will like your story.
• Your style/voice altered and your manuscript re-written. (I will question/highlight punctuation, grammar and formatting issues that may impact reader enjoyment.)

What others have said about working with me

“Jenn provided an assessment of my MS far and above what I was expecting. She meticulously considered every detail, instantly honing in on ways I could improve my narrative, my POV, and highlighted weaknesses and strengths. The track changes document Jenn returned seemed daunting at first, but I quickly discovered it was a helpful tool in understanding her suggestions and reasons, and I eagerly studied every point she made.

The written report she provided was honest, informative and insightful. She’d picked up on points that had been troubling me, and many I hadn’t considered. Her lesson in removing redundant words strengthened my writing style and changed the way I write forever. I restructured my entire novel after Jenn’s assessment. My story became more powerful, and I’m thankful for her support in being able to do that. 

I am grateful for Jenn’s advice, encouragement, commitment to helping authors, and to her willingness to share what she has learnt in her own successful writing career.”

Cat Blesing – www.catblesing.com

What you’ll provide to me:

• The form below
• Your manuscript saved as a .docx with a covering letter.
• A synopsis — (ideally one page). If you struggle with these, no worries. I’m happy with dot point plot outlines that reveal the action/conflict/etc. Two pages – max.
• A comment about your aspirations/hopes for this ms
• Any specific areas of focus for the assessment (if known).

What you’ll pay depends on how many pages you wish me to assess:

Up to 30,000 words:       $550

50 – 80,000 words:        $750

80 – 120,000 words:       $875

Critique:  scope of work

Maybe you have a manuscript you are happy with and ready to submit, but… Will it snag the attention of a publisher? Did you know they rarely read a manuscript submission through to the end if the story fails to hook them.

With ten years industry experience (five novels published with Simon & Schuster and Head of Zeus, in the UK) I self-published my 6th novel–House of Wishes–to better understand the indie literary landscape and offer a more balanced view of publishing. House of Wishes went on to receive 2nd place in the 2020 Romance Writers of Australia Book of the Year Awards.

• Critique includes reading and general assessment of the first 30 pages of your manuscript, followed by a 30-minute, one-on-one over-the-phone discussion dedicated to the critique.
• The critique differs from a full manuscript assessment and does not involve editing/proofing. Specific issues such as grammar and spelling may not not automatically be corrected but will form part of the discussion and general feedback during the face-to-face session. (This is a better learning strategy as the author understands rather than simply accepts the correction.)
• Open to anyone (completed or partial manuscript) who can submit work (up to the first 30 pages – A4, 12 pt Times New Roman font, 1.5 line spacing with 1 inch margins) with the following information as a cover sheet: working title and genre, intended market (mainstream print/digital only), no. of POV, word count (actual or anticipated), plus an outline/synopsis/blurb of no more than one page (optional).

Cost per first pages critique, as above: $150 (incl. 30 mins one-on-one over the phone.)

With the tricks and tips I’ve picked up working withe some of the best editors in the business, I’ll bring a fresh eye and objective analysis to your first pages. I will:

1. Focus on the presentation and structure of your chapters with a view to submitting to a publisher.
2. Assess the work’s strengths and weaknesses, in particular that all-important inciting incident.
3. Comment on and provide feedback regarding your writing style, grammar/ punctuation, structure, pace, imagery and character development. (POV, tense, dialogue tags, character.)

 

NB: For manuscripts over 120,000 words, contact me for a quote. Better still, take one more look at your work while chanting the mantra: “Make every word count”.

Prices include GST and I do not charge a printing fee for emailed manuscripts. Those who wish to resubmit the same manuscript for a follow-up appraisal can do so within 12 months and receive 25% discount to your second appraisal. (Subject to availability.)

IMPORTANT:

1. Do your homework: Google “Manuscript assessments Australia” and research the varying offers out there.
2. Beware low-priced services as they may have limited word counts. (Eg $300 for only 4,000 words of your 80,000-word manuscript!!!)
3. Beware assessors linked to vanity press publishers, shonky writing organisations (not official state-run centres), or assessors who don’t recognise your copyright and intellectual property rights.
4. Because I am not affiliated with any writers’ centre, publisher, or workshop provider, and I offer no other editing services to up-sell, I won’t be suggesting courses or other costly services.
5. I’m determined to keep my assessment fee as low as possible because I’ve been where you are. I know there are many people with their hands out in this business, eager to take advantage of a writer with a dream. My ‘Stay Connected’ offer is a way of adding value.

Am I the assessor for you?

Should we proceed, what you incorporate into your work from my comments/observations will be up to you—and I warn you now, while those comments will be well-considered, they may be curt because . . .

As an assessor, my job is not to love your work. (That’s what your friends and family do.)

My job is to be honest, and to encourage by offering improvement suggestions so your targeted reader—an agent, publisher, or the book buying community in general—loves it.

So, who I Am?

You’ve come to me, so you probably know about me, but if not . . .

I’m Jenn J. McLeod, five times traditionally published in A&NZ by Simon & Schuster, and worldwide in all formats (hard cover, paperback, ebook and audio) with Head of Zeus, UK.

Praised for the ‘brave structure choice’ that ‘belies her debut status’, House for all Seasons was #5 top-selling debut novel in 2013.

With my fifth novel picked up by the same UK publisher responsible for The Thorn Birds and Maeve Binchy’s lifetime of titles, I’ve learned from the best in the biz: Roberta Ivers, Elizabeth Cowell, Belinda Castles, Dianne Blacklock, Rosie de Courcy.

For book #6 I chose to do the hard yards and author-publish to ensure a more balanced view of traditional and independent publishing processes. House of Wishes was runner-up in the 2020 RuBY Awards (Romance Writers of Australia).

I don’t publish other authors. I’m not interested in making money by publishing other authors or pushing costly courses. I want to help because I have the time and the experience and I want to be part of an author’s success, like when I helped Shannon Garner from first page to publication (Simon & Schuster) with her memoir, Labour of Love. (Check out these reviews!)

 

The Enquiry Form (below) is not a commitment, but the first step in securing your spot on my booking sheet.