All you need to know about manuscript assessments for fiction

A manuscript assessment or manuscript evaluation is a valuable editing step for authors with a solid first draft. Find out what is involved and how to arrange one.

So, you’ve written ‘The End’ on your first draft (or second, third or fourth draft). Or maybe you’ve written a manuscript that you know isn’t quite right, but you can’t put your finger on the niggles. Or you know you need help with the structure, pacing and other elements of your book but your budget doesn’t stretch to a developmental edit.

A manuscript assessment, also known as a manuscript evaluation, may be exactly what you need to keep your writing project moving ahead.

What is a manuscript assessment?

A manuscript assessment is the best-kept secret in the self-publishing industry. Not many authors I speak to have heard about this level of the editing process, and they’re always happy to learn it’s much cheaper than a developmental edit.

In a nutshell, a manuscript evaluation (same as a manuscript assessment) is a detailed report about your fiction or nonfiction manuscript, providing:

• practical advice for self-editing
• structural pointers on plot, pacing and character arcs
• an overview of your writing craft, assessing what’s working well and what you could improve.

Depending on the editor, the report may also include a chapter-by-chapter breakdown, giving contextual advice on how well each section of your book is working.

I offer two levels of manuscript evaluation to suit your pocket:

• the whole shebang, including an overview and a chapter-by-chapter breakdown if you want to get the most value out of my skills and experience
• the non-chapter-by-chapter version if your budget is very limited

What’s the difference between a manuscript assessment and a developmental edit?

There are major differences between a developmental edit and a manuscript evaluation or assessment.

A developmental edit is far more comprehensive, involving many comments and questions in context throughout the manuscript, rewriting sections, moving sections around (all with tracked changes), as well as a detailed report that can run to 20–30 pages.

A manuscript assessment can include occasional comments on the manuscript itself to illustrate points raised in the report, but these tend to be few and far between. The author receives a report (usually 8–15 pages long, depending on the length and nature of the manuscript) containing an evaluation of their work, divided into areas of the writing craft (structure, story, characters, writing mechanics and more).

Taking into account these differences, it goes without saying that a developmental edit is far more expensive than a manuscript assessment.

Do I need a developmental edit or a manuscript assessment?

A developmental edit is likely to be more appropriate if one or more of the following applies:

• you have chapter drafts or detailed notes on a possible structure for your book, but not a complete first draft yet
• your budget allows you to treat yourself to this level of editing
• you don’t have much time or energy to spend on getting the structure of your book right, so you’d rather hire a professional for some of the heavy lifting

A manuscript assessment, or manuscript evaluation, is likely to be the better option if:

• you have a completed first draft (or second or third draft) and would like feedback on multiple elements of your work, not only the structure
• your budget is strictly limited, but you aren’t sure if your manuscript is working or if it’s ready for the next stage of editing (line editing or a combo line/copyedit)
• you have enough time and energy to put into practice your editor’s advice, rather than them carrying out some of the work

How long does a manuscript assessment take?

How long an editor will take to complete your manuscript evaluation, or manuscript assessment, depends on the length and complexity of your project, as well as the workload and working pace of the editor.

On average, I take one week to complete a fiction manuscript assessment of up to 40,000 words, two weeks for up to 80,000 words, and three weeks for up to 120,000 words.

Contact me for a personalised timeframe estimate

How much does a manuscript assessment cost?

A manuscript assessment is significantly less expensive than a developmental edit due to the differences between the two services, as described earlier in this article.

The cost of a manuscript evaluation varies from editor to editor for several reasons, including skills and experience, what is included in their particular service, and general life costs. It also depends on the complexity of the manuscript.

The indicative cost of my fiction manuscript assessment service (including a chapter-by-chapter breakdown) is in the following table. For a bespoke quote, please contact me:

How do I arrange a manuscript assessment?

To arrange a manuscript assessment, the first step is to find the right editor for you. My blog post on what it’s like to work with an editor offers advice on finding an editor.

If you’d like to find out more about my manuscript evaluations, get in touch. I’d love to hear about your writing and discover if we’d be a good fit to work together!