Manuscript Review

You've finally finished your first draft. Now it's time to get down to the hard work of editing. But if you're like many writers, you might not know where to begin. While hiring a developmental editor to walk you through the process can be incredibly beneficial, it's not always a realistic option.

Looking for an affordable alternative?

A professional manuscript review from an experienced editor offers a comprehensive roadmap to guide you on your self-editing journey. As your reviewing editor, I'll take a deep dive into your story, evaluating the strength of the narrative and detailing any weaknesses in structure, pacing, plot, theme, voice, and character development with the goal of creating a personalized revision plan to help you perfect your final draft on your own.

A manuscript review can also be a useful troubleshooting tool for authors struggling to gain traction in the querying process. A detailed overview offers a fresh perspective and often helps to identify structural problems and other possible publishing turnoffs, allowing the author to create a more marketable story.

• I'll read the entire manuscript and produce a comprehensive ten-to-twenty-page critique comprised of the following:

—a summary of my thoughts and impressions

—a detailing of the story's specific strengths and weaknesses

—an in-depth evaluation of individual story components (structure, plot, character development, etc.)

—an editing “action plan” that makes broad recommendations for developmental revision

• I'll also participate in a one-hour follow-up phone conference where you may ask for clarification or pose any additional questions.

Request a Sample Manuscript Review

• A manuscript review is a developmental tool intended to help authors self-edit their work. It is not a copyediting service and is not intended to provide line edits or correct grammar, spelling, or style mistakes. You will not receive a markup of your manuscript. Detailed editing is generally unhelpful at this point in the process anyway, as substantial revisions often follow a review. If you would like your draft copyedited, I'm happy to do so at my regular rate. (Ask about multiservice discounts.)

• Fact-checking is a copyediting service. While I will point out obvious inconsistencies, I will not perform any research-based fact-checking as part of my review.

• Regrettably, I am not an author/editor and a lawyer, and I cannot provide any legal answers or advice regarding copyrighted material or anything else.

• While I enjoy keeping in touch with writers after a review and usually have no problem answering questions via email, the amount of time I can spend working with non-active clients is limited. I can't read and assess your revisions or engage in further development unless I've been hired to do so. If you're looking for a partner to help guide you through the entire editing process, I do offer an in-depth developmental editing service, designed to establish a long-term working relationship between editor and author.