A bespoke roadmap for revision.

A close reading of your complete novel and an in-depth report explaining what needs attention, why it matters and how to approach your next draft.

Enquire about an assessment

What is an editorial assessment?

An editorial assessment is a close reading of your complete novel, followed by a bespoke report to guide revision. This manuscript assessment explains how your story works as a whole, what needs attention and how you might approach the next draft. I consider your intentions alongside the reader’s experience of the book.

Your bespoke report examines the relationships between structure, character, pacing, viewpoint and the reader’s experience. The emphasis follows your novel’s needs. Specific examples explain the hows and whys of the recommendations, identifying both the difficulties and the strengths worth protecting.

What you receive

A bespoke whole-manuscript diagnosis
Detailed analysis grounded in your novel
Explanations of why each issue matters
Practical approaches and manuscript-specific examples
A prioritised roadmap for revision
Working tools or visual explanations where useful

How the feedback is delivered

The detailed feedback is delivered through the report. An annotated manuscript is not included.

A developmental edit also includes comments beside individual scenes and passages. Neither service includes a sentence-by-sentence copyedit or final proofread.

Know where to begin.

An assessment suits writers who want a thorough understanding of their complete manuscript and detailed guidance they can apply independently. You may be planning a substantial rewrite or making sense of conflicting feedback.

The roadmap helps you tackle decisions in a useful order. If a character’s motivation needs rethinking, that may come before revising the scenes shaped by it. Recommendations give you practical options while leaving the creative decisions with you.

Fees depend on manuscript length and the scope of the work. Tell me about your project for a tailored quotation and availability.

Questions about an editorial assessment

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

Both involve reading your complete manuscript. An assessment gives you a detailed report with examples and revision priorities. A developmental edit also includes comments throughout the manuscript, beside the scenes and passages that prompted them. The choice depends on how much guidance you’d find useful as you revise.

Will the report tell me how to tackle the next draft?

Yes. I’ll explain what’s working, where the story needs attention and which changes to tackle first. The examples come from your own manuscript, so you can see how the feedback applies to your book. You’ll make the creative decisions, with a clearer sense of why they matter.

Can an assessment help me decide whether to approach agents?

It can help you identify work the novel still needs before submission. If the manuscript is ready and you want help with the query, synopsis and opening pages, take a look at my agent submission support.

You can read authors’ experiences of working with me, browse books I’ve worked on or ask which service would suit your manuscript.

Tell me about your manuscript.

I work with a limited number of projects at a time. Send the genre, word count, current stage and the kind of editorial support you are considering.