Manuscript Assessment FAQ
(How/what/how much?)
Please read this carefully. If your question is not covered, contact me.
1. Are you accepting manuscripts for assessment at the moment?
Yes. If this changes, there will be a note on the main page.
2. What manuscripts do you assess?
We assess ---
Children's books, including picture books, chapter books, easy-reads, mid-age novels and YA novels, non-fiction and poetry.
Fiction for adults, including fantasy, science fiction, romance, thrillers, short stories and general novels.
Popular non-fiction.
3. What do I get?
A manuscript assessment is a written in-depth assessment of your writing, covering strengths and weaknesses, and offering specific suggestions and advice for improvement. It may include edited passages from your work, plus comments on plot, characters, style and format. Assessments vary in length according to the length of the manuscript, its complexity, and how many possible problems are found.
An assessment will not include specific marketing advice. That is the province of literary agents.
4. How do I send my manuscript?
Save your manuscript as a single MS Word document or in RTF.
Use double spaced Times New Roman 12 (or a similar font).
No spaces between paragraphs unless you have a scene break. (To get rid of them, if they appear, highlight the offending text and click remove space after paragraph OR remove space before paragraph under the line spacing tab.)
Indented paragraphing is preferred for fiction.
Do not use fancy formatting such as text boxes unless the work is non-fiction.
If, for whatever reason, you cannot comply with these formatting requirements, mention the reason in your covering email and either ask for your ms to be reformatted, or direct that it be left as it is.
Send the document as an e-mail attachment to mail@affordablemanuscriptassessments.com
5. Who will assess my manuscript?
Sally will do your assessment until or unless this page suggests otherwise. Her rates and contact details are on this page. You may find contact details for providers of other writers' services under LINKS (see menu on left). More links are added from time to time, including those for other assessors and editors.
Submissions may be made through the mail@affordablemanuscriptassessments.com e-mail. You will be given an account along with your assessment.
6. Can I send hard copy instead?
No.
7. How much will an assessment cost?
Assessment costs vary according to the length and complexity of the manuscript. Currently, Sally charges AU$25.00 for the first hour (or for the first 5000 words of a *longer work), and AU$15.00 for each subsequent hour (or subsequent 10,000 words or part thereof of a longer work). This includes both reading time and time spent writing the assessment.
Using the formula below and a calculator, you can work out a probable cost.
Formula: First hour of any assessment or first 5000 words (or part thereof) - $25.00
Each subsequent hour or 10,000 words (or part thereof of a longer work) - $15.00
*A longer work in this case is a manuscript of over 5000 words.
Children's picture book texts are a special case. For example, you might say two picture book texts submitted together will have a combined word count of under 5000 words, but since there will be two assessments to write, the cost will reflect the time spent rather than the word count. Therefore, a single picture book text will probably cost $25.00 while a second one that arrives on the same day will be added at the $15.00 second-hour rate, meaning two picture book texts submitted together will probably cost $40.00 to assess.
8. Will you give me an exact quote?
Not unless your story is a children's picture book text. Otherwise, you can work out a probable cost using the formula above. The actual cost may be less, if your ms is a "quick read", or it might be $15.00 more.
9. How do I pay?
Sally accepts the following methods of payment.
Direct deposit to BSB: 067015, Account 28001230 in the name of D & S Odgers.
PayPal to sodgers@iinet.net.au
Money order or cheque made out in Australian dollars to S. Odgers, P.O. Box 41, Latrobe, Tasmania, Australia, 7307
The details will be on your account. Payment is due within three months of the assessment. Extensions may be granted if necessary. Please don't staple the cheque or money order to the note or envelope.
10. How long will this take?
Turnover time varies, according to how many manuscripts have joined the queue, how long they are, and what other jobs are to hand. Turnaround can be as short as a day (for a very short manuscript) to several weeks (if the queue is very long).
11. Does editing cost the same as assessments?
Editing costs the same hourly rate, but not the same word-count rate because it takes longer than reading and assessing. Click the SALLY'S EDITING tab for more information on this.
12. Will you provide follow-up advice, or reassessment?
Yes. The first reassessment or support e-mail for a short manuscript (5000 words or under) comes free of charge. Further reassessments for short manuscripts will cost $15.00. Reassessment of a longer manuscript will cost $15.00 per hour.
If, after reading this page carefully, you have further queries, contact me.