Manuscript Assessment
From £390.
Our manuscript assessments provide an inestimable opportunity to be told the whole, unadorned truth by an experienced editing consultant who has intimate knowledge of both the writer's experience and the world of publishing.
Thoughtful, honest, and comprehensive.
We understand what your manuscript means to you. For many, completing it is an objective you’ve held close to your heart for years. We’re here to get you over the finish line.
We also understand how delicate a writer’s motivation can be in the face of such a formidable task. That’s why we hold encouragement, community, and friendliness among our core values.
We specialise in all genres of fiction and writers of all levels are welcome.
What's Included In The Manuscript Assessment?
Have you correctly identified your novel’s genre? Would a publisher know where to place it on a bookshelf? Is your story consistent with the expectations of your genre? Where you deviate from expectation, is this purposeful and appropriate? Have you included over-used tropes?
Our literary consultants will help you ensure that your story is grounded in its genre, without diluting its originality.
Genre
Is your story structurally sound and robust? Is there a causality to the events of your plot? Does your novel feature layered conflicts, with plausible obstacles for your characters to face?
In long-form texts like the novel, the believability and consistency of your story can be compromised. Your literary consultant will help you untangle your plot’s individual threads and create a credible events sequence.
Story
Are the characters in your novel three-dimensional and authentic? Are they recognisable and distinctive? Do they each have a clear character arc and journey, demonstrating change or growth throughout the plot?
Our literary consultants will help you ensure that your characters have drive and purpose, and that they effectively serve the book’s story, not only you as the author.
Character
Are your characters’ personalities reflected in the way they talk? Do the differences between your characters shine through in their speech? Does dialogue serve a purpose, providing backstory, progressing plot, and acting as a vehicle for meaningful character insights?
Dialogue is an especially challenging aspect of storytelling; your literary consultant will help you access its full potential.
Dialogue
Does your manuscript’s point-of-view work and make the most of your story’s potential? Could the story be better executed and more engaging if you used an alternative point of view? How limited should the narrator’s awareness be? Is the narrator’s reliability, or lack thereof, effective and appropriate?
Point-of-view can radically alter a story; your manuscript assessor will guide you in making the right choice for your novel.
Point-of-View
Does your manuscript hold your reader’s attention from start to finish?
Is there a natural ebb and flow of pace that reflects rising and falling tension, as well as the build towards the novel’s climax? Is there a natural and engaging flow to your story?
Our editing consultants will help you hammer out any pacing issues, to ensure that your manuscript is neither rushed nor lagging.
Pace
Is the story structurally sound? If you use non-chronological storytelling methods, does this cause confusion for readers? Could structure and chronology be experimented with to create greater tension and intrigue?
Your literary consultant will help you eliminate structural issues and leverage the possibilities of structure to improve your novel’s grip on the reader.
Structure
Is the writing style appropriate to the audience and the genre? Are there any inconsistencies or repeated mistakes that you could address?
Do you have a strong and marketable authorial voice that’s distinctive?
Your literary consultant will identify these stylistic issues and provide recommendations for addressing them in your next drafts.
Style
What our customers are saying about us…
★★★★★
"I’ve been writing my book for years, alongside my job, and have had the ongoing support of Marginalia. I couldn’t be happier with the feedback I received—it was always clear, kind, and granted me invaluable insight into my work that I wouldn’t have been able to see without their input. I finally feel confident enough to publish!”
Sal. P
The Benefits Of Manuscript Assessment
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A comprehensive report of at least 3,500 words
We don’t like to feel constrained by word count. While some manuscript assessment providers issue reports of between 1,500 and 2,000 words, we find that reports of this length risk limiting the comprehensiveness of our assessments.
Our reports are significantly longer and are typically around the 3,500 word mark.
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Reduce editing & redrafting time
Many novels undergo several complete redrafts before the author considers submitting to literary agents. During this process, the initial plot changes dramatically.
With a manuscript assessment, you can identify and resolve the foundational problems with your story, massively reducing the time spent editing and redrafting further down the line.
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Increase your chances of being published
Our manuscript and plot assessors have extensive experience of the publishing world and an informed understanding of what publishers and literary agents are looking for in a manuscript.
Our manuscript assessments are geared towards not only making your novel attractive to readers, but also to agents and publishers.
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Ascertain & improve commercial viability
If you have your heart set on being published traditionally, it is essential that you have an awareness of where your book fits in the current market.
Our assessors can help you determine if your book is commercially viable as it stands and guide you through the process of improving it if it isn’t—without limiting its distinctiveness or its potential to make waves.
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Get inspired & overcome obstacles
If you’re feeling aimless, stalled, or disheartened by obstacles to your writing and editing journey, our manuscript assessments will lend you a clear sense of direction and purposefulness.
All our advice is actionable and accompanied by manageable suggestions for your next steps. We even give the odd bit of homework, which usually involves recommending TV, films, and books for you to study.
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Absolute confidentiality
We speak to many writers who have reservations about sharing their work and are understandably anxious about the confidentiality of their ideas.
We make privacy a priority—and to that end, we’ve signed an NDA that applies to every purchase made with us. This makes us, and all our consultants, legally bound to confidentiality. In other words, we can’t share your ideas or your manuscript with anyone!
Buy Now, Pay Later
With our flexible payment plans.
We’re committed to making our editorial services as accessible as possible. To that end, we’re always looking for new ways of helping authors manage the cost of our assessments.
We've partnered with PayPal so that eligible customers can split the cost of their purchases across 3 months—entirely interest-free. Choose PayPal at checkout, then ‘Pay in 3’ when prompted to complete the purchase on the PayPal platform.
Manuscript Assessment FAQs.
Can I see a manuscript assessment example report?
You sure can! You can download and view real assessment reports that we delivered here. For the sake of confidentiality, we’ve completely anonymised the reports, changing character names and even elements of the plot.
How do I know my ideas won’t be stolen?
We’ve signed an NDA that applies to every purchase made with us. This makes us, and all our consultants, legally bound to confidentiality. In other words, we can’t share your ideas or your manuscript with anyone!
Can I speak to my literary consultant?
To ensure that your initial report is entirely objective, we act as intermediaries between you and your consultant, passing on any questions. If you’d like to speak to them after your assessment, you can book a consultation.
Who are your literary consultants?
We are extremely picky about the literary consultants we choose to work with. When taking on new consultants, we look for individuals with high-calibre experience in publishing and editing, with many coming to us from major publishing houses.
Do you have genre-specific literary consultants?
Yes! We source professional editors and literary consultants with varied backgrounds so that we can provide manuscript assessments across all genres of fiction. We will match you with a literary consultant who has a particular interest in your genre (and experience with it)
Can anyone use the PayPal Pay in 3 service?
Sadly, we have no control over whether PayPal approves your request to use Pay in 3. This is subject to certain eligibility requirements, which you can read about here. If you contact us, we may be able to discuss alternative flexible payment plans.