The Ultimate Manuscript Assessment
If you have taken your novel as far as you can and are feeling word blind, it may be time to pass your labour of love into safe hands for fresh eyes and expert advice. Our manuscript assessment will evaluate plot structure, character development, pacing, and overall storytelling to provide suggestions for revisions and edits that will enhance the manuscript’s quality and marketability.
Get professional feedback sooner rather than later to prepare for entry into the publishing process.
The Ultimate Manuscript Assessment is the only manuscript assessment service with Big Five editors and direct submission to literary agents.
Achieve your ambition to get published with a manuscript assessment from our team of professional editors from the major publishing houses: Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Macmillan and HarperCollins.
Our editorial team will evaluate every aspect of your story and writing: from the overall narrative arc to each character, from pace and momentum to prose and dialogue, and provide a marked-up manuscript and a detailed, in-depth report typically of 15–20 pages with a 45-minute online meeting with your editor. You will have a clear plan for your next steps to achieve your ambition to get published.
Once you’ve made your editorial revisions, if we agree your manuscript is ready for submission, we’ll make a plan for submission to the very best literary agencies.
Our manuscript assessment is trusted by world-class literary agents like WME, Mushens Entertainment, United Artists, David Higham Associates, Janklow & Nesbit giving you the best opportunity to secure a literary agent who will champion your work and secure you a major publishing contract.
An in-depth report
A 20-page assessment and marked-up manuscript.
Big Five editors
Experience as acquiring editors at publishers like Penguin Random House.
Ongoing support
Add further follow-up editorial sessions to develop and submit
Direct to literary agents
Submission with our recommendation to leading agencies.
The Pitch
It is important to tighten the premise of your story into a single sentence, often called the pitch or the hook. This is one of the most important tools when it comes to securing an agent, so we always begin here. We will give you top tips to improve your pitch so that it’s compelling and designed to excite publishers. We also look at your ambition and how your work meets the requirements of your genre for your intended audience, offering ideas on how your novel or memoir might be positioned and its potential within the current market.
Structural Development
You will receive a detailed report of some 20 pages that evaluates every aspect of your entire manuscript, from the writing and the structure to the setting and the characters. We look at both the big picture (such as the narrative arc, plot beats, character arcs and central questions) as well as the small picture (such as sub-plots and pacing), offering advice and practical steps so that you can continue to improve your manuscript.
We’ll examine it just as an editor would in a publishing house.
A Marked-Up Manuscript
Our manuscript assessment report includes a fully marked-up manuscript that focuses on the detail of your creative writing, considering what each line, paragraph and scene add to your story, your characters and your overall plot development. We highlight the best sentences and flag areas for improvement so that you can make sure your story really shines.
In-Person Meeting with the Editor
For those seeking feedback to make an informed decision as to their next steps, nothing beats the opportunity to have meaningful dialogue with experienced industry professionals connected to the publishing industry worldwide. Writing a novel is a long haul and the least you deserve from a paid service is to enjoy a session where the focus is entirely on and your manuscript.
You will be invited to book a 45-minute in-person debrief with your editor to discuss their feedback on your creative work. This is an opportunity for you to ask further questions and discuss in detail your writing process onwards towards becoming traditionally published. This online meeting is recorded for you to keep and be included as part of your manuscript assessment.
Next Steps Towards Publishing
You will receive an action plan with guidance and advice on how to implement our feedback.
You will be eligible for our submission service – in which we submit your manuscript to our trusted literary agencies – and we will work with you from here on towards literary agency representation and publication.
If your manuscript requires further work, we will include a detailed follow up plan and offer suggestions for next steps. You can then book any further paid feedback sessions with our editors to work together towards submitting your manuscript to leading literary agencies.
Membership of The Novelry gives writers access to over 40 writing classes a month including guest events with authors, literary agents and publishing professionals, plus recorded masterclasses and our writing community of beta readers for ad hoc feedback. What’s more you will find yourself supported by other writers like you worldwide who will cheer you on for every step. A published author needs a platform and The Novelry gets behind each and every writer loud and proud to celebrate their success.
Trusted by literary agencies
Literary agencies leap at the chance to see the manuscripts recommended to them by editors known to them from The Novelry. Our submissions are of the highest standard. Typically, our submissions receive an offer of representation within 2 weeks and we have a success rate of above 50% when we submit on behalf of our writers giving our full attention to the all-important query letter and submissions package for your success.
When your work is ready, the team will act on your behalf to make personal introductions to the literary agencies that represent bestselling authors like Meg Wollitzer, Madeleine Miller, Liane Moriarty, Celeste Ng, Michael Ondaatje, Richard Osman, Marilynne Robinson, Philip Pullman, Tess Gerritsen, Andrew Sean Greer and Tom Clancy.
Towards publishing
With expert insights and world-class contacts
Those who have had coaching on their manuscripts through our Ninety Day Novel and The Big Edit classes are pre-qualified – sign up!
For those who have not taken our courses or coaching, we offer a free pre-qualification service for our manuscript assessment. To apply, please send a one-page synopsis of your novel/memoir and the first 500 words of your first chapter to [email protected] in advance of purchase. (See our guide on how to write a synopsis here at our blog.)
‘The touch of an expert’
The manuscript evaluation with rave reviews
‘Working with The Novelry was one of the most enjoyable editing experiences I’ve had in my twelve years of full-time novel writing. After reading the many positive reviews about The Novelry’s Ultimate Manuscript Assessment, I decided to submit my finished manuscript for feedback. I’m thrilled I made that decision. Tash Barsby guided me through edits to a manuscript I’d thought was ready to go, but soon realized needed the touch of an expert. From minor tweaks to thought-provoking suggestions, Tash covered everything: insightful observations about pacing, plot, and character development, the importance of tangible triggers, and paring down the query letter. My Publisher’s Marketplace announcement even contains her suggestions.’
Jennifer Sadera’s I Know She Was There has been acquired by Sue Arroyo at CamCat Books for publication fall 2024.
—Jennifer Sadera
‘The Novelry’s approach leaves no word unturned, but the tone is always encouraging. The three-prong approach of a face-to-face discussion, followed by a wider in-depth report on structural edits with the chance to review detailed suggestions for micro edits throughout the entire manuscript worked brilliantly. If you are tempted to send out a manuscript when you know it isn’t firing on all cylinders, don’t do it! Get the Ultimate Manuscript Assessment. This was a hugely enjoyable process. I learned how to develop my manuscript with publication in mind, but I also learned a lot about myself as a writer. Don’t hesitate!’
—Deirdre Huston
‘Extremely generous, positive and beautifully put, just spot on. Clarity and bang-on recommendations for improvement from someone I quickly trusted to have the book’s best interests at heart. The editorial team’s notes were thoughtful, thought-provoking but also I felt they came from a place of honesty and a genuine desire to make it a better book. I go back to them before I start any editing. You might think this manuscript assessment service is more expensive than others but the depth and breadth of their professional feedback makes it worth its weight in gold. Plus, if they like your work, they’ll introduce you to agents.’
—Chloe Fowler
Independent writers’ reviews
Frequently asked questions
Is submission guaranteed?
Do you take commission on successful submissions?
What if my manuscript is over 100,000 words?
Who will be my editor?
What happens after the manuscript assessment service?
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