A manuscript assessment is an investment. It is very hard to write a novel full stop, but a first draft is rarely the draft that will end up on the shelves. Every writer, whether published or not, needs a second pair of eyes. A manuscript assessment offers an experienced editorial viewpoint that will draw your attentions to technical details or character development or structural issues and point out the reason why your manuscript is receiving rejections. Often writers have come back to us and said that receiving their report offered them more insight into the technique behind novel writing than any course. If you intend to self-publish then we can advise you on the way forward.

An editorial report will provide you with an overall viewpoint to include, storyline, plot, set-up, narrative arc, structure, character development, world building, prose and technical analysis.

A short report is a review of the storyline and set-up and includes an analysis of the structure of the first 15k. It is a ‘how am I doing so far’ assessment.

A submissions report looks at the package that is submitted to agents. Your submission package should contain: a letter, a synopsis and the first three chapters of your novel, up to 15,000 words. Most agents complain that letters are often full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, or that there is more information on the writer than on the novel itself. We will ensure your submission is perfect.

All of these reports usually requires the writer to do some re-writing and will come with a marked up manuscript pointing out typos etc.

A reader’s report is aimed at published authors or regular clients of BPA, and is usually given to more experienced writers. This is different to our reader’s service. Please refer to Editorial services.

A copy editor will ensure your manuscript is correct in terms of spelling and grammar, consistency, and continuity, going through the document in details with marks on the page using track changes.

To read a novel and give a detailed assessment takes from two to three weeks and requires concentration and effort. All editors are carefully chosen to suit the needs of each writer. Editors bring with them a skill set that has usually taken years of experience to acquire.

• Mentoring allows writers to shape their novel as they go.
• Mentoring caters for the specific needs of each mentee
• Mentoring is fast track learning about structure, literary technique, character
• development and prose style
• Mentoring teaches you how to read like a writer
• A mentor will hold your hand and support you through a steep learning curve