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What is a manuscript appraisal exactly?
What can you expect for your money?
A manuscript appraisal (or assessment) is essentially a professional critique on the quality of your writing and the marketability of your manuscript. Appraisal agencies very in their quality, focus and craftsmanship and we can only speak for The Word Story. We consider our appraisals to be mentoring documents. You may feel you have written the most perfected and crafted manuscript, but you need someone else to have the same faith in it as you have. Working with someone who is trained in creative writing or literature is vital.
You have shown it to people already. Remember: your aunt, wife, journalist friend and colleaue might flatter you about your manuscript because (a) they may not know about literary technique and (b) because they don't want to hurt your feelings. You need a professional appraiser, or someone who is honest and not too close to you, to be genuinely and utterly consumed by your writing. It is essential that you have someone fresh and knowledgeable to look at your work and provide you with constructive and useful feedback. Then you want them to give it the thumbs up.
It is not only new and previously unpublished writers who benefit from an appraisal. Established authors frequently commission appraisals for various reasons. They might have difficulty getting it right, or their publisher may have asked for a rewrite and they are not sure what direction to turn. All authors like to know whether their manuscipt can be improved before they let it loose in the big bad wolf of the publishing world. It is a question of having a fresh, objective and professional perspective as to the merits and publishability of your work.
You should expect constructive advice about how to rework the weaker aspects of your work. This might be plot and/or character development, setting, dialogue, use of language, presentation, voice, structure or tone. Or all of the above. Appraisals are tailored to you, the individual writer, so each is a little different. They vary in length from 10–20 pages. and they all contain sound, professional and constructive advice. Advice to boost your work and hopefully give it more of a chance of reaching the bookshelves.
It is our belief that everyone can write. And eveyone can write well if they persevere.
Have a look at our testimonials to see what others have to say.
If this information has been useful to you, please let us know.
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