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FAQs on publishing and more.
Member only guide to the Australian book industry.
Are you unsure whether your manuscript is ready to submit to publishers or agents? Is something off balance in your story, but you can’t figure out what isn’t working or how to course correct? Requesting feedback from a professional manuscript assessor can help illuminate your path forwards.
After months and even years of wrestling with words on the page, it’s common for authors to lose perspective — and those in your close circle may be unable to provide the neutral and industry-relevant advice you need. A manuscript assessor will read your manuscript from an impartial perspective and, drawing on their years of experience and direct knowledge of the industry, provide a constructive report that specifies the strengths of your work, the potential areas for improvement, and the steps you can take to bring your work to a publishable standard.
If you have any questions about our Manuscript Assessment Service, please email [email protected].
The ASA’s Mentorship Program is designed to offer guidance, support, and professional insight for manuscripts undergoing development and can better serve you to achieve your goals.
See the ASA’s FAQs on self-publishing for an overview of the steps we recommend you take with your manuscript.
A one-hour consultation through the ASA’s member-exclusive Publishing Consultancy Service can help guide you through key career decisions.
Manuscript assessments can be a substantial financial commitment and submitting your manuscript too early in the development process will not give you the greatest value for your money.
If you’re unsure whether it’s the right time for you to undertake a manuscript assessment, please email [email protected] for advice.
The cost of an assessment is dependent upon the length of your manuscript. Please note, full payment will not be required until your booking is confirmed with an assessor.
This is vital to ensure you understand what an assessment offers, and that this aligns with your expectations for such an investment and your goals for your manuscript.
You will be asked for this information in the booking form. If you need help identifying a suitable assessor, please email [email protected] prior to placing your booking.
You must provide a synopsis (up to 300 words) and a copy of your manuscript as Word documents. You will also be able to provide an optional brief explanation of what you’d like the assessor to focus on, if anything. We recommend including this information, if available, as it will help the assessor address any specific questions or concerns you may have about your manuscript in their report.
You will also be asked to confirm you have adhered to Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property protocols in your manuscript, and to provide a content warning to the ASA at your earliest convenience if your materials contain any content that could be considered distressing. If you are unsure about these elements, please email [email protected] prior to placing your booking.
Please note, we require payment of a $100 deposit for all manuscript assessment booking requests. This deposit will be refunded if your booking does not proceed.
You should receive an automated email confirmation from [email protected], as well as an email receipt from our payment platform, Stripe, for the booking deposit payment. Please check your spam/junk folder if you don’t receive these emails after submitting your booking.
ASA staff will be in contact within 2–3 business days to provide information regarding your preferred assessor’s availability and their estimated delivery date for a manuscript assessment report.
Once you have confirmed you want to proceed with the booking, the ASA will issue you with an invoice for the manuscript assessment fee (less the booking deposit).
Your manuscript assessment report will be emailed to you by the agreed delivery date from [email protected].
“I’d absolutely hit a wall with my manuscript, knowing it had weaknesses and gaps but not being able to fully identify or address them. Dinuka’s feedback clarified a few things I suspected, raised things I’d missed, and renewed my enthusiasm for this manuscript. It’s great to have a fresh set of approaches to get it up to a publishable standard.”
— Sam Ogborn
“I feel fortunate to have had an editor of Renée’s experience offer an accurate and encouraging critique of my story and my writing, assisting me to revisit my work with fresh eyes. As an editor myself, I always advise writers to have their work assessed by a professional editor. As a writer, I am glad I follow my advice! I hope to continue being able to access Renée’s expertise in the future and I shall continue to recommend the ASA and its incredible services.”
— Annette McQuarrie
“I was so very pleased to see how invested Jaclyn was in my story. She has given me the necessary guidance to move forward with my next draft and also the confidence that my story is worth pursuing. This experience was so extremely valuable. I will certainly seek Jaclyn’s review of my future works as well.”
— Elyse Harrison
Our register of manuscript assessors includes authors and editors with professional experience in fiction and non-fiction genres, as well as in young adult and children’s literature.
Our FAQs about publishing, copyright, your manuscript and earning a living as a creator can help.
