Manuscript Assessment Service

A manuscript assessment involves an assessor, typically a writer or editor, reviewing your work and providing a professionally written report which evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript, as well as its market potential. This report may highlight inconsistencies, deficiencies, and reader appeal, and provide feedback on pacing, character development, narrative arc, and structure. It will offer suggestions on the steps you could take to bring your work to a publishable standard. 

It is sometimes also known as a manuscript appraisal, manuscript evaluation, manuscript critique, or structural report.

A manuscript assessment is not a structural edit or copy edit. To find an editor who could provide these services, we recommend authors refer to the Institute of Professional Editors.

A manuscript assessment does not provide recommendations or referrals to specific publishers or literary agents for your manuscript. For a listing of Australian publishers and agents, and their submission guidelines, please visit the ASA’s Book Industry Directory.

A manuscript assessment provides a fresh, impartial perspective on your work from a professional writer or editor. If you’re wondering if your manuscript is ready to be considered for publication, or you’ve been given conflicting advice from readers who aren’t publishing professionals, a manuscript assessment can offer guidance on what further work may be needed before you embark on the submission process. 

A manuscript assessment can also be a great opportunity to learn how to receive and apply constructive criticism and feedback to your manuscript.

The Manuscript Assessment Service best suits authors with a completed manuscript in the final stages of development. 

Before investing in a manuscript assessment, we recommend polishing your manuscript as best you can over multiple drafts, and having it read by your peers — perhaps some members of your writing group, or a friend who reads widely in your genre — who can give you honest feedback. 

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.

There are two key questions to consider when deciding whether it’s time to undertake a manuscript assessment or a mentorship. 

The first is, how far along is your manuscript and how many drafts has it been through?

• If it is either unfinished or finished but only a couple of drafts in, then a mentorship will be most beneficial. 

• If it’s finished and it’s been through several drafts, and has already been reviewed by some of your peers — whether formally or informally — then a manuscript assessment is a fantastic next step to ensure it’s in the best possible shape before you start submitting it to publishers and/or agents. Manuscript assessments are particularly useful if you haven’t been published before and need a professional opinion on whether your manuscript is at a publishable standard.

A manuscript assessment is one of the last steps available that you can take to ensure your manuscript is ready to submit to publishers and/or agents.

The second question to consider is, what do I want out of this experience? The format for mentorships and manuscript assessments are very different, so it’s valuable to know what you want to get out of the service before you begin.

• With a mentorship, you have the opportunity to converse with and ask questions of your mentor. This back and forth communication is particularly valuable if you are in the earlier stages of your manuscript or if you’re unsure how to proceed. Instead of an overall reading of your manuscript, you may choose to engage a mentor to advise you on specific issues — such as a character arc, a tricky plot point, or your opening pages — that are holding you back from progressing with your manuscript. A mentor’s feedback can be verbal, written, or a combination of the two; the format is decided between you and your mentor.

• With a manuscript assessment, you exclusively receive written feedback in the form of a constructive assessment report, which details exactly where and how you can strengthen your manuscript. This report from an industry professional can also give you a clearer idea of your potential path to publication. It does not, however, give you the opportunity to ask questions of or receive further advice from the assessor.

Your assessor will read your manuscript with the relevant genre and readership in mind. 

Manuscript assessments will include comment on:

• Character 
• Setting
• Plot
• Pacing
• Structure
• Voice
• Point of view 
• Narrative arc
• Imagery (if included)
• Dialogue
• Conflict
• Pace
• Writing style
• Appropriate language and grammar
• Word choices
• Flow
• Length of work in relation to genre
• Reader appeal
• Potential for publication

A manuscript assessment is not a structural edit or copy edit. To find an editor who could provide these services, we recommend authors refer to the Institute of Professional Editors.

A manuscript assessment does not provide recommendations or referrals to specific publishers or literary agents for your manuscript. For a listing of Australian publishers and agents, and their submission guidelines, please visit the ASA’s Book Industry Directory.

A wide range of fiction, non-fiction, and children’s genres can be assessed. You can view our range of assessors at our Assessor Register and see which genres they specialise in by clicking on their individual profiles.

The ASA’s manuscript assessors are all industry professionals who have been selected based on their skills and experience. You can nominate your preferred assessor(s), or we can help to choose the most suitable assessor for your work. 

We cannot guarantee that the assessor(s) you choose will be available at the time of your request, however we will let you know when they may be able to take on your assessment, or suggest an alternative assessor.

The length of time it takes to complete the assessment will vary depending on the length of your manuscript and the availability of the assessor. It’s therefore important to let us know in your booking form if you have a deadline you are working towards. 

Generally, assessments can take from 4 to 6 weeks. ASA staff will confirm the start date and estimated delivery date for your assessment report with you before your booking is confirmed.

If you would like assistance with implementing the advice of the assessor, you may wish to undertake a mentorship.

If you are seeking tailored advice about a particular aspect of the publishing industry in regards to your manuscript, you may like to meet with one of the ASA’s publishing consultants.