Manuscript Assessments

A manuscript assessment involves an assessor 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, pacing, character development, narrative arc, structure, reader appeal, and offer suggestions on how to bring your work to a publishable standard. 

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

A manuscript assessment does not recommend specific publishers for your manuscript.

A manuscript assessment provides a fresh, professional perspective on your work. If you’re wondering if your manuscript is ready for publication, or you’ve been given conflicting advice from readers who aren’t publishing professionals, a manuscript assessment will guide you on what further work may be needed. 

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

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 will not give 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? Is it finished, 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 shape possible before you start submitting it to publishers and/or agents. Manuscript assessments are particularly useful if you haven’t been published before and need an objective opinion on whether your manuscript is at a publishable standard. 

The second question to consider is, what do I want out of this experience? The format for mentorships and 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 an assessment, you exclusively receive written feedback in the form of a comprehensive report, which details exactly where and how you can improve 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 or receive further advice from the assessor. 

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

Your assessor will read your manuscript with the relevant genre and readership in mind. Assessments will include comment on:

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

A manuscript assessment does not recommend specific publishers for your manuscript.

All genres across fiction, non-fiction, and children’s literature. 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 register of manuscript assessors are all industry professionals who have been selected based on their skills and experience. You can nominate your preferred assessor, or we can help to choose the most suitable assessor for your work. We cannot guarantee that the assessor 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.

View our Assessor Register.

The length of time it takes to complete the assessment will vary depending on the length of your manuscript and capacity of the assessor. It’s therefore important to let us know in your application form if you have a deadline you are working towards. Generally, assessments can take from 4 to 6 weeks. We will confirm the start date and estimated completion date with you when we confirm your booking.

If you would like further assistance with implementing the advice of the assessor, you can undertake an ASA mentorship.