Full Manuscript Appraisal:
Full reading of manuscript, with a written report on aspects such as structure, plot, characterisation, narrative style, dialogue, setting, pace, and use of exposition and backstory, This will be followed up by a telephone consultation of up to one hour, to discuss findings and possible solutions.
Cost: Full manuscript appraisal of up to 70,000 words is £450, plus £5 for every 1,000 extra words. Short stories up to 2,000 words are £50, plus £10 for every 1,000 extra words.
Partial Manuscript Appraisal:
Read the first 30,000 words along with a synopsis of the whole novel (or novel to be!) and provide a report on how its structure, plot and characters are holding up, whether the story has potential, and what questions and/or improvements you might want to consider when proceeding.
Cost: £195
Submissions Package Review:
Send me your submissions package, including the covering letter, the synopsis and the first fifty pages, and I’ll read through and complete a report on whether it is (or isn’t) ready for submission. Writing a brilliant novel is only part of the process, and if you don’t get the submissions process right, then your wonderful work won’t get read by an agent.
Cost: £195
Developmental Editing:
In the earlier stages of the writing/rewriting process, I can work with you to reorganise the structure of your story, to rework the plot or character arcs, to deepen your use of characterisation, to explore your themes etc. Sometimes, what we need is an informed sounding board to listen to and prompt us, in order for our ideas to arrive fully realised on the page.
Cost: £25 per hour
Copy Edit:
Before submitting work to an agent, entering it into a competition, or uploading it for self-publication, it’s vital that the copy is as clean as you can make it. Copy editing not only erases grammatical inconsistencies but revises the text for spelling, wordiness, style and language, transitions and punctuation.
Cost: For guidance, £550 for a copy edit of a reasonably clean 70,000 word manuscript.