A Manuscript Assessment (sometimes known as a structural or substantive edit) looks at the overall structure, content and style of your manuscript.
This may include things like plot, character, point of view, pace, writing style, narrative, dialogue, presentation, length, use of research, readership, marketing, or publishing possibilities.
A Manuscript Assessment may tell you that your work needs some editing or proofreading, but it won’t provide this service for you. Manuscript Assessments differ from copy editing or proofreading, as these tend to look in detail at the accuracy of things like spelling, grammar and punctuation, while a Manuscript Assessment will give you professional advice on the big picture.
Writers Victoria works with a team of authors, editors and writing tutors to make sure your manuscript is read by someone with expertise in your area. They assess novels, short stories, memoir, poetry, children’s picture books, romance, non-fiction, theatre scripts and more. You can learn more about our team of assessors on our Manuscript Assessors page.
After your Manuscript Assessment you can ask to meet up with your assessor for a Post-Assessment Consultation. This will be a separate, optional service with its own fee.
Please read our terms and conditions for manuscript assessments here.
FAQs
Manuscript Assessments give you an objective opinion of your work that comes from an experienced industry professional. They help you make your work the best it can be, whether you want to share your story with your family, self-publish your own book, or submit it to a commercial publisher.
A Manuscript Assessment gives objective, professional feedback from an industry expert who is unconnected with your work. Because of this, we recommend that your assessor not be the first person to read your manuscript. An assessment is most beneficial when it comes at the later stages of your drafting, after you’ve first received feedback from your peers (e.g. a writing group).
Manuscript Assessment costs vary depending on style and word count. Please refer to the table below for our current assessment rates.
Note that a full price membership costs $75, so often it is good value to become a member if you aren’t already.
| Type of Assessment | Word Count / Length | Member Rate | Non-member Rate |
| Suite of Poetry | 1,000 lines | $600 | $750 |
| Suite of Poetry | 2,000 lines | $1000 | $1,250 |
| Script | up to 120 pages | $900 | $1,100 |
| Picture books | 250 words | $350 | $450 |
| Prose | Up to 10,000 words | $350 | $450 |
| Prose | 10k–20k words | $550 | $700 |
| Prose | 20k–30k words | $700 | $900 |
| Prose | 30k–40k words | $900 | $1,100 |
| Prose | 40k–50k words | $1,000 | $1,200 |
| Prose | 50k–60k words | $1,100 | $1,325 |
| Prose | 60k–70k words | $1,200 | $1,475 |
| Prose | 70k–80k words | $1,300 | $1,600 |
| Prose | 80k–90k words | $1,400 | $1,750 |
| Prose | 90k–100k words | $1,500 | $1,900 |
| Prose | 100k–120k words | $1,750 | $2,250 |
Writers Victoria works with a team of authors, editors and writing tutors to make sure your manuscript is read by someone with expertise in your area. They assess novels, short stories, memoir, poetry, children’s picture books, romance, non-fiction, theatre scripts, and more. You can learn more about on our team of assessors on our Manuscript Assessors page.
To book a manuscript assessment or publisher submission appraisal, download and complete this booking form, then return it via email to [email protected] au.
If you still have a question after reading the above FAQs, please get in touch on (03) 9094 7840 or contact us via email.
To book a manuscript assessment or publisher submission appraisal, download and complete this booking form, then return it via email to [email protected] au. You do not need to submit your manuscript or synopsis until we have gotten back to you to arrange your assessment.