This is an economized, general evaluation of your manuscript. It is designed to help you bring your aspirations and the reality of your creative work into closer contact.

An evaluation typically includes summary impressions of your manuscript’s contents, and touches on how that content harmonizes with elements such as theme, style, and intended audience. It also includes insights regarding a brief list of early-stage concerns, for instance subject matter appeal, coherence, and pacing.

You receive:

• The manuscript evaluation, a brief of sorts covering the information described above.

• A lightly-annotated manuscript. Notes illustrate points covered in the evaluation.

"Is this the service I need?"

It is best to take advantage of a manuscript evaluation during your early forays into the creative wilderness. In simpler terms, you have finished a first draft and maybe you’ve incorporated feedback from a beta reader or two.

If you are asking fundamental questions like “Who is my audience?”, “Is this the right genre?”, or “Is my plot sound and compelling?”, then a manuscript evaluation could be right for you.

This is a middle stage action, offering an in-depth, big picture evaluation of your work-in-progress. Sample areas of focus include plot and themes, character development, point of view, tone and language, pacing, and structure. Nearly every developmental edit also reflects more intensely upon your goals and message in tandem with your potential audience. A core objective is to identify specific opportunities for evolution in your creative trek toward expression and connection.

You receive:

• A developmental overview, which may provide summary and/or detailed analyses of your areas of developmental concern, along with strategic suggestions to inspire and challenge you in your next round of revisions.

• An annotated manuscript, in which key sections of text may be accompanied by observations, suggestions, questions, and sample revisions which supplement the overview.

"Is this the service I need?"

A developmental edit is a good option in the middle stages of your journey. You have completed a draft of your work, and perhaps you’ve revised a couple of times and incorporated beta reader feedback. Now, you are looking for thorough, specific, seasoned insights into the substance and shape of your manuscript.

This is a detailed technical inspection of your work. Areas of scrutiny include spelling, grammar, formatting, and factual accuracy. Matters like consistency of point of view, language, and characterization may receive attention as well. Line edits can show up in a copy edit. (NOTE that since this is mainly a technical operation, the mission of giving you greater insight into yourself is less likely to come into play – but we can still look for opportunities!)

You receive:

• A revised and/or marked-up manuscript. Annotations explain the logic behind key edits and suggest resolution on areas that require further reflection and decision-making on your part.

"Is this what I need?"

A copy edit is a late-stage step in your creative journey. By this point, your manuscript is striding toward its audience, as plot, themes, character arcs, desired tone, etc. are more or less in place. Now you want to minimize the chances that your message is faltering over cracks, weeds, and stray rocks.

If you want assistance writing copy for your website, blog, social media accounts, newsletter, or the like, let's talk.

I have many years of experience writing formally and informally, for public and private consumption, in corporate, non-profit, and personal channels.

This service is offered to people who need to communicate but for whom writing is not their primary purpose.