A deep, careful evaluation of your manuscript — with a written report and a redlined copy of your book, both included in one flat price.
You’ve written a book. Before it goes out into the world, it deserves a close read by people who do this for a living. Writing Academy staff perform a deep evaluation of the work, and Steve personally reviews the findings and communicates your results to you.
What you receive
Every evaluation, at every level, comes with both of these — included in the price.
What works in your manuscript, what needs work, and exactly how to fix it — in plain language.
Submit a Word file and it comes back with every correction in tracked changes — accept or reject each edit yourself. No Word? You’ll receive a corrected copy.
Within one week for children’s books, within two weeks for middle grade and novels.
Choose your evaluation
Picture books, early readers, and chapter books — up to 10,000 words.
- The appeal of your characters
- The message your book carries
- The reading level
- Whether there is a clear story pattern or plot template
Written evaluation report and redlined manuscript — both included.
Back within one week.
Get started
Middle grade novels — up to 40,000 words.
- The full novel arc: dramatic elements, character development, structure in detail
- Your most successful scenes — and the ones that need work
- Viewpoint choices
- Settings, and how they could be improved
- Dialogue, and how it can be improved
Written evaluation report and redlined manuscript — both included.
Back within two weeks.
Get started
YA and adult novels, memoir and nonfiction — up to 200,000 words.
- The full novel arc: dramatic elements, character development, structure in detail
- Your most successful scenes — and the ones that need work
- Viewpoint choices
- Settings, and how they could be improved
- Dialogue, and how it can be improved
Written evaluation report and redlined manuscript — both included.
Back within two weeks.
Get startedNot ready for a full evaluation? Start with a critique.
Your query letter and synopsis, read the way an agent reads them — up to 8,000 words.
- Does the query hook in the first line
- Is the synopsis a story, not a list of events
- What to cut, what to sharpen, what’s missing
A written critique, reviewed by Steve.
Back within one week.
Get startedYour opening chapter, evaluated on its own — up to 8,000 words.
- Whether the opening hooks — and where it drags
- Viewpoint, voice, and the first promise you make the reader
- Exactly what to fix before you write on
A written critique, reviewed by Steve.
Back within one week.
Get startedManuscript longer than 200,000 words? We can still help — ask a question below and we’ll work it out with you.
Your work stays yours.
Your manuscript goes to a private, secure upload. The copyright stays with you — we claim no rights. Your files are never shared or reused, and they are kept for a few months, then erased.
I have a question
Not sure which evaluation fits your book, or anything else on your mind — ask away.
After the evaluation, the same team can format your book for publishing — see Publishing Services.