Get Feedback on Your Writing:
As a writer, I know just how important it is to get useful feedback on your writing. Useful feedback is unbiased, constructive, specific and educated. While it’s sometimes easy to find friends and family members to read your work, it’s not always easy to get useful feedback: feedback that can help you make your story stand out.
Manuscript evaluations are my specialty. I am obsessed with stories. I love nothing more than helping aspiring writers polish their stories until they shine.
If you’ve found yourself struggling to get published, or have a nagging feeling there’s something that’s not quite working in your story, you may be in need of a manuscript evaluation.
What’s a manuscript evaluation?
Manuscript evaluations include:
- Comments on plot, characterization, pace, story development, point of view, dialogue, setting and more.
- Constructive, unbiased feedback on what’s working in your story, and what isn’t.
- Overall commentary on your writing style, and advice on how to tighten, clarify or improve your writing.
- Suggestions/advice on how to improve the manuscript.
Why would you need a manuscript evaluation?
If you’re looking for advice on what’s working and what’s not working in your completed manuscript, a manuscript evaluation may be for you!
- You have a feeling there’s something in your story that’s not working, but you can’t put your finger on it.
- You keep submitting your story, but agents and/or publisher keep turning you down (and you want to know why!).
- You want to hear what someone else thinks about your story, but you don’t belong to a writer’s group.
- You’ve completed a story or novel, and you want to make it as good as you possibly can before you start sending it to publishers or agents.
What do you get?
Your professional manuscript evaluation will include:
- The option to discuss up to three personal concerns with the manuscript (via email or phone) prior to the evaluation.
- A thorough examination of your work.
- An editorial letter (usually 5-10 pages) of commentary on your story.
What’s not included in a manuscript evaluation?
- Copy editing (corrections to grammar, spelling and punctuation). If you are looking for nitty-gritty improvements for your manuscript, please see my Editing Services.
- The words “I like” or “I don’t like.” A manuscript evaluation is NOT about how much I like your story — it’s about how well your story works and what can be done to make your story shine.
- Comments on whether or not your work will be published. The publishing industry is akin to the wild west right now: it’s a constantly changing world and no one (not even the big publishing houses) can be sure what’s going to happen next. As much as I wish I could, I can’t tell you whether or not your story will be published.
What People Are Saying:
Carrie Mumford’s evaluation of my manuscript was professional, quick, specific and most of all, extremely helpful. Her suggestions were enlightening and she spotted issues with my manuscript that I hadn’t noticed beforehand, but quickly worked to fix in the next draft. I would recommend her to any aspiring writer that needs a critical and sharp eye to really tighten up their manuscript. – Brad DeVetten (@toobsok)
How can I get in touch?
You can schedule your manuscript evaluation or ask me questions by getting in touch via my Contact page.
