An evaluation is typically presented as a long editorial letter that first echoes back to the writer what the work’s purpose is and what it is aiming to achieve within its genre and the “vessel” it has set out to fill.
Meaning if it’s a memoir or crime thriller, does it act and develop like a memoir or crime thriller should. This aspect of the letter respects the author’s intention for the work and lets them know that what they mean for the book to achieve is coming across (or not).
Next, the letter should speak to all the elements of writing craft starting with the larger issues such as the overarching or systemic development of the project, its purpose, structure, and design, overall coherence and continuity, and what makes it dynamic and singular.
They will then address the pacing and fluidity of the story, plot, and character arcs, including inconsistencies or redundancies, how setting, tone, and language are used along with posing questions to help the author see where information is missing or could be more fleshed out.
The document could be written more as an overview to simply give the writer a sense of how their book is coming across as a literary document or written in great detail (the manuscript evaluations we provide at One Lit Place range anywhere from 10-25 single spaced pages depending on the length and complexity of the work).
Every first or early draft in the world—regardless of how many books the author has to their name—is invariably going to be choppy, erratic, and/or overwrought to varying degrees. This is not only normal but a good sign that the author got into creative flow and trusted in their process.
The key word here is process. Writing anything of substance takes time and numerous steps. A first draft will typically be high on energy and creative impulse whereas the second, third, and all subsequent drafts take a more calculated approach with a focus on refining, sculpting, and shaping to bring that energy and creative ideation into the most readable form.
And where you should absolutely be the sole creative engine throughout the first draft process to ensure the work is cohesively tied to your vision, to get you across the bridge from that untamed first draft to a work of art that’s lean, readable, and dynamic, you’re best served by handing off the baton. That’s when a manuscript evaluation will substantially impact your work.
Where in most instances in life it’s good to be self-sufficient, in the case of taking your manuscript from first/early draft to the second+ draft, you’re not the best one for the job.
Why is that?
Even after only a couple of passes on your manuscript, your brain develops a type of fatigue that prevents you from being able to see the work clearly. This is called “Semantic Satiation.”
Semantic satiation is the loss of meaning or reduction in effectiveness of verbal material following continued overt repetition or prolonged visual fixation.
from the American Psychological Association
Semantic Satiation happens both verbally and visually. If you say a word aloud even a few times or write it over and over, it starts to look and sound goofy and alien:
(Try it: coupling coupling coupling (see?)).
This can happen for individual words and also for an entire body of text.
Now, if you’re a seasoned enough writer, you can take a week or so off after completing the draft to give your brain a chance to “reset” before returning as the work’s first editor
⇒ Nonfiction Editing Checklist
If you’re able to apply a discerning or even cold eye to the work, you should be positioned to see some of the gaps or holes, inconsistencies, or even merely identify where the draft needs additional work or revision.
But you will never have the distance you need to see your work as clearly as an outsider will. That’s simply part of the process of being a writer. It is actually quite exciting (and humbling) as well as a relief to let someone sweep in and zero in on issues you’ve been mired in for months and haven’t had the wherewithal to fix yourself. Bam! Just like that, with their ideas and feedback, you now have concrete solutions for moving forward.
A successful manuscript evaluation is truly the territory of a seasoned professional who has the skills, education, and experience to be in service to an author and give them the kind of constructive feedback that will be the most helpful to them as they inch their draft toward publication.
While you wouldn’t ask your sister or best friend for medical advice (unless they’re physicians, of course), you shouldn’t ask them to give you feedback on your manuscript either. They simply don’t know how to do it in a way that will be helpful.
As a budget-friendly option, you may be able to enlist someone from your writing workshop if that person is a careful reader, or you can ask a trusted fellow writer. With luck, you can catch them at the same point in their work’s development and do a manuscript evaluation trade. You will still need to tread carefully to ensure you’re asking people who have experience with evaluations and will be thoughtful with the process.
In the end, you truly do get what you pay for in the case of manuscript evaluations. The benefit of paying an editor to provide you with a manuscript evaluation is manifold:
The difference in using a friend or family member vs. a professional editor is that feedback from the former could leave you feeling empty or defeated vs. feedback from the later will likely leave you feeling motivated and energized.
Importantly, a professional editor will often largely be able to continue to work with you on the subsequent revision as a brainstorming partner, to help you keep accountable and schedule your writing, and to offer you ongoing editorial feedback on the new material.
This investment is one that pays off exponentially both for your sense of self as an author, gaining emotional clarity, feeling strong and buoyed, and seeing your output pan out on the page as well as for your manuscript’s publishing future.
Most professional writers work with editors because they enjoy seeing large gains and having long productive careers as a result.
After working for months or years on your book, building worlds, designing humans, braiding together fact and research, storylines, narrative arcs and toiling over hundreds of pages of notes, to be able to throw your work at someone who will catch it with generosity, respect, and skill and thoughtfully show it back to you in a new light is a huge relief.
This time when you hand the wheel to a fellow writer or editor is your reward: and when their feedback helps your work become publishable, you can enjoy knowing the biggest reward is yet to come.
When you’re ready to hand the baton to a skilled editor, we’ve got you. Please have a look at how we support our authors with detailed, comprehensive, and constructive manuscript evaluations to help you prepare for your book’s next steps!
Our 4-month Mentored Book Programs, Online Courses, & Writing Coaching and Editing Hours. From November 21-27, 2023