Manuscript Development Notes

The biggest mistake aspiring writers make is sending out their manuscripts before they’re ready to be viewed by an agent or publisher. It’s understandable; after spending an extraordinary amount of time on a novel, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and not do the proper prep work before beginning the submission process.

Don’t let this common amateur mistake happen to you. Give your manuscript the chance it deserves in a competitive marketplace by investing in Manuscript Development Notes.

With Manuscript Development Notes, you get professional feedback on your Novel (or other Creative Writing manuscript), in a comprehensive package that includes:

  • 12-16 pages of detailed notes on Premise, Plot Structure, Pacing, Characters, Dialogue and Marketability
  • A graph-based Emotional Response chart
  • A rating on the “Pass, Consider, or Recommend” scale
  • A one-page synopsis to use as a “leave behind” when you get that all-important meeting

Honest and insightful, our readers have years of experience working for high-profile agents, publishers and writing contests, and are trained to spot exactly what buyers look for in a manuscript.

Price & Length Requirement

Price: $4.00/page
Length: Minimum of 50 pages formatted to the specifications below
 
SAMPLE MANUSCRIPT DEVELOPMENT NOTES

 

 

What Can You NOT Expect?

2nd Draft reviewers will not:

  • Rewrite or revise for you, except in the case of providing an example of how to revise on your own.
  • Correct grammar, mechanics, and spelling. This requires a professional copyeditor or proofreader. However, a reviewer will point out any patterns of surface-level error that may pose a significant problem for you.
  • Check and correct for style (e.g., Chicago Manual of Style or AP style). This requires a professional copyeditor or proofreader.
  • Provide any fact-checking.
  • Provide answers or advice on legal issues.

Process and Requirements

  1. First, you must complete the 2nd Draft information and payment process at WritersDigestShop.com. You will have to indicate what genre or category your work is and also specify how many pages you want reviewed.
  2. You will receive an automatic confirmation of your order with instructions on how to submit your manuscript to us via e-mail. (Sorry, but we cannot accept hard copies.)
  3. Our staff will be in touch within 3 days about the assignment of your project to a professional development editor.
  4. After a professional development editor is assigned, they will e-mail you to introduce themselves, and estimate a timeframe for turnaround.
  5. The development editor will e-mail you their review in an attachment.

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS
All documents must be submitted electronically in ONE of the following formats:

  1. Word document (.doc or .docx)
  2. Rich Text File (.rtf)

All documents must adhere to the professional manuscript formatting standards, which are:

  1. 8.5 x 11 page size
  2. Double-spacing throughout
  3. 1-inch margins on top and bottom
  4. 1.25-inch margins on left and right sides
  5. Arial, Courier, or Times font
  6. 12-point font size

If your manuscript does not meet these formatting requirements, we will either return the document to you for correction, or we will apply these settings ourselves when possible, and only critique the number of pages you have paid for.