Now you want to make sure your story grabs readers and takes them on your journey with you.
Get specific storytelling feedback and actionable ideas to develop your adventure story into a compelling page turner.
A manuscript evaluation gives you the insight of a professional editor (that’s me!) on what’s working and where you can go deeper – so you can confidently refine your adventure story before moving on to self-editing and copyediting.
You’ll come away with pointers for what’s working well (so you can do more of that), ideas for developing weak spots, and targeted advice from a professional adventure editor.
If you feel…
- unsure about whether your adventure story is engaging enough to keep readers hooked
- concerned that your story isn’t coming across the way you picture it
- worried about whether your adventure story is even any good
I can help smooth those worries!
With a manuscript evaluation, you’ll get:
- pointers on where your story is already engaging and where you can go deeper with your descriptions, thoughts, feelings, and flashbacks.
- a reader’s perspective so you know if your message is getting through the way you want it to.
- honest and actionable feedback about the storytelling, narrative, pacing, and dialogue so you can revise with confidence.
- clarity on the steps you need to take next to get your story one step closer to publishing.
At the end of our time together, you’ll have the confidence that your story captures your adventure.
Is a manuscript evaluation for you?
If you’re …
- an adventure and travel writer with a complete (or almost complete) manuscript
- a new adventure and travel writer who hasn’t worked with an editor before and want a taste of what it’s like
- an established adventure and travel writer who wants suggestions for how they can hone their story
then you’re a good fit!
Everything you need to refine your story so it’s ready for professional editing
| ✅ Manuscript report | ✅ Annotated manuscript | ✅ Zoom follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| 8-12 page report that goes into the strengths and weaknesses of each chapter, with suggestions and ideas to help you refine your story. | Comments on your manuscript showing what’s working, what can be improved, and what my reactions are as a reader. | Got questions about the evaluation? Here’s where we can discuss them and talk about next steps. |
“Deborah’s guidance and suggestions were technically brilliant, sensitively delivered and extremely constructive. I made virtually all her suggestions and trusted her implicitly.“
– Hannah Powell, author of The Cactus Surgeon.
What it’s not
A manuscript evaluation is not the same as a developmental edit or copyedit. It won’t involve moving parts of your story around (like developmental editing) or fixing grammar, tone, and word choice (like copyediting).
Instead, you get practical feedback on the structure, characters, pacing, and tone so you can make changes on your own terms.
You get questions to help you dig deeper so you can tap into your readers’ emotional response.
And you get an experienced editor’s insight at a lower price than a developmental edit.
How it works
- Apply for your manuscript evaluation right here.
- We’ll confirm your goals for the story and dates you’re working to. Then you can lock in your spot with a deposit.
- You send me your manuscript and I’ll crack on with the evaluation.
- At the end, I’ll send you my manuscript report, your annotated manuscript, and Zoom follow-up so you can ask questions. We can use this time to chat about where to go from here. Don’t like Zoom? No worries. We can chat over email.
How much does it cost?
I offer simple, flat-rate pricing based on the length of your manuscript:
- 20,000 – 40,000 words: NZ$1,000
- 40,000 – 60,000 words: NZ$1,500
- 60,000 – 80,000 words: NZ$2,200
- 80,000 – 100,000 words: NZ$2,600
If your manuscript is longer or shorter than these ranges, just reach out and I can provide a price.
What my authors have said…
“Without Deborah’s amazing help my book Chasing Tigers would never have been as good. That’s a fact. She’s so damn good that I’ve already hired her awesome services for my future book projects.”
– Stu Tripney, author of Chasing Tigers and Out Come the Dogs
Ready to take action and refine your manuscript?
If you’re driven to tell your travel and adventure story and want guidance to help you refine your manuscript, I’d love to work with you.
Together, we can shape your story and make sure it truly captures your adventure.
FAQs
So, what’s a manuscript evaluation exactly?
A manuscript evaluation is a high-level overview of the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript. My goal is to provide you with broad, constructive feedback and suggestions on the overall story.
While I won’t go into detailed revisions or sentence-level edits, I will help you understand what’s working well and where you can improve. You’ll receive actionable suggestions that will guide you in refining your story before you move on to more in-depth editing stages. Plus, you’ll also get a Zoom follow up so we can work through any questions you have.
How is a manuscript evaluation different from a developmental edit?
A developmental edit is much more hands-on. It points out issues with structure, characters, pacing, and tone, but also provides specific examples for fixing those problems. It’s a collaborative process with input from the editor, who helps shape the story.
In contrast, a manuscript evaluation provides this big-picture feedback on structure, characters, pacing, and tone, but allows you to refine the story on your terms.
What happens after you’ve evaluated my manuscript?
Once you’ve had a chance to read the report and consider the feedback and suggestions, we can get on Zoom and I can answer any questions you have about the report. This is your opportunity to talk through suggestions, clarify ideas, and ask questions.
It’s best to schedule our call two to four weeks after the manuscript evaluation so your story is fresh in both our minds.
We can discuss next steps, such as whether a more intensive developmental edit would be a good idea, or whether your manuscript is ready for copyediting. (Learn more about my adventure editing.)
After the call, you can work through the feedback at your own pace, developing the weak spots and using your strengths as examples. If you’d like, I can also spot-check your revisions once you’re done.
If I like your suggestions, can you make the changes for me?
For sure! If you’d like my help to incorporate the feedback from your manuscript evaluation, we can move forward with a developmental edit. This is a deeper, more collaborative process where I provide suggestions and help you revise and restructure your story directly.
We can discuss this option during our Zoom call and decide the best approach to move your story forward.
Ready to get actionable, compassionate feedback on your travel and adventure story? Let’s work together to refine your manuscript and make sure it’s ready to inspire and captivate readers. today!
What are the other types of editing?
Broadly speaking, there are three types of editing and each one focuses on a different stage of the writing and publishing process. You can read more about the types of editing here.
Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing 