I've read many articles advising when to submit your work, and its clear that I need to do a couple more drafts of my novel to be confident enough to submit. Even though I'm itching to just do it now...
But from a conference at Bloomsbury I saw that you can buy full manuscript reports from professional editors at £600-£680
That is a lot of money to me, but I have finally saved up. However, now I'm not sure whether I'm at the stage to even show an editor. I've had my manuscript proof read by a lecturer, though I'd still say my novel is only at its 1st or 2nd draft. And I've had feedback from 4 people who have read the book. Should I still be redrafting before paying for a report? Or shall I get it while the book is still this raw?
Amy, it's hard to have full confidence in anything we write. There's always the niggling thought that it could be better, or that we've missed something crucial. Even when we press that button on Amazon that puts the finished, polished-to-its-best work out there, we still have that feeling that someone is going to read it and say, 'Ha! What about X?' and we groan and wonder how we missed it as it is suddenly blindingly obvious.
It's a balancing act. Do you send it off now, and get a report that will stop you from going further down a line that is not right, or maybe hear that you're spot on; or do you do months more work, only to find that you've got it wrong?
You can help yourself by going through your novel with your editing hat on and making sure that everything happens in the right sequence; that no-one arrives as a redhead and leaves as a blonde; that no names change without warning; and that all spellings are consistent. Read with your ears: that's the best advice I can give. Your eyes will miss things that you'd notice if you heard them.
Does your first sentence promise, and your last one say that the world has changed because of what has gone before? Are all loose ends tied up, or are you planning a sequel?
Do you overuse words like exclaimed, shouted, havered, guffawed, when said is enough? Does your dialogue work when you speak it aloud (as you should)?
Is everything factually correct? Are there any anachronisms, for instance?
There comes a point where you're either so unsure that you've got it right that you need a professional opinion, or you're sure that it's right but you want it to be perfect before you submit it to an agent. What did the lecturer say? (What does s/he lecture in? Is it book/writing-related?) What feedback did you get from your readers? Did they say it's raw? is it, in fact, a book that benefits from a certain rawness?
An editor edits; do you mean a manuscript assessor? They won't edit your work, but will give an overall report on it. They'll make suggestions as to where it could be improved. but they won't pick up on all typos or errors. Decide which service you want before you spend your hard-earned cash!
Several such people advertise in the back of Writing Magazine, but as ever, check their websites first. Google them,, and see what other people have said about their services.
If you look at the red banner above this page, you'll find Editorial Services; they offer various stages of review, which may suit your needs.
Whatever you decide, good luck!
Lorraine