Services

A manuscript assessment is a close read of a manuscript and an analysis of its strengths, weaknesses, and potential avenues for improvement. Findings and recommendations are outlined in a detailed report, addressing the following features of the work:

• Structure
• Narrative tension
• Turning points
• Characterisation
• Scene construction
• Sensory quality
• Reader immersion
• Story logic and flow
• Pacing
• Syntax
• Grammar
• Likely genre positioning

• Writers who have completed a manuscript and have refined and polished it as much as they can, either on their own or after seeking peer feedback.
• Writers who have had their manuscripts rejected by agents or publishers and are struggling to understand what their manuscript might be missing.
• Writers seeking an unbiased opinion on their manuscript’s strengths, weaknesses, structure, tension, characterisation, and so on (see the list above).

I would never claim to be the final word on literary quality or bestseller potential. What I do bring to the table is the perspective of an experienced writer, a former journalist and freelance fiction editor, and a passionate reader. I understand what it takes to put your heart on the page, and how much rejection can sting, so I treat every writer and manuscript with sensitivity and confidentiality.

Joanna’s credentials:

• Published author of short and novel-length fiction
• First novel The Ghost of Gracie Flynn shortlisted for the Hungerford Award in 2020 and published by Fremantle Press in 2022
• Second manuscript The Wanting Dance shortlisted for the Australian Fiction Prize in 2024
• Short fiction published in anthologies and literary journals across Australia
• Creative Writing MA (2006) and PhD (2014)
• Judge of the 2024 John Gavin Writing Competition
• Decade of teaching Creative Writing (and other units) at Murdoch University
• Curator and facilitator of university and private Creative Writing workshops
• Former IPEd-affiliated freelance editor
• Former print journalist
• Passionate reader
• Lover of immersive prose, memorable characters, stirring stories and clear expression

I am most qualified to assess literary fiction, general fiction, women’s fiction, crime fiction, historical fiction, and short fiction. I don’t tend to read a lot of fantasy, young adult or children’s fiction (especially now that my kids are older), so while I would never rule out assessing manuscripts in those genres, you may prefer to approach someone more familiar with the tropes and traditions of those genres.

• 30,000–50,000 words: $1,300
• 50,000–60,000 words: $1,400
• 60,000–70,000 words: $1,500
• 70,000–80,000 words: $1,600
• 80,000–90,000 words: $1,700
• 90,000–100,000 words: $1,800

25% deposit, balance on completion of assessment.

• Fact-checking, editing or proofreading.
• Comments in your manuscript (in Track Changes mode). Contact Joanna to discuss options if this is what you are after.
• A conversation over Zoom or Teams to discuss the report. If you wish to add a one-hour debrief, please request a quote.

Unfortunately, no. A manuscript assessment provides a framework for developing and refining your manuscript, with a view to making it submission-ready, but it does not guarantee a contract with an agent or a publisher.

From receipt of your manuscript:

• Up to 30,000 words: 2 weeks
• Up to 60,000 words: 4 weeks
• Up to 100,000 words: 6 weeks

Please note, this is a rough guide. Actual turnaround times may vary, depending on demand, but this will always be discussed before the assessment begins.

Absolutely not. I will never feed your manuscript into AI. Nor will I use AI to generate any part of my report.

Most agents, publishers and writing competitions will not accept manuscripts whose development has involved the use of AI. This is because the use of AI raises questions of copyright and human authorship. Joanna’s AI-free guarantee means you will never have to worry about future question marks over the authorship of your work. In addition, LLMs will not be trained on your work, which may happen if an editor or assessor feeds your work into an LLM.

• Word document with numbered pages
• Double-spacing, standard margins, 12-pt font (Times New Roman, Calibri or similar)
• A cover page with your name, title and email address

Via the contact form on this website, please tell me about:

• Your manuscript (working title, word count, genre)
• Your writing experience so far
• Your reasons for seeking a manuscript assessment

I will respond with a quote and an expected turnaround time, and if you choose to go ahead, I will request your manuscript, a brief synopsis, and a 25% deposit.