Manuscript Assessment (without AI!)
Before we dive into what’s included in your Manuscript Assessment, here are a few fun facts about our manuscript assessor, Dannika (a.k.a. D.E. Kendall and Dana Cadelle):
- She holds a BA in English Literature & Creative Writing.
- She’s a published author who has been writing stories since she could hold a pen! This allows Dannika to provide feedback from a writer’s perspective.
- She’s an avid reader of a wide range of genres, so understands reader expectations from a reader’s perspective.
- She was a publishing assistant at a small press, where she was fortunate to have met many brilliant authors while discovering how the publishing world works.
- She embarked on a variety of projects during her three years as a ghostwriter, so Dannika is familiar with an array of content types.
- She worked as a content writer full-time for two years in the pet insurance industry, which allowed for a fresh perspective on marketing strategies.
- Her CV reads like a novel in itself, given that Dannika has enjoyed a fascinating mix of roles – ranging from working at a riding school and as a vet receptionist, to being an exam invigilator before becoming a learning support assistant specialising in SpLD – which has gifted her with a breadth of experiences from which to review different types of content.
To find out more about your friendly neighbourhood manuscript assessor, please explore her website: dekendall.com 😊
What’s included in a Horseshoe Books Manuscript Assessment?
No-matter the length of your project in words, you can expect the following from us:
- A promise that we will never use AI to assess your manuscript. We rely solely on our own editorial experience and subjective reader impressions during our comprehensive assessment of your manuscript.
- Answers to as many questions about your manuscript as you wish (just like having a beta reader, but better!).
- In-depth feedback on each chapter, which will include our overall impression of that chapter, a storyline assessment, and editorial suggestions (where needed).
- Our thoughts on the genre of your manuscript and how it aligns with reader expectations.
- A basic Style Sheet that you can then use as you edit the next draft of your manuscript and/or to send to a qualified editor along with your manuscript (which isn’t just time-saving, it may even save you money on editorial fees!).
Please note: Turnaround times will depend on our schedule at the time of booking.
Which types of projects are eligible for a Horseshoe Books Manuscript Assessment?
The types of projects we can provide a manuscript assessment for could include:
- A short story.
- A novella.
- The first few chapters of a novel.
- A complete manuscript for a novel.
- The beginning of a larger novel (for instance, it’s normal for fantasy novels to exceed 100,000 words – though an assessment of the first 25,000 words could be really helpful to guide your next revision!).
Our favourite genres are cosy mystery, rom-com, sci-fi, fantasy, and historical fiction – however, we’re happy to consider other genres, too. (No horror/gore though, please!)
We’re not accepting non-fiction manuscripts at this time.
Important: Please be aware that we won’t work on any AI-generated content (for example, anything produced using ChatGPT). Therefore, if you send content to us that is discovered to have been generated using AI, we won’t complete any further work on that project and any deposits paid – or other payments made – for that project will not be refunded. You may also be charged additional fees for time spent working on that project. Thank you!
How much does a Horseshoe Books Manuscript Assessment Project cost?
For our manuscript assessment service, we charge the following:
| Project Word Count | Example Project | Non-Refundable Deposit | Final Payment | Total Cost of Manuscript Assessment Project |
| 9,999 or less | A short story.First few chapters of a novel. | £25 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £75 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £100 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) |
| 10,000 words to 19,999 words | A short story. First few chapters of a novel. A novella. | £50 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £150 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £200 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) |
| 20,000 words to 29,999 words | First few chapters of a novel. A novella. | £50 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £250 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £300 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) |
| 30,000 words to 39,999 words | First few chapters of a novel. A novella | £50 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £350 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £400 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) |
| 40,000 words to 49,999 words | A full novel manuscript. Beginning of a lengthier novel. | £100 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £400 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £500 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) |
| 50,000 words to 59,999 words | A full novel manuscript. Beginning of a lengthier novel. | £100 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £525 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £625 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) |
| 60,000 words to a maximum of 90,000 words | A full novel manuscript. Beginning of a lengthier novel. | £150 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £600 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) | £750 (+ PayPal fees, if applicable*) |
We can only work on ONE project at a time. For instance, if you have two short stories of 5,000 words each, each short story will be treated as its own project 😊
*PayPal fees
Each payment sent via PayPal will incur an additional charge to cover their fees, as follows:
- £25 + £1.08 = £26.08
- £50 + £1.85 = £51.85
- £75 + £2.62 = £77.62
- £100 + £3.39 = £103.39
- £150 + £4.93 = £154.93
- £250 + £8.01 = £258.01
- £350 + £11.10 = £361.10
- £400 + £12.64 = £412.64
- £525 + £16.49 = £541.49
- £600 + £18.80 = £618.80
Please note: PayPal fees are non-refundable. Sorry!
How to book a Horseshoe Books Manuscript Assessment
Simply contact us, and we’ll respond as swiftly as we can 😊
Thank you!
Happy writing x
