Why does your novel need a manuscript evaluation?Go to your local library and get a copy of THE FIRST FIVE PAGES: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman. It describes every single thing that I look for when I evaluate your manuscript. The same things that any agent or editor will look for. Read the book. It's free. I'm not. As you address these issues in your novel, you'll learn how to write. It'll be quite an education, and a wonderful experience. (If it teaches you that you'd rather not be an author, that counts too.) Once you've done all that to the best of your ability, we'll be ready to talk. Let's start over. Why does your novel need a manuscript evaluation?You write a novel, you show it to your family and friends, and they say it's wonderful. But do you believe them? Or are they just saying "it's wonderful" because they don't want to hurt you? Deep down, you wonder. That's why you're here. You suspect your manuscript could be better but you just don't know how. You need a stranger to give you a candid, professional, and thorough evaluation. When I evaluate your manuscript, I read it carefully. I tell you what works, and I also tell you where your novel needs a bit more work. This might mean extensive rethinking and rewriting on your part. If that's the case, you'll learn how to be a better author in the process. You want to learn how to make these improvements before you submit your manuscript to a publisher or an agent. That reader is going to be a lot more brutal than your friends and family. If you haven't hooked that reader in the first few pages, you'll get a rejection letter and never know why. Before you send out your manuscript, make it the best you possibly can. You cannot afford to take shortcuts. You have only one chance with a publisher. A professional manuscript evaluation will maximize it. Until you sell a book, you're unlikely to receive any specific, professional feedback. It's easy to get rejection letters, but that's not my idea of a manuscript evaluation. But without that feedback, how do you improve? What can you expect from a manuscript evaluation?Note: This is not editing. MichaelEdits.com describes my editing service. First and foremost, honest, detached, comprehensive feedback. Someone to help you "flesh out the story." A manuscript that a publisher or agent can work with. I love your mom too, but she can't give you that unless she's written a few herself. Clarity. Plots and subplots. Pace and story flow. Natural speech. Readability. Multi-dimensional characters and a well-defined narrative arc. You want to learn how to look at all these things while you read your manuscript. Does your manuscript immediately grab a reader's attention (the "hook")? Does it keep it? Does it reward your readers for spending time with your words? Are your characters believable? Is your dialogue powerful? Authentic? Do you have a good balance of dialogue and narrative? Have you chosen an effective point-of-view character? Does your plot make sense? Is your pacing consistent? Will they remember your manuscript after they've read it and moved on to something else? When I evaluate your manuscript, you'll know. I'll always respect your unique writing voice. I would never try to change that. The world is filled with qualified (and unqualified) editors, proofreaders, artists, agents, printers, typesetters... but none of them can write your book the way you do. That's what makes your contribution unique. So let's bring that into focus. Send me your manuscript and I'll turn on Tracking in MS Word. I'll do some surface proofreading because I just can't help myself, but I won't focus on it. Instead, I'll just litter it with Comments like jazz riffs, off the top of my head, where I tell you what works and what doesn't. I'll show you how to make it more readable, which will please both your publisher and your readers. And you. It's feedback on a very personal level from a seasoned professional manuscript evaluator. This is very different from my editing service because it's a "one and done" job. Thus, it really is in your best interest to self-edit your manuscript to the best of your ability before you send it to me. If I spend all my time pointing out things that you could've found yourself, that's a bit wasteful. Consider a manuscript evaluation a learning experience. If you're unwilling to learn, save your money. But don't expect to be published unless you're Daisy Ashford. What Have I Edited?There are many editors on the Internet who have never actually worked in an editorial capacity for major publishers. There are many reasons for rejection. Without actual professional acquisitions experience, an editor cannot know what those reasons are. I've edited over 300 published novels since 1990. I've also written 12 published books of my own. Three were EPPIE finalists. Oh yeah, and I'm an absolute reading junkie. Always have been. Always will be. Now what?I welcome manuscripts of any length, from a short story to a full-length novel. If you're writing in a genre that isn't right for me, I'll let you know and recommend someone else. A manuscript evaluation costs US$1 per 200 words. I accept PayPal, credit cards, wire transfers, Western Union, and even checks in the mail. Pay me after we're done. But first, I believe you want to send me your manuscript, so I can quote you a price and a delivery time. michaeledits@michaeledits.com All communications are confidential, especially the ones I can't remember. Return to MichaelEdits.com Updated June 16, 2013 © Copyright 2000-2013 Michael LaRocca Charlotte, NC 28262 |
I just wanted to say you're the greatest and you have made a friend AND customer for life. Even if -- no -- even WHEN I make it, you will still be my editor for life. (Sounds kinda creepy, I know). I'll let you know what happens. Robin Pelosi-Waldrop Michael has edited my novel and a few of my screenplays. He has a great knowledge of the technical side of the editing business but knows and respects that great storytelling is not comprised of technicalities. He's also a very cool guy. Highly recommended! Michael is an excellent editor and has great insight. I valued his opinion and suggestions and he made the editing process very easy and painless. I would definitely recommend Michael to others and use him again in the future. Michael is not only a talented writer, but also a skilled proofreader, editor, and manuscript evaluator. My writing has been improved by his exacting eye for those little details that writers can miss as they rush to create. Michael is precise, fast, and dedicated to making your writing the very best it can be. I am happy to give him my endorsement. Mr. LaRocca was one of two people who edited my first novel, Fire Lilies. This novel was the Winner of the 2002 Independent E-book Award for Best Romance and a Finalist in the 2002 EPIC Literary Award Competition for Best Historical Novel. Mr. LaRocca's excellent writing and editing skills helped propel my novel to the high level it achieved. I highly recommend him as he is both a skilled editor and writer. Michael is an excellent editor and proofreader. He is a natural wordsmith and brings any writing alive with energy a reader can feel. His abilities are second to none and as a many time published writer, I know a good editor can make or break a book. He's a good talented editor who knows the writing business. Michael LaRocca is an outstanding editor. I was lucky to obtain his editorial service for a novel I had written. Before I asked for Michael's help, I had tried for years to find a publisher without any success. Shortly after Michael's work on my novel, a prestigious publisher wanted to publish my novel. Without Michael's skilful editorial service, the novel might never have been published. LaRocca is a genius, and he has a special gift for the English language. This gift includes writing nonfiction, fiction, and poetry in addition to his wonderful editorial ability. LaRocca has an outstanding ear for the rhythms and sounds of the English language. In addition, he can write authentic sounding regional dialects, which is a skill not many authors have mastered. I would not be surprised if LaRocca writes some great American literature in the future. |