After an author has passed an initial viability assessment, Sarah offers a more in-depth 3-step manuscript evaluation (schedule permitting), as follows:
1. Sarah reads the entire manuscript. (REQUIRED: submit in Word, double-spaced, 12 pt font, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, indentation at the start of each new paragraph and/or line of dialogue, pages numbered in the header or footer, author’s name & working title in header. Also–because it’s her pet peeve & will drive her bonkers–only one space, not two, after a period.)
2. Sarah follows up with the author in an email detailing the top strengths as well as the major bumps, flaws, and/or pitfalls of the project.
3. If the author sends a few brief clarifying questions in one email, Sarah will respond to those briefly in one email.
Cost: $250 flat fee up to 20,000 words; $100 for every 10,000 words after that.
NOTE: Based on industry standards, Sarah highly recommends the following word count: Novella: 18,000-25,000 words Middle grade fiction: 35,000-50,000 words YA fiction: 50,000-80,000 General fiction: 80,000-100,000. Anything higher than that should be broken up into a series.
Expected turnaround: 2-4 weeks, depending on manuscript length and the popularity of this service. Service fee: $250 flat fee for the first 20,000 words; $100 per each 10,000 words on top of that.
If you are interested in learning more about this service click here.
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This service is provided bySarah Arthur, a seventeen-year publishing veteran and the author, editor, or contributor for over a dozen books. She was first known for her bestselling, award-winning devotionals, including Walking With Frodo: A Devotional Journey through The Lord of the Rings (Tyndale), but she has since branched out into more in-depth literary engagement, including the Literary Guides to Prayer series from Paraclete Press (while secretly writing Young Adult novels!). For several years Sarah has been the preliminary fiction judge for Christianity Today Book Awards. She is a fun-loving speaker and has served for the past two years on the faculty of the Frederick Buechner Writers Workshop at Princeton Seminary, and as a presenter at the Writing For Your Life webinar series. When she isn’t writing, Sarah is the volunteer youth coordinator of Sycamore Creek United Methodist Church in Lansing, MI, where she lives with her pastor-husband Tom and their two little boys.
If you are interested in learning more about this service click here.
Back to main Writer Support Services page.