Manuscript Development Notes

The biggest mistake aspiring writers make is sending out their manuscripts before they’re ready to be viewed by an agent or publisher. It’s understandable; after spending an extraordinary amount of time on a novel, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and not do the proper prep work before beginning the submission process. 

Don’t let this common amateur mistake happen to you. Give your manuscript the chance it deserves in a competitive marketplace by investing in Manuscript Development Notes.

With Manuscript Development Notes, you get professional feedback on your Novel (or other Creative Writing manuscript), in a comprehensive package that includes:

• 12-16 pages of detailed notes on Premise, Plot Structure, Pacing, Characters, Dialogue and Marketability
• A graph-based Emotional Response chart
• A rating on the "Pass, Consider, or Recommend" scale
• A one-page synopsis to use as a "leave behind" when you get that all-important meeting

Honest and insightful, our readers have years of experience working for high-profile agents, publishers and writing contests, and are trained to spot exactly what buyers look for in a manuscript.

To get started simply:

• Add this item to your cart (and the One-on-One Coaching from the Story Specialists, if desired) and proceed through checkout.
• Read the document titled “Important-Instructions-Regarding-Your-Development-Notes”, which will be presented on the Order Completion page. You may also access this document from your Order History page within your account.
• Send your project to our team for an expert analysis.

Minimum length requirement

To take advantage of this service, you must have at least 50 consecutive manuscript pages ready for review. You're welcome to submit as many consecutive pages as you like, though they must all be from the same work.

Formatting Requirements:

All documents must be submitted electronically in ONE of the following formats:

• Word document (.doc or .docx)
• Rich Text File (.rtf)
• Adobe PDF (.pdf)

All documents MUST adhere to the professional manuscript formatting standards, which are:

• 8.5 x 11 page size
• Double-spacing throughout
• 1-inch margins on top and bottom
• 1.25-inch margins on left and right sides
• Arial, Courier, or Times font
• 12-point font size

If your manuscript does not meet these formatting requirements, we will return the document to you for correction.

Confidentiality

All employees of The Writers Store, Inc. have signed a stringent and comprehensive non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement. You can rest assured that your material and conversations will not be shared with anyone. As an additional measure of protection for both you and your Story Specialist, we highly recommend registering your work with The Writers Guild of America and/or the U.S. Copyright office. If you have any questions, please call a Story Specialist at 800-272-8927.