Writing is far from an exact science and something we’re extremely proud of offering at Redemption Press are our professional workshop-style services. One of which is a Manuscript Evaluation.
No one is born with the gift of excellent writing. There’s a lot to the craft of writing that must be learned, and practiced, and refined. We don’t often see our own mistakes and are blind to the flaws that effectively hide inside our manuscripts. Without another set of eyes to review and critique our work, we are bound for mediocrity in our writing. Of all writers, Christian authors need to be committed to excellence in everything they produce.
Even Spirit Led Authors Need an Editor
You might say you’ve had your spouse read your manuscript, or maybe even a good friend who is a high school English teacher. While that’s a good thing, it’s still not enough. Why?
Well, first of all, those who know you tend to be much more forgiving than a professional who doesn’t have a personal connection with you. But here’s the real kicker. Your spouse or friend, that person knows your story too well. If you are missing a transition or there’s a hole that doesn’t jive with the flow of the story, because they know you, they won’t notice the problem like an “outsider” would. In fact, because they understand the back story, they will automatically “fill in” the hole without realizing it…leaving you without the critical feedback that is so necessary.
Redemption Press offers two different levels of manuscript evaluation: a mini evaluation and an extensive. In the Mini Evaluation our editor will read through the first 3 chapters (up to 8,500 words) and give a sample edit for you to learn from. The idea being you will take what you learned and apply it to the rest of the manuscript. The more in depth option, of course, is the Extensive Evaluation, where our professional editor reads through the entire manuscript and provides feedback, concise written recommendations, and ten pages of sample editing. These evaluation services are incredibly important if you are committed to being teachable and producing the best possible manuscript.
We recently worked with an author who had some outside help on his manuscript; however, this person only cleaned up grammar…she didn’t help him delete unnecessary content, trim rabbit trails, and refine the message. When our professional editor completed the extensive evaluation, her feedback and recommendations reshaped the entire manuscript for the better, making it a much more effective ministry tool. My motto has always been…if you’re going to self-publish, the last thing you want to do is look (or read) self-published! Having a professional evaluate your manuscript could be the most important thing you do in the publishing process. We’d love to help!
-Athena
