What is the first step to a successful novel? It’s opening sentence and chapter! Your first chapter draws your readers in. The difference between your work being carried out from the bookstore or left on the shelf. Between an agent or publisher taking you on or sending a rejection letter.
Whether or not you are publishing online, self-publishing, or sending off your your manuscript for agent querying, a first chapter critique is a beneficial tool to determine how strong your first chapter is.
How Much Does a First Chapter Critique Cost & What is Included?
Cats Coffee Con Law offers first chapter critiques at a flat-cost of $35.
This includes developmental editing (see developmental editing tab to get a better understanding of what developmental editing is) and line editing (line-by-line editing that examines sentence structure, word choice, flow, readability, etc.)
A manuscript evaluation is a great way to help determine what works and what doesn’t with your manuscript, while putting the major decisions in your hand.
What is a Manuscript Evaluation?
A manuscript evaluation will look at the content, structure, style, pacing, cohesiveness, format, plot and characters from the very first to very last page of your manuscript. A manuscript evaluation is a great option for all authors, especially self-publishing ones who want to see what works in their story, what gaps exist, which characters, scenes or chapters are superfluous, and/or where pacing is a bit off.
How is a Manuscript Evaluation & Developmental Editing Similar?
Both review the content, structure, style, pacing, cohesiveness, format, plot and characters in your work, requires a SWOT analysis (identifies your work’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities for growth and threats to success), and requires a certain degree of author-editor collaboration. They both want to answer how readable is manuscript and how successful is your story at portraying what you want to portray.
What is the Difference Between a Manuscript Evaluation & Developmental Editing?
Manuscript Evaluation
Developmental Editing
Type of Feedback
Feedback is more general with illustrative examples
In-depth feedback with in-text comments
Recommendations
Provides recommendations that you may decide how & what to act upon
Transforms/shapes your manuscript and requires editor-author collaboration to decide how and what should be acted upon
Finance & Time
Cheaper & Shorter
More Costly & Longer
Manuscript evaluation better serves earlier iterations of your work where you are not quite sure what needs to be changed, if your plot, characters, writing style, etc. work. Developmental editing comes after you have made substantial edits to your work/ after a manuscript evaluation (should you elect to have one).
What do you offer?
Whether you just finished your manuscript, finished your first round of self-edits, or wherever you are in your editing process, Cats, Coffee, Con Law is here to help!
What you will get:
An analysis of your overall work
An analysis of how well your work fits its genre
Character, plot, and subplot analysis
Dialogue & action feedback
Pacing and readability feedback
Content ordering feedback
Multi-page editorial letter
One-hour video chat with editor to discuss your feedback
How Much Does it Cost?
Cats Coffee Con Law believes in transparency!
Manuscript evaluation costs $0.020 per word.
If you choose, you can send a 1,000 word sample to see how well you like my service that I will evaluate for you for free and to get a free-quote on what a half or full manuscript evaluation.
