For writers with a finished draft
Before the agents do, and before the readers do. A full read of your manuscript and a 5,000–7,000-word development memo: what’s working, what isn’t, and what to fix first.
Fourteen years as a creative development executive, paid to find the reason stories weren’t working.
Sound familiar?
A writer sees what they intended. A development executive sees what’s actually on the page.
Assessment or developmental edit?
Editors and coaches use these terms differently, so here’s the distinction I work by.
Start here if you don’t yet know what’s wrong
A full read of the book and a written report on the big picture: structure, character, stakes and pacing, and what’s working as well as what isn’t.
Useful once you know what the problems are
Scene-by-scene notes throughout the manuscript, showing where and how to make the changes.
The Full Manuscript Assessment gives you the diagnosis. If you want help carrying out the revision, the development packages pick up from there.
Where to start
$1,400
You’ve finished a draft. Now you need to know if it works — honestly, specifically, and from someone who has evaluated stories at the professional level for nearly twenty years.
$322
Want a second opinion on one section first? The right pair of eyes on the right problem, right now.
What writers say
“Shawn offers clear, constructive feedback that really lands. After one session, I felt a door had opened — and that real growth was actually within reach.”
“Shawn is a really great support. He is always there to respond, and the answers he gives are detailed and sincere.”
Questions
The Full Manuscript Assessment covers up to 90,000 words. If yours is longer, get in touch and we’ll work out the scope.
Turnaround is three to four weeks. Availability is limited, so it’s worth contacting me first.
You get one follow-up email Q&A within five days of delivery. If you want help carrying out the revision, the development packages pick up from there.
Not primarily. My work is development: whether the story works, why it doesn’t yet, and what to do about it. Prose gets addressed where it’s doing structural damage, but this isn’t a copy-edit.
Free · No obligation
Twenty minutes to talk about the manuscript and work out which kind of support it actually needs.
