Get your manuscript ready to submit

Manuscript evaluations

As a book editor, my job to help you make your manuscript as good as it can be. That’s what I’m trained to do. I work with all sorts of fiction and personal stories for adults. In kid lit, I work on everything from board books, to picture books, to middle grade and young adult books, both fiction and nonfiction.

My aim is to tell you what’s working, what’s not, and to explain how to make your manuscript live up to your vision.

For a manuscript evaluation, I’ll have a long Zoom meeting with you to discuss your work’s strengths and weaknesses and to explain what you need to do to develop it to its full publishing potential. 

In addition to the evaluation itself, I’ll mark up your manuscript with detailed comments in the margins and on the backs of pages so that you can see exactly where you're doing something right and where you could make your work stronger, and how to fully develop your manuscript so it’s the very best it can be.

In addition to full manuscripts, I’m also happy to help with shorter projects, such as writing query letters or working with you on your picture book(s) or strategizing on aspects of your manuscript or ideas. But that, I can do throughout the year. In the summer – starting in June – I have time to work on several complete, novel-length projects.

So, if you’d like a spot for your manuscript on my summer schedule, please let me know – as soon as possible, while those spots on my schedule are still open.

What previous clients say:

"Brian’s the real deal.  He isn't just an inspiring teacher – he's plugged into the publishing world! He got me an agent who sold my first novel, to publishers around the world.  My 13th novel, The Awakening – a YA urban fantasy – hit number 1 on the New York Times bestsellers list."

~ Kelley Armstrong, Aylmer, Ontario (Currently, Kelley has about 60 books published)

Hello, Brian. I’m writing to thank you for your help and advice in both tweaking the manuscript and crafting the query letter for my novel, THE NAME’S GEORGE. I’ve had four requests for the full manuscript as well as one request for a partial. I'm thrilled and hopeful that I can write you again soon with news that I’ve secured an agent. Thanks again and all the best,
Shauna Clinning, Oakville, Ontario [P.S. Shauna did get an agent.]

Brian, You helped me re-work my query letter. Before that, I'd queried dozens of agents, and guess how many of them asked to see my manuscript? None. After you helped me rewrite, I sent my new query to six agents and all of them asked to see my full manuscript. It was like I discovered the secret password.  Thank you so much,
~ Sohan S Koonar, Windsor, Ontario. 

“Brian Henry is a skilled query doctor – I've had a look at some queries he's worked on with authors. He took a query that would have been an immediate "Pass" and transformed it to a compelling query that made me want to read the book right away. I highly recommend Brian to any author who is struggling with getting manuscript requests and needs to take their query to the next level.”

~ Michelle Johnson, Literary Agent and Founder of Inklings Literary Agency

P.S. If you want to know how to write a query that’s gets a yes from an agent, you can also come to one of my “How to Get Published” workshops. See here.

Rates: 

For very short works: Query letters and picture book manuscripts

$80 per hour, plus hst. Assume it will take me about an hour to read and to write in suggestions and edits or to rewrite your query, as needed, and then (included in that time) I’ll email you your edited work and we’ll chat on the phone about it.

For short works, to 52 pages (13,000 words): $55, plus $5 per page. 

For example, three 5-page short stories costs:

Each story: $55 + 5 x $5  = $80 + 13% hst = $90.40 x 3 = $271

For longer works, over 52 pages: $210 + $2.00 per page. 

For example, a 200-page manuscript costs:

200 x $2 + $210 = $610 + 13% hst = $689.30

Note: Rates are based on standard length manuscript pages of 250 words. So “per page” means “per 250 words.” Every 1,000 words counts as 4 pages. To calculate the number of standard size pages, multiply your word count by 4 divided by 1,000. For example, a 75,000-word manuscript is 75 x 4 = 300 standard pages. A 50,000-word manuscript is 50 x 4 = 200 standard pages.

Also, add 30 cents per page (includes hst) to partly cover the cost of printing your manuscript and mailing it back to you. 

The easiest and cheapest way to send your manuscript is to email it as an attachment.

And the easiest way to pay is by Interac e-transfer or go old-school and mail your cheque separately.

To reserve a place on my summer schedule, email me at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See all of my upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here.