Jackie Bates Editorial Services

Manuscript Evaluation aka Editorial Assessment

If you have a complete manuscript and want very broad feedback, this would be a good option. I’ll read your manuscript and write a detailed ‘reader’s reaction’ analysis for you. Let me know if there’s anything you want me to focus on – dialogue, pacing, plot. I’ll tell you if I think the book is the right length for the story, if there are any major structural problems, and if you’ve there are scenes, characters or themes that need further development.

The First Three Chapters

If you’ve just started something and want a second opinion, you could send me the first three chapters or around 10,000 words. I’ll flag up any major issues you might need to work on before you go any further. I’ll mark up issues using Word’s ‘Track Changes’ and Comments features. I might make suggestions on style changes or small details. A synopsis (if you have one) would be useful, so I can see where the story is going beyond the section you’ve sent me.

This would be a good choice for anyone who is just beginning their writing journey.


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The First Ten Pages

If you want a very quick evaluation of how your manuscript reads, this might be useful. The first pages are important – getting them right is vital.


Synopsis Critiques

No one likes writing synopses, and they can be tricky. You’re sometimes too close to your story to see what you need to say. I can help with that.  ​​

Developmental Edit

I’ll read your completed manuscript and give you thorough, detailed feedback on the whole thing. This might include structural suggestions, notes on character development, plot development and style. I’ll be looking at whether you have a good balance of description, exposition, action and dialogue, as well as checking for any clichés or stereotypes that could be avoided. Is there enough suspense, jeopardy, conflict? Does each scene progress the narrative? Are there any repetitive words or phrases you should look out for/remove?

Unlike a manuscript evaluation, in a developmental edit I’ll also do some copy-editing, recommending specific changes relating to word choice and sentence structure, as well as looking out for things like repetition and problems with consistency.

The mark-up will be done using Word’s ‘Track Changes’ and Comments features. I will also write separate notes covering some of my manuscript Comments in more detail.
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This is ideal for the writer who has already revised and self-edited their manuscript and shared it with critique partners, and wants an intense, professional eye cast over it, perhaps before submitting it to agents or publishers, or self-publishing. 

Copy Edit

This is probably what most people are thinking of when you mention editing. It’s the detailed technical process of looking at a manuscript line by line, for inaccuracies, anomalies, repetition, and confusion of meaning, as well as checking punctuation, grammar, spelling (including ensuring consistency in terms of UK or US spellings) and style. It can involve making suggestions for tweaking sentence and word order, and fixing problems with tense. If I spot issues with plot or character, I will bring them to your attention.



If you’ve already shared your book with other people who have made developmental suggestions, this is the next stage. It’s a good option if you’re planning to self-publish or about to approach an agent. It always helps to have a pair of fresh eyes look at your work.

Proofread

The final polish for a finished document or manuscript. I’ll look for typos, check your spelling, punctuation and grammar, and mark up any issues like incorrect hyphenation, incorrect/inconsistent spelling of names and places, ambiguous or confusing words, missing words and unfinished sentences, inconsistencies in the style of numbers, dates and times, inconsistencies in spacing and/or font size, colour and style, and incorrect word breaks, sentence breaks or page breaks.

I can proofread a document using ‘Track Changes’ in Word, or mark up a PDF, whichever you prefer. I can even do it on paper if you send me the physical pages. I’ll work to a style sheet if you have one, and if not, I can make one for you.

“Jackie has been my editor for the past eight years. During that time she’s edited all of my published books, quickly becoming an indispensable part of the publishing process. While undoubtedly improving my own writing skills, Jackie’s input has also enabled me to please my readers and make a decent living from writing. Combining an excellent knowledge of the English language with a thorough and thoughtful approach, Jackie will always be my first choice of editor.”
Mandy Lee, author of the best-selling You Don’t Know Me trilogy

“Jackie delivered 100% of what I needed her to deliver for me, and then did a bit more. She helped me to do a little more thinking and reflecting. I recommend her.”
Keith McCoy

“I was very impressed with Jackie, her responsiveness was very professional but above all she really went the extra mile on proofing. She found inconsistencies I and others had missed, provided guidance if something didn’t quite make sense and of course did a first-class job proofing. Highly recommended.”
Nick de Bois

“Jackie took my project and worked hard on it. I liked her honest criticism of the manuscript. Her professionalism and the style of a caring but tough editorial acumen impressed me. I want her to edit my next book.”
Shukdeb Sen

“Jackie has yet again provided brilliant feedback on the final instalment in my Northern Rivers Series. She’s been my editor since my first book and I’ve learnt so much on our journey together about plot direction, character development and authentic dialogue. It’s my pleasure to enthusiastically recommend her to other writers of fiction.”
Jane Ellyson