An assessment is an investment not only in your manuscript but also your development as a professional writer.
If you need a yardstick to gauge your work, I can reflect, interpret and confirm what is already on the page. What do I offer? Simply? An outside ear. Your first audience. An honest reaction. A mirror to reflect the success of your intention. A reader who understands the development of story and the structures that support it. And a reasoned response to your work.
My skill is in structural editing; looking at the most efficient method to tell the story you have chosen. My aims are to supply honest, constructive, and objective appraisal of your work.
I offer assessments from 4 to 5 page length (approximately 2,000 to 2,500 words). The assessment to take the form of a general response: a discussion of strengths and weaknesses, and areas of concern that may need addressing.
Generally I supply face to face/phone to phone response to work, its structure and potential development. This would be followed by a discussion of the craft skills areas, including story, plotting (how you tell that story), character, language, imagery plus point of view, structure, readability and potential guidelines for improvement (if necessary).
I am happy to supply assessments tailored to specific problems that you want answered: for example; Is this story starting in the right place? Are the arcs of action strong enough? Is this the most efficient method of telling this story?
Equally I am happy to supply longer assessments; costs would need to be negotiated.
What seems to be the norm is that this fee ends up being an initial consultation. If you decide to continue working with me on subsequent drafts, the fee schedule is dropped to the hourly rate.
For cost of my services, click on the button to see the schedule for manuscript appraisal.
I am happy to read electronically supplied manuscripts. If you do decide to forward your manuscript by email, I ask that it is in either a .doc file that can be read by a word processor, or a .pdf file.
If you prefer to send hard copy, I am happy to accept it. If you want it returned, please supply sufficient postage to cover that (self-stamped and addressed envelope preferable). If it’s not supplied, the manuscript will not be returned.
I will invoice for my work once I have completed it.
If you want to send your script with an accompanying cheque I am equally happy to accept that. The cheque will not be banked until the service is completed.
I do not have facilities for credit card/eftpos purchases. But I am happy to supply bank details if you would prefer to pay via internet banking. Those details are supplied separately and on the invoice.
The fee covers the cost of the assessment (provided in the form of a four to five page written report), which becomes the property of the writer.
Peter Matheson is a freelance dramaturg and script assessor living on the north coast of NSW. He has a scattered stable of individual clients in all capital cities, and the regions of NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Northern Territory and Tasmania as well as New Zealand, USA, Hawaii and Britain.