Discovery Draft Evaluation
Still drafting and wondering if your scribbles have potential? Have a lot of ideas on the page and need a sense of which direction to go? I’ll read through your rough, incomplete draft and tell you where there’s treasure to be found.
I’ve never had a manuscript cross my desk and thought, “What trash! There’s nothing here.” There’s always promise, even in the roughest of drafts. A Discovery Draft Evaluation is a type of alpha read. It’s all about looking through those messy, incomplete drafts to find which threads, with enough love and care, have the potential to turn into a story readers could love.
In this type of evaluation, the focus is on the overarching story threads and if they are interesting enough to hold a reader, whether or not characters resonate, and if the themes are working or are strong enough to work as you keep going. It’s not about targeting individual moments or issues within the draft (for that, see Developmental Editing).
Here's What Happens
- I’ll read through your draft once, taking notes on what plot seeds and characters stand out to me as having the most potential, what’s not drawing me in, etc.
- Feedback will be delivered in a 4–5 page report that is broken down into what’s working, what threads I suggest pursuing further, and what’s not working and why. This isn’t about telling you what’s incomplete—the entire draft is incomplete!—but instead is about questioning the world or characters and where they aren’t coming together to serve what you’re trying to do, what questions are still being unanswered, etc.
Fiction rate: $0.02 USD per word (including any outline if provided)
Minimum: 35,000 words. For manuscripts under 35,000, please reach out for a quote.
Common Questions About This Service
Why do I need a Discovery Draft Evaluation?
That’s for you to answer. This is not an expected or required level of feedback that every author will feel inclined to pursue.
However, for authors who feel they are writing themselves in circles or who don’t know which of their many great ideas to follow, a Discovery Draft Evaluation can help with choosing a direction and pursuing it with confidence.
How soon can you complete my evaluation?
Typically I offer a turnaround of 2–3 weeks, which includes a buffer in case of illness or emergency. However, the real answer is that it entirely depends on just how long your discovery draft is. For some authors, a discovery draft is only 10–15,000 words. I’ve had others that were much, much longer with a lot of potential starts and stops.
After I have the full details of your draft, I’ll be able to provide a firmer turnaround time as part of my formal proposal.
Do you work on my genre?
I specialize in the following:
✓ Low and high fantasy
✓ Soft sci-fi, dystopian, or parallel worlds
✓ Folklore and mythology retellings
I also consider coming of age, adventure, supernatural (that leans toward fantasy), romance (low– to medium–spice), mystery, memoir, and horror (up to middle grade) on a case-by-case basis.
I do not provide feedback on high romance, heavy spice, erotica, horror (above middle grade), supernatural that leans toward horror, heavy violence or gore, and most nonfiction.
I'm not sure which service(s) I need. Help!
If after reading through the services you’re not sure what you want to do, reach out! We can schedule a brief intro call to discuss your needs and your budget to determine the best path to take.
What do you need to know about me and my work?
I approach manuscripts from a point of curiosity and problem-solving. When you hit that contact button, help me get a sense of what we’ll be doing together by including:
Working manuscript title
Genre
A brief (1-2 sentence) synopsis
Word count (including the outline if you wish me to look at that along with the incomplete draft)
Is there a specific reason you feel you need help at this stage/an area in which you feel stuck?
How do you best receive feedback? Do you prefer light and breezy, cutthroat, honest, a back and forth discussion, etc.
I prefer feedback in a call. Can we do that?
Sure. Clients are welcome to add-on a virtual chat for the length they feel works best for them. (This can be added on when booking or after the fact, but should be held within 30 days of feedback delivery.)
What happens after I reach out?
- We’ll connect and I’ll send you a link to schedule an intro call (if you want!). We’ll get to know one another and discuss your project.
- If you think you may want to move forward, I’ll provide you with a quote, an estimated time to complete, and tentative delivery date.
- You review my proposal and realize that I can help take your work to the next level.
- You say, “Let’s do this,” sign the contract I send you, and pay the retainer fee. Then it’s all on me to dive into your fictional world and get to work!
I just need to think out loud or run ideas by someone. Can we talk?
Sure! I offer a complimentary 15-minute intro call for all new clients to discuss services and needs. For deeper conversations, you can book a 30-, 45-, or 60-minute craft chat to ask questions, brainstorm, and talk through ideas.
How do payments work?
For Discovery Draft Evaluations, I require an upfront retainer fee of 50% of the estimate (based on the state of the manuscript and the word count you provide) or $500, whichever is greater, to hold your spot in my schedule. (If your project is $600 or under, I will ask for full payment upfront.)
The remaining balance (adjusted higher or lower to reflect the actual manuscript word count) is due within (10) days of project completion and before I will return the edited manuscript to you.
Alternative payment schedules may be considered for existing clients with a positive payment history.
Preferred payment methods: Zelle (U.S.) or Wise (International). Alternative methods available upon request.
If I work with you, will I get published?
There is a lot more to getting published than putting words to the page. Editing is one step. Marketing is another. But there are factors in between that are entirely up to you and the industry. I can tell you that I’ll provide you with expert feedback and guidance based on my subjective experience and expertise, all intended toward perfecting your writing.
Time to find the diamond in the rough.
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