GALLEY BEGGAR SCHOOL

Classes, reading groups, mentorships and salons 

Editorial feedback

IF YOU’RE WRITING A BOOK, YOU’RE ALREADY DOING SOMETHING CHALLENGING AND WORTHWHILE. It can be a lonely process, however – and our editorial feedback service has been especially designed as a way to offer engaged and constructive feedback on your manuscript. Editorial feedback reports include:

  • A written report from one of our experienced editors on your work (who are also there to answer any questions you might have about the publishing industry, and the process of publication); and

  • The option to submit, alongside your manuscript, (i) a covering letter outlining any specific questions and concerns about your project; (ii) the option, once you have received your report, to submit a follow-up email with any queries arising.  

WHAT DO EDITORIAL REPORTS COVER?

Reports can be structured in a number of ways, and will be tailored according to your needs:

So for example, what you may be most interested in is receiving an honest assessment and advice on your work in progress.

If you’re a fiction writer, you may have stumbled on a plot hole, be experiencing trouble with character or pace… You may be unsure of your structure, your timeline, your dialogue…  Or perhaps it’s none of these things, and instead you want something more general – a fresh eye to look over a sample of your work and give feedback on where you are and how to go forward.

Alternatively, it may be advice on publishing that you’re after. You may feel confident about your own writing, but have practical questions about the wider landscape: How to tailor your submission letter, how best to pitch yourself, how to get going when it comes to seeking out agents and publishers…

Here too, we can draw on decades of experience. We will also offer you honest, rigorous advice on navigating the submissions process. We can talk through the pros and cons of self-publishing, whether to hold out for a mainstream publisher, what kinds of books are best placed and where… and just generally offer up some of the statistics and hard numbers involved in publishing today. 

KEY DETAILS AND FEE STRUCTURE

We are open to submissions for editorial reports throughout the year.

Our current fee structure is as follows:

  • £180 for an editorial report on up to 15,000 words of any manuscript (this can be your opening chapter or another extract). (To book a report, head here.)

  • £290 for a report on manuscripts or extracts of up to 30,000 words. (To book a report, head here.)

  • £400 for a report on a full-length manuscript of up to 60,000 words. (To book a report, head here.)

  • For a full manuscript assessment on works longer than 60,000 words, the fee is £400 + £4 for each additional 1000 words. (For further information, email info@galleybeggar.co.uk.)

  • In addition to these services, we also offer an online editorial surgery (via Zoom), which you can find more details on here; and also a ‘Submission package’ report for £210 (feedback on the first 10,000 words of a manuscript, your covering letter and a synopsis.)

Once we have received payment, you will receive an email inviting you to submit any further information (including your areas of concern, and/or what you would like us to focus on), together with an address to submit your manuscript (as well as, if you’re gearing up for submission to publishers, a covering letter and a synopsis).

Your report will be sent to you within a month of submission, and will typically be 1500–2000 words for shorter assessments (on extracts of up to 15,000 words), and 3000–4000 words on longer manuscripts.

Reports are focused on fiction writing – novels and short stories – and we do not currently offer editorial feedback on non-fiction, poetry, or other genres.