Do you need expert insight to help your middle grade or YA manuscript reach its full potential?
What should I expect?
In a one-hour session, our industry expert will work with you to help your manuscript reach its full potential. Feedback may include discussions of theme, structure, voice, plot, characterisation, point of view, language, dialogue, audience, genre and/or pace, as well as discussion of publishing options, time permitting.
You will receive a brief written summary of the assessor’s key feedback points; however, you will not receive edits on your manuscript submission. This one-on-one meeting is a chance to discuss issues and potential solutions, and to ask questions.
All of our assessments are carried out via Zoom or a phone call.
Is my manuscript eligible?
These assessments are suitable for manuscripts of 20,000 words or more, intended for junior fiction/middle grade readers (approximately ages 8 to 12) or young adult manuscripts. If you are writing a shorter manuscript, please see our children’s book assessments.
Submission requirements
You will need to provide the following at least 10 days before your assessment:
- the first 4000 words of your manuscript*
- a one-page synopsis, up to 300 words (need help with your synopsis? Please see our guide to writing a synopsis)
- a brief writing CV including a statement of goals for this manuscript, no more than one page
*Please note that if your manuscript excerpt exceeds the word limit, it will be truncated at 4000 words before being forwarded to the assessor. Please respect the time the assessor is dedicating to reading your work by sticking to the industry standard formatting and word limit. Thank you.
Next dates
Saturday 17 April with Leonie Tyle
Booking in
The cost of a one-hour assessment is $200 for members and $270 for non-members. To book an appointment, please email us info[at]writingnsw[dot]org[dot]au. We will confirm an appointment time with you, and then issue an online invoice. Once your payment is received we will confirm your booking. Contact us if you have any questions.
Submitting your work
Once you have made your appointment, you will need to your submission at least 10 days before your assessment as one document in MS Word format. Your document must be formatted to industry standards, as follows:
- Line spacing: 1.5 or double
- Font: Times New Roman
- Size: 12 pt
- Margins: minimum 3 cm all round (Word default margins are fine)
- Paragraphing: indent all paragraphs except the first paragraph of a new chapter or section; only put spaces between paragraphs where you wish to indicate a section break
- Text should be range left (which means the right edge is ‘ragged’), not justified
- Page numbers: consecutive from beginning to end
You can submit your document via our submission form.
Please note, if your materials are not submitted at least 10 days before your assessment, we cannot guarantee your assessor will have time to review them before your appointment.
About our assessors
Leonie Tyle has been associated with children’s books for over 25 years as a librarian, reviewer, speaker, and publisher. For thirteen years she was responsible for UQP’s children’s and young adults list, publishing approximately sixteen books a year, from picture books to young adult fiction and nonfiction. She set up Woolshed Press, an imprint of Random House, in 2008. Leonie has worked with many of Australia’s finest authors and illustrators, including Catherine Bateson, Steven Herrick, James Moloney, Brian Caswell, James Roy, Anthony Eaton, and Bill Condon. She is currently working freelance.
Leonie’s feedback was extremely valuable…She was also very affirming.
– Clare