editing of children’s and young adult’s books

genre

Sarah Endacott works on all kinds of books for children and young adults:

fantasy
picture story books
mystery novels
rhyming picture books
easy readers
stories with a “message”.

age and stage

A manuscript assessment is a careful, detailed report on all aspects of your piece of writing. It discusses style, character development, scene effectiveness, visual acuity, the demands of genre, plot techniques, point of view, structure and any other matters peculiar to your work. Your understanding of the psychological developmental stage of the child might also be relevant, and the assessment will discuss how these ideas can inspire and refine your stories.

edit or die works with all age groups and audiences:

young adult
pre-teen
under 10s
toddlers.

what’s in the report?

A manuscript assessment of a children’s book discusses:

age-appropriateness
the novelty and appeal of the idea
language
marketability
success of character
probability of empathy with audience.

what else do I get?

You will also receive a “Useful Materials for Writers” package with your assessment, which includes: contact details for agents and publishers; lists of potential markets and publications; spelling, punctuation and grammar guides; information on submitting to a publisher; how to write a cover letter; and how to write a synopsis.

artwork and illustrations

The report also comments on how the text and illustration integrate, and whether these enhance the story.

Never send original artwork with the submission. This is dangerous! You wouldn't want your hard work to go missing in the mail. Photocopies with notes on colours, are acceptable if you can't print out a copy.

what about my spelling and grammar?

Your assessment includes the first chapter or first few pages marked up by a professional editor. This helps you to understand the editing process, identify where your grammar and spelling need improvement, and learn from corrections.

how do I send my book?

Details on how to prepare your manuscript, what to include in the package and so on are in the section submission guidelines.

prices for children’s books assessments

Prices for children’s book manuscript assessments differ from those for adult fiction and non-fiction, because they are a different beast altogether. Reports for children’s books are calculated according to word count, age level and number of pictures. Please email edit or die for the cost of your report.