Programs and Services

» Manuscript Evaluation Service

Professional evaluation at a sensible fee

The Manuscript Evaluation Service assists writers at all levels of development who would like a professional response to their unpublished work. The service is available to ALL Saskatchewan writers, and uses the talents of Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild (SWG) published members. The SWG offers this service with the generous partnership of the Saskatchewan Arts Board.

What the service can do for you. 
You will receive a written evaluation that includes the following: 

• An editorial assessment of your manuscript in progress. 
• A summary of the strengths and weaknesses in terms of publishability. 
• Advice on steps that you may take to further develop your manuscript or advice on marketing and publicity. 
• A response for up to 3 specific questions that you may submit with your manuscript separately.

Your manuscript will be sent to a published author—either one we select who will then give you an anonymous evaluation, or a certain author you request. If you wish to have a certain author evaluate your work, then you must contact the Program Manager in advance.

Depending on the length of your manuscript and the availability of evaluators, the entire process may take 6 to 8 weeks or longer. You may use this service only once every twelve months. The availability of this service is contingent on someone willing to read your manuscript.

The Guild wishes to emphasize that use of its Manuscript Evaluation Service will not guarantee publication. Please also note this is an evaluation service, not a page-by-page/line editing service, and only overall comments will be made. Do not expect corrections or editorial comments on the manuscript itself.

How to Submit:

Manuscripts must be submitted in the following manner:

• submissions must be in English
• all material must be typed in body-text fonts like Times New Roman, Courier, or Arial (not in display fonts like Monotype Corsiva)
• font size should be 12 pt
• entries must be on white 8 1/2 by 11 inch bond paper of standard weight like 20-pound
• entries must be single-sided (if the manuscript is large, please contact the Program Manager about double-sided)
• entries must be printed in black ink
• pages should be numbered sequentially
• double-space prose (entire manuscript); poetry may be single-spaced 
  to fasten submissions, use paper clips (including fold-back clips) or rubber bands for bulkier manuscripts—avoid staples or any other fastener which goes through the paper (including binders, presentation covers, or coil binding)
• do not fold sheets
• you must have a cover page that includes the following: 
  1) your name, 
  2) the number of words in the manuscript, and 
  3) the type of work (e.g. science fiction, young adult novel, prose poetry, short story). 
  Whether your name appears anywhere else in the manuscript is up to you. 
• we cannot consider manuscripts submitted by fax or email or on disk
• to have your manuscript returned, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope

Always keep a copy of your manuscript for your files.

Fees:

Please pay by cheque or money order made out to the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild, or online by PayPal. 

NB: Your fee represents only 40% of the total fee received by the evaluator. The remainder is subsidized with the generous support of the Saskatchewan Arts Board.  

Submit your manuscript to:

Yolanda Hansen
c/o Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild
Box 3986
Regina, SK  S4P 3R9

Contact the Program Manager at programs@skwriter.com or at 306.791.7743 for any further information