Editing / Assessment Agencies
Three kinds of assessments are offered, as below. Your story will be read and thoroughly edited online and you will also receive a written report outlining the strengths of your manuscript and suggestions for ways in which you can improve it. If Di believes your story is publishable, she will suggest a number of Australian publishers to whom you can submit the manuscript.
When you have made payment (and informed Di), you can submit your story as a Word document and editing will be undertaken online. It usually takes fewer than five days for Di to read, edit and assess your manuscript from the date of submission. You are also welcome to ask any questions before, during and after assessment.
Di’s email address is dibates@outlook.com; she responds as soon as possible to all emails.
Picture Book Assessment
For books under 500 words, the assessment will cost you $100. For books between 500 and 1,000 words, the cost will be $150.
Junior Novel
Your novel, for children aged 8 to 12 years, should be about 25,000 words and no longer than 45,000. The cost is $10 per 1,000 words.
Children’s Non-Fiction Book
As for junior novel. Testimonials are available on request.
Payment
Apply to Di at dibates@outlook.com for how to pay.
About your assessor
Dianne (Di) Bates has published over 130 books for young readers in her 35 year writing career. Some of these books have been published overseas and won national and state book awards, including two children’s choice book awards. Di has also worked as a newspaper and children’s magazines editor. In 2006 she founded Buzz Words, an online magazine for people in the Australian children’s book industry. Di has received grants and fellowships from the Literature Board of the Australia Council. She also received the Lady Cutler Award from the Children’s Book Council of Australia for distinguished services to children’s literature.
Di offers online writing courses for adults writing for children; (she will send full details, if you are interested), and since 2006 had produced the twice monthly children’s book industry newsletter Buzz Words.
Di is married to prize-winning YA author Bill Condon; they live in Wollongong, NSW, and share a website: http://www.enterprisingwords.com.au.
Jane Smith is a Queensland librarian, author and freelance editor with a particular interest in history. Her books include the non-fiction ‘Australian Bushrangers’ series, the ‘Tommy Bell: Bushranger Boy’ and ‘Carly Mills, Pioneer Girl’ historical fiction series for children, as well as two books for adults: the biography Captain Starlight: The Strange but True Story of a Bushranger, Impostor and Murderer and Ship of Death. Three of Jane’s children’s books have been listed for significant Australian literature awards.
In her spare time, Jane enjoys reading, singing in a community choir, and having coffee and cake with friends at what they loosely call ‘Book Club’.