This page is currently being assembled based on clients’ queries to make it as useful as possible. Please e-mail any questions you have to:
mail@childrensfictionservices.com
| (Q) | I haven’t finished my novel yet. Can I get it appraised? | |
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Yes! In fact, we warmly welcome partial manuscripts. However, we request, with even preparatory chapters, a brief overview of the novel to enable us to put your writing in its context and to tailor our appraisal to your writing needs. | |
| (Q) | Does sending you my book guarantee publication? | |
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We are not publishers, nor directly affiliated to any particular agent or publishing house, and as such cannot guarantee publication. However, what we will do is give you impartial and honest feedback on how we think you can give your book the best chance of success. In addition, after having appraised complete books, manuscripts of the very highest standard will be provided with a letter of recommendation from ourselves to include when submitting to agents or editors.
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| (Q) | How do I know that my ideas won’t be copied? | |
| (A) |
We take the issue of confidentiality of manuscripts very seriously. Your manuscript will only be seen by the reviewing Editors at Children’s Fiction Services.
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| (Q) | I have just received a ‘Taster Appraisal’ back from you and am keen to have more feedback. If I send chapters that include the same first ten pages, do I get the reduced rate? | |
| (A) |
Our Follow-Up Appraisals at the reduced rate of £2.50 per thousand words are only available to writers who have previously submitted a manuscript to us for an In-Depth Appraisal. Following a Taster Appraisal, we charge £3 per thousand words, regardless of whether we have already seen the work or not. This is because our In-Depth Appraisals are very detailed and we add comments directly into your manuscript.
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| (Q) | I have just received my appraisal and would like to discuss some of the points raised. Can I e-mail you to ask questions? | |
| (A) |
We are happy to respond to minor queries and requests for clarification at no extra charge. We then ask that you spend some time revising your manuscript following our guidance before re-submitting. If you have received a Taster Appraisal, you might then like to request an In-Depth Appraisal of either a longer section or the full manuscript (£3 per thousand words). If you have already received an In-Depth Appraisal, you can take advantage of our reduced rate (£2.50 per thousand words) by sending us redrafted text of already-appraised sections. We can also provide a quote for any further discussions you would like prior to submitting or resubmitting a manuscript.
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| (Q) | Will you accept handwritten manuscripts? | |
| (A) |
Sorry, but no. All submissions must be word-processed, as any agent or publisher in the highly competitive area of children’s publishing would now expect.
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| (Q) | Aargh! I have just received your Appraisal and it means re-writing my whole manuscript! Shall I give up now?! | |
| (A) |
Editing and redrafting your manuscript are a vital part of the writing process, so do not feel discouraged if we have raised issues we feel will improve your work. This may be the first time you have received comments on your writing. We always aim to provide honest and constructive feedback. Give yourself time to take in our points. Read the books we have suggested to you. Remember that our services can be tailored to exactly match your writing needs and we can provide a quote for any on-going discussions you might require.
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