Nonfiction covers a wide range of categories and genres. It’s quite different from fiction. Fictional stories are made up, so writers don’t have to stick to facts or formulas—although even sci-fi and fantasy still need to feel believable within their own worlds. Fiction has to be plausible. Nonfiction has to be accurate and well-organized.
At Book Magic, we look closely at how your nonfiction manuscript is structured. We check that your Table of Contents makes sense and that your topics flow logically. Does everything move smoothly from one section to the next? Is one area overdeveloped while another is underexplained? We consider all of this when we evaluate a nonfiction manuscript.
We also make sure you’re not repeating yourself—so something you cover in Chapter 3 doesn’t reappear in almost the same form in Chapter 13. We assess whether your vocabulary and tone fit your audience, and we flag anything that looks inconsistent or is likely to confuse readers, even if it makes sense to you as the writer. We also check hyperlinks to make sure they still work and aren’t pointing to outdated or broken sources, and we review your references section.
Our editors watch for wordiness. Sometimes a point that could be made clearly in a few lines ends up stretched over several paragraphs. Or a section might drift off track or fit better earlier in the book. We look for parts of the manuscript that are extremely engaging and those that are not so informative or entertaining. A manuscript can start off strong, but lose momentum partway through—we’ll point that out too.
When we highlight issues, we also suggest ways to fix them. We don’t just point out problems and leave them there; the goal is always to help improve the manuscript in a practical way. And we don’t just look for problem areas; we analyze strengths as well as weaknesses in your manuscript. We know it can feel daunting to hand an unfinished manuscript to a stranger. Many of us at Book Magic are writers ourselves, so we get it. We treat every manuscript with care and respect, and we aim to give feedback that is clear, constructive, and kind. Our goal is simple: to help you strengthen your book and feel good about it when it’s done.
Even if your manuscript is already strong, an evaluation can still be valuable. It gives you a second set of eyes—someone objective looking at your work with a fresh perspective. After writing for months or even years, most authors lose objectivity. We don’t have that issue because we’re seeing your manuscript for the first time. Everything is new to us, and our evaluation process has been refined over decades of working with writers.
We’re also trained in plain and inclusive language. That means we can point out unnecessary filler words, tighten up your writing, and help make your message clearer and more direct. We’re also aware of modern language use and can help to ensure your writing is clear, respectful, and free of outdated or potentially unintended wording. Most readers really appreciate that kind of clarity.
A nonfiction manuscript evaluation includes detailed comments in the margins of your Word document where we ask questions, flag areas for improvement, and suggest possible changes. You stay in control throughout—you decide what recommendations to implement and what to leave behind. In the end, getting an evaluation before proofreading or copy editing can make a significant difference in the quality of your book. It often leads to a cleaner, more professional manuscript that’s much closer to being publication-ready.
Manuscript evaluations are 2 cents per word.
