Manuscript assessment

Manuscript assessment and more

When you send your written work to Live Writing we establish exactly what it is that you need and then ensure as close as possible a match between editor and writer. No matter what sort of writing - a novel, poetry, creative non-fiction, short stories, a children’s book - Live Writing will give you honest, constructive feedback in a comprehensive report. The Live Writing team is highly competent and skilled, with years of writing and editing experience. We number among our ranks published authors, prize-winning poets, playwrights, journalists, copy writers, graduates from creative writing programmes and creative writing tutors. To find out more about Live Writing’s experienced team, see the Live Writing team.


Once you have received a report from a member of the Live Writing team, you will know exactly where it is that you need to concentrate your energies. Maybe you will need to address structural issues; perhaps your voice is inconsistent; it could be that there are areas of confusion when it comes to setting. Once you have sorted out these issues, should you decide that you require further editorial or writing support, The Live Writing team also provides mentoring, content editing, line editing and proofreading services as well as guidelines, advice and assistance with writing synopses, covering letters and book promotions. We even offer to help with co-writing or ghost-writing should this be what you need.





Honest constructive feedback – this is what writers need and value. At Live Writing we are delighted to be able to tell you what works in your writing – it is as important to affirm what is good as it is to point out where changes need to be made. However, we are not here to flatter you. Our job is to assess your writing carefully, and let you know what needs to be worked on. In no way will we mislead you about your writing ability or about the standard of your writing. We will always respect your hard work and commitment to your writing but if we feel that you need to re-write  completely – we will say so. If we feel that you have a great story idea but need co-writing assistance we will not hesitate to say this. In cases where we feel that your work has strong publishing potential, we will, if you would like us to, approach publishing companies on your behalf.


Should you wish to submit your work to Live Writing for assessment, please make sure that you read and follow the submission requirements, that you understand how the fee structure  works and that you have read our terms and conditions.

Overseas clients

The prices quoted here are in South African Rands and are applicable to people living in South Africa. Because of the fluctuating foreign exchange rates, bank rates and the cost of postage and packaging, it is not possible to give an accurate quote for work done for foreign clients. Should you be living abroad, or in another part of Africa, and wish to engage our services please contact us and we will give you details of our highly competitive rates for all writing services.