Stage one

Somebody reads it before anybody quotes.

You cannot price a book you have not read, and you cannot tell an author the truth about one either. So this comes first, it costs nothing, and it is allowed to say no.

What we are reading for

Four things
we look at.

  • Readiness

    Whether editorial work will improve this draft, or whether it wants another pass from you first. These are different answers and only one of them is worth paying for.

  • Structure

    What the book opens with, where it loses its grip, what is doing work and what is not. Most manuscripts have one structural problem and fixing it changes everything downstream.

  • Voice

    Whether somebody is speaking on the page. This is the thing that cannot be added later, and the thing a bad edit removes.

  • Fit

    Whether Grand is the right house for this particular book, which is not always yes. A book we cannot make well is a book that does nothing for either of us.

The three answers

One of these,
and we say which.

  1. 01

    Proceed

    The manuscript is at a stage where the work we would do will improve it. You get scope, schedule and cost in writing before anything starts.

  2. 02

    Revise and return

    It is not ready, and we will tell you what specifically. Come back when you have done it — there is no charge and no time limit on that.

  3. 03

    Not a fit

    The book is fine and we are the wrong house. We would rather say so than take it on and do a mediocre job.

What our authors say

Most of them started exactly where you are, with a chapter and no idea whether it was any good.

See all our reviews on Trustpilot

Our authors are seen on

BBCDigital JournalIrish Daily MailThe Yorkshire PostWashington City PaperThe Chronicle Journal

Assessment
questions.

No. The read and our answer are free, and there is nothing to sign at this stage.

Send your opening pages.

A working editor reads them and writes down where the book actually stands. It costs nothing, it comes back in writing, and it is yours to keep wherever you take it next.

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