Assessors who know the business of writing

Driftwood shares the expertise of award-winning authors, experienced editors and highly published freelance writers who work with enthusiasm, skill and understanding to help emerging writers fulfil their potential.

Access to more than 40 specialised assessors enables us to match the reader’s interest and experience with your manuscript’s genre or type.

To ensure confidentiality and independence, authors’ names are not released to assessors and vice versa. Copies of manuscripts are not retained.

Your assessment and report

Assessments provide a rigorous and helpful critical reading of your work to aid further detailed self-editing. The assessment results in a comprehensive report.

Each assessment looks at the technical and artistic merits and possible shortcomings of your manuscript and its potential relevance in the publishing market.

Where a manuscript is considered exceptional by the assessor and director, you will also receive a separate review. However, Driftwood recommends that writers focus on using their report to produce the best possible manuscript.

Driftwood’s reports are not designed to promote your work or to be submitted to a publisher or agent. In the first instance, the report is intended to provide advice on fulfilling your own intentions in the work.

Driftwood does not act as a literary agent.

Your report will address both craftsmanship and artistry, ranging from grammar and presentation to the effect and integrity of the whole.

The report will be direct in criticism and praise, and your assessor will give reasons for his or her judgments.

The assessor does not usually mark the manuscript but some assessments involve a first chapter edit if this is an area of concern. Your report will cover related editing issues specific to your manuscript.

Finding a publisher for fiction manuscripts.