The Manuscript Appraisal Agency, established in 1996, provides professional manuscript development services for authors, agents and publishing houses. We offer manuscript appraisals, mentorships and editing (copy editing, structural editing and proof reading). We use senior, experienced publishing industry personnel to work with your manuscript. Our work is widely supported by the publishing industry, literary agents and writers associations as a professional service for writers.
Our commitment to our clients is to provide the most considered, objective assessment of a manuscript and a commercial evaluation of it from a publishing perspective.
WHY CHOOSE THE MAA?
Established for over 25 years, The MAA was one of the first of its kind to offer manuscript development services to authors and writers.
Recommended, supported and endorsed by publishers, literary agents, writers’ centres and the Australian Publishers’ Association. We are connected and involved in writing and publishing communities, and are respected as experts in our field. We are often invited to writers’ events to share our expertise.
All assessments are produced by highly experienced publishing and writing industry personnel. All of our editors must have extensive publishing industry experience.
We offer objective and insightful feedback to help you take your writing to the next stage in its development.
We know how brutal the world of publishing has become and what is needed to have a chance to be seen and read by literary agents and publishers. AS professionals in the publishing industry we are also able to provide guidance on navigating the industry itself.
MANUSCRIPTS WE WORK WITH
We accept the following types of manuscripts for appraisal:
- Children’s books
- Illustrated novels
- Fiction for all age groups and in all genres
(including: literary, YA, sci-fi, thrillers, fantasy, crime,
historical, romance, chick lit, the list is endless…) - Non-fiction
- Series concepts and themes
- Poetry
THE TEAM
The MAA engages a team of publishing industry professionals including editors, publishers, authors, sales & marketing directors, book retailers, journalists and lecturers – no matter which of these groups your appraiser fits into, you can be sure that we have a professional with an expertise in your genre.
We have a team of more than 30 specialised assessors, allowing us to match the appraiser’s particular experience to your manuscript.
In order to maintain objectivity our appraisers remain anonymous to the writer. This is also due to our assessors working across the industry. They continue to do this work because of their passion for comprehensive content development.
ABOUT MAA DIRECTOR:
KIT CARSTAIRS
Kit has a background in book and magazine publishing, academic research, marketing and broadcasting. She has over a decade of experience working with a wide variety of content including: fiction and general non-fiction (craft, gardening, general DIY, food titles, history, general reference, photography), as well as working with corporate and academic content.
Having worked both as an in-house editor and a freelance editor in publishing, Kit has a comprehensive understanding of the importance of content development and the need for authors to be proactive in developing manuscripts that represent their full potential. Kit understands the world of publishing and the cooperative nature of the roles played by various parties.
Kit lives and works in the beautiful Upper Blue Mountains, about 2 hours out of Sydney, Australia.
ABOUT EX-MAA DIRECTOR:
BRIAN COOK
Brian established The Manuscript Agency in 1996 and was proactive in the growing industry of manuscript appraisal and development.
Brian started in publishing in 1969 and has worked for Australian and international publishers in all areas of publishing, from sales and marketing to managing and directing editorial units in adult and children’s fiction and non-fiction lists, and buying and selling rights around the world.
In July 2014 Brian Cook sold The Manuscript Agency to Kit Carstairs, who brings with her a wealth of experience in contemporary publishing and hands-on content development. Kit knows about writing and what writers need to develop their work to its full potential.
Brian now focuses on his successful literary agency, The Authors’ Agent.