The Fearless Fast Assessment

FEARLESS HOME • LITERARY SERVICES
BOOKS • FEATURES • KEEP IN TOUCH

Incredibly astute in his observations of a new author’s work, Patrick Miller of Fearless Literary advised me to concentrate on a single story line, as opposed to the four in my original manuscript. Following his lead, my story began to flow as it never had before. Taking the time to motivate a new author, he also kept me on track. His responses were prompt, his editing excellent. — Susan Krauser, author of Lilith A. Wilith (Lilith & Co., 2002)

ARE YOU wondering if your book project has what it takes to get published? Have you been turned down by too many agents or publishers without getting a clue about what you could do to improve your chances? Do you wish you could have the input of a literary professional without waiting for months?

The Fearless FAST ASSESSMENT Service is designed to address these needs. For $850 you will receive an informed assessment of your book project, and in most cases you will get it within three weeks of submission. (We will let you know if the assessment will be delayed because of a scheduling backlog.) You’ll receive both literary and marketing advice, as well as specific direction on the most sensible “next step” for your writing project.

The FAST ASSESSMENT is based on the same principles that we have used in writing scores of full literary critiques for authors, agents, and publishers — a service currently priced at $1895. Full literary critiques offer a detailed assessment of completed manuscripts. The FAST ASSESSMENT gives you a quick response to a fiction sample or nonfiction proposal — exactly the same material you would initially submit to a literary agent or publisher.

Here is what you need to send for your FAST ASSESSMENT:

a cover letter introducing yourself and your writing project

a synopsis (plot summary) for fiction, and a summary or table of contents for nonfiction

a 50-page sample (about 15,000 words, one or two sample sections) of writing from the project

for nonfiction, any additional proposal elements (marketing statement, chapter outline, etc.) that you have ready

For the fastest turnaround, all these materials should be submitted in a single text or Word file and e-mailed to Critiques@fearlessbooks.com. Alternatively, you may send a hard copy to:

FEARLESS BOOKS
Fast Assessments
P.O. Box 1292
Berkeley CA 94701

PLEASE NOTE THAT RESERVATIONS ARE NOW BEING TAKEN FOR ASSESSMENTS & CRITIQUES. If you would like to reserve a start date for the next available Fast Assessment or Critique, write Critiques@fearlessbooks.com and we will get back to you with the current schedule and reservation information.

For a quick review of a book idea, see our Great Idea Review.

SOME
FAST ASSESSMENT
FAQS
How can my book manuscript be assessed on the basis of a 50-page sample?
The fact is that agents generally make their first assessment of a writer’s work based on far less than 50 pages. Both the virtues and problems of anyone’s writing style will be adequately revealed in a 50-page sample. Please note that the sample should be either one continuous section of the manuscript or two sections of approximately equal length.

Why must I submit a cover letter?
Because it is a more important selling tool than your manuscript when you are making the first approach to agents or publishers. Often they get no further than a cover letter before deciding to turn down a project. Thus, the cover letter should be the key to making editors want to read more of your writing. Send the same cover letter that you would submit to an agent or publishing house, describing your project and yourself as concisely as possible. (For more hints, see the Fearless “How to Get Published” page.) Don’t be surprised if your FAST ASSESSMENT has just as much to say about your letter as your writing sample. Often the cover letter is the “weak link” in a writer’s presentation when he or she has been concentrating on the manuscript.

What’s the purpose of the synopsis or summary?
The synopsis (plot summary) for fiction, or the summary (or table of contents) for nonfiction shows how well you understand your own writing project, and how well it has been plotted or organized. With a writing sample and synopsis or summary, it’s easy to grasp the readiness of the project as a whole without spending much more time (and thus more of your money) examining an entire manuscript.

What is the difference between a FAST ASSESSMENT and a full literary critique?
A literary critique analyzes a full manuscript, and may be useful when you are polishing a project before it is submitted, or troubleshooting a manuscript that has been turned down before. A critique will focus on both literary and marketing aspects; a Fast Assessment chiefly helps you improve the presentation of your idea.

Who will be writing my Fast Assessment?
The principals of Fearless Literary are Fearless Books founder D. Patrick Miller and Sari Friedman. Read our bios here.

More questions? Send them on before submitting your material and payment for a FAST ASSESSMENT.

C L I C K T O :
HOME • BOOKS from Fearless • REVIEWS