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Manuscript Critique

My manuscript critique services involve looking at your story from the reader’s perspective. While there is some basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checking, the main focus revolves around character development, believability, pacing, and plot holes. I look at what you excelled at, what could be improved, and what would make readers quirk their eyebrows, and say, “I don’t think John would really do that,” or “Even if they were mates and had some sort of preternatural bond pulling them together, a guy who has been very homophobic throughout the story wouldn’t be so quick to accept that he is now mated to a man, even one as effeminate as Todrick.”

Gold Manuscript Critique

October 11, 2017July 31, 2021

comprehensive manuscript critique

The more comprehensive gold manuscript critique is an excellent option if you want what I call “story mechanics diagnostics”. Basically, it’s an in-depth look at how the developmental elements of your story work together at a chapter level.

At the end of the comprehensive manuscript critique, you’ll receive an editorial letter (i.e. the global comments as in the silver critique), and a separate Revision Notes document which has an analysis of what works and what could be improved in each chapter of your book, and how those pinpointed elements contribute to the overall reader experience.

Note: Authors I’ve worked with in the past like to keep a copy of the Revision Notes next to them as they work as a “revision cheat sheet”.

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Silver Manuscript Critique
Developmental Edit

Hello, Lovely!

Welcome to The Ribbon Marker blog!

My name is Kate Marope, and I'm a developmental editor who adores HEAs and helping authors fine tune their books to build engaging and emotionally complex reading experiences.

If you are looking for lots of self-editing tips, in-depth reviews, case studies to learn from, and just general bookish tomfoolery—you've come to the right place. So take a look around, and I hope to hear from you soon!

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The Build UpThe Build Up by Tati Richardson




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Normally my word for the year reflects my general attitude and approach to life that year. For 2022, it was Fotseke. I was chasing away my fears and self-doubt.⁠

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About Me

My name is Kate Marope, and I am a developmental and line editor with eight years’ experience working with traditional and self-published authors, both as a freelancer and as an editor at various publishers →

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Please be aware that this website uses affiliate (referral) links, and any purchases made using those links in posts may result in me earning a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read the full affiliate disclosure here.

 

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