Pricing
75.000 words = € 500
For every 1000 words over 75k, another € 10 is added.
Developmental Assessment
Congratulations! You've finished the first draft of your novel. Did you know only about 3% of people who start writing a novel actually finish the first draft? And that writing the first draft is the hardest part and takes up about 75% of the work?
Give yourself a pat on the back. You did it!
Now, that file you have there is probably looking a little messy. Characters may have changed names throughout. An aunt turned into a sister. Your characters are always hanging out in kitchens and it seems to be Thursday every day of your novel.
The pacing is all over the place, your character motivations are questionable at the best of times, and you honestly have no idea what to do with all of that.
To put it in the words of Ted Lasso: 'Don't fret, Boba Fett!' I've got you.
What I offer
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Character
What drives them? Is there a clear character arc? Do they have distinct voices? Are the things they do consistent with their personalities? Does the chemistry work? -
Plot
Can your readers describe the plot in a few sentences? Are there any plot holes? Is the premise intriguing? Do you have a clear hook? Does everything make sense? -
Pacing
Is the reader immediately hooked? Or does it take a while to build? Are some parts fast paced and others a little too slow? Does every chapter have a purpose? -
Setting
Where are your characters? Is it important to the story? Are they always in the same room? -
Writing
I am not a copy editor, nor a proofreader, but I will pay attention to the flow of your writing. Is the dialogue natural? Do you use enough action tags or maybe too many? Are there certain words that keep coming back? Are you showing or telling?
A written report that focusses on these five key areas.
A 15-minute call before I start so you can tell me about your vision and a 30-minute call afterwards, once you've had a chance to read the report.
Why me?
Sophie Hamilton - Author of More Than Nothing
Malika has a talent for spotting all the places where my writing loses pace or my characters forget to grow and develop. She's been invaluable to me as an early reader, seeing the very roughest of my initial drafts and providing me with incisive feedback which opened my eyes to issues I was too close to see. When she says I need more jeopardy, I know I need more jeopardy!
Eleanor Jones
I was really nervous to hand over the first draft of my manuscript to anyone, but I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to work with Malika and receive some essential
feedback and advice through her developmental assessment.
Thanks to her report, I’ve got some great new writing targets to work towards and I feel really motivated to work on my manuscript with the intention of elevating it to a standard ready for literary agents. I would absolutely come back to working with Malika for my next draft and really value her opinion and expertise.
Elaine Hastings - Author of
When We Were Young
Malika is my go-to for beta reading. She has a knack for not only identifying problems, but also brainstorming solutions for them. Her big picture editing skills are as sharp as her eye for finer details. I highly recommend her services. Whatever stage you’re at with your writing, she will undoubtedly elevate your manuscript.