Manuscript & mentoring services
Do you need to get your manuscript ready for publisher submissions?
And elevate your writing fast?
Stef can provide a detailed assessment of your picture book, junior fiction or middle grade manuscript to help you get published or provide you with mentoring to improve your craft.
Stef Gemmill is an international award-children’s author and technical writer with 20+ years of writing and editing experience. Through her role as the Program Director of the Sketch ‘n’ Scribe Festival, Stef has a deep understanding of the Kid Lit industry and what publishers are seeking right now.
“I signed a picture book contract with New Frontier Publishing, thanks to Stef’s manuscript assessment, where she provided detailed guidance on how to edit my manuscript to perfection.”
Ashling Kwok- published children’s author
Manuscript assessments
Before you hit the ‘submit’ button to a publisher, your manuscript needs to be 100% perfect. There are no second chances to resubmit the same manuscript twice. A detailed, written assessment will provide you with clear direction on how to get your manuscript submission ready.
A manuscript assessment includes';
In-depth reading of your manuscript and feedback on the ‘page turns’ for both pacing and illustrations (for picture books)
A detailed report highlighting the manuscripts strengths and areas for improvement with a focus on the story hook, plot, character arc, character voice, word count and use of language.
A list of publishers that are a good fit for the manuscript
Tracked changes with detailed line edits
Pricing
Cost is based on below:
One picture book up to 1000 words $130 + GST
1,000 – 5,000 words $300 +GST
5,000 - 10,000 words $550 +GST
20,000 – 30,000 words $700 +GST
30,000 – 50,000 words $900 +GST
Mentorships
Stef’s one-to-one tailored mentoring focuses on guiding you to improve your craft, deepen thematic elements, and develop your manuscript to a publishable standard while navigating the wider publishing industry. This is a fantastic follow-up to a manuscript assessment to help you continue on your path to publication.
Stef will set you specific goals and tasks to complete to support elevating your writing and overall writing practice. Communication can include emails and ZOOMs over a set period. This back-and-forth communication is particularly valuable if you are in the earlier stages of your manuscript or if you’ve hit a wall and are unsure how to proceed. It’s also an opportunity to workshop your completed manuscript and receive specific advice. The hours will include reading time of your writing.
Each mentorship is tailored according to where you are in your writing career and what you’d like to focus on improving.
Pricing
The hours can be tailored accordingly.
3 hour mentorship - $300 +GST
6 hour mentorship - $500 + GST
10 hour mentorship - $800 + GST
CURRENTLY CLOSED
Opening again in January 2027