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The information on this page should help you understand exactly how JBWB works to get you published. However, should you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at doug@jbwb.co.uk
FAQs:
Why should I choose JBWB? What makes you better than the rest?
How will you work with me on my manuscript?
How do I send you my manuscript?
Do I need an editor? It is well known in the publishing world that writers who employ editors succeed. Those who don't, fail. Good editors know not only the technical aspects of writing, they also know what sells and what does not sell and they know how to get the job done right the first time. You may have worked on your manuscript so often that you are now unable to spot simple errors in your story. It costs very little to have an expert cast a professional eye over your work and give you an honest and helpful opinion on its structure - and then advise you on the best place to send it. JBWB can also pass on some 'trade secrets'. Every craft has its inside knowledge...
Why should I choose JBWB? We offer unparalleled levels of service.Your manuscript becomes as important to us as it is to you. We assess how much help you require, and we give it – comprehensively, professionally and with full commitment to your needs. Unlike other critique and editing agencies, once we've worked with you on your manuscript, we don't cast you off to fend for yourself in the ruthless world of publishing. JBWB is always here when you need us. Questions, worries, problems - or hopefully advising us of your successes - we're never more than an email or phone call away.
How will you work with me on my manuscript? Our Full Critique and Editing service is the most comprehensive we know of. We read and assess your work, furnishing you with constructive criticism along the way. We will comment where necessary on your plot, dialogue, characterisation, style, presentation etc., letting you know where your writing succeeds and where it fails, constantly suggesting improvements. As well as this, the service includes professional line and copy editing, in which attention is paid to all aspects of grammar, spelling, punctuation and the clarity and flow of your sentence structure. Finally, we will suggest any potential markets and/or agents, and offer hands-on assistance with your covering letter and synopsis.
JBWB keeps the entire process simple and straightforward and aims for as rapid a turnaround time as possible. Send your manuscript by email whenever you're ready, making it clear which method of payment you intend to use - online by credit card, or cheque by post. Your work should be attached to the email in Microsoft Word format (if you're unclear on how to do this, or don't have Microsoft Word, contact us and we’ll be able to help).
JBWB uses the annotation facility in Microsoft Word to make suggestions wherever necessary on each page of your manuscript, and once payment has been received, you'll be sent a ‘Test Run’ file to explain this procedure more fully. Working this way is extremely simple and saves a lot of time - all our clients love it. Then, as time allows, we’ll send completed chapters to you until we've progressed right through your novel. (If you're submitting a short story, the work is usually done in one fell swoop, of course.) Your manuscript will not only be professionally critiqued but fully line-edited as well, and each correction or amendment will be marked in red font so that you can quickly spot it.
How do I send you my manuscript? Send your manuscript by email whenever you're ready, making it clear which method of payment you intend to use - online by credit card, or cheque by post. Your work should be attached to the email in Microsoft Word format (if you're unclear on how to do this, or don't have Microsoft Word, contact us and we'll be able to help).
Do you help with approaching publishers and agents? JBWB's sole aim is to see you get published, and if we think your work has potential, you'll have no better friend at your side to prepare you for this sometimes gruelling process. Once we've read your manuscript, we'll know it nearly as well as you do, and so we can advise on the best possible target markets for your work, or point you towards a suitable agent. We provide help with your cover/query letter and with your synopsis - all of this is included in the fee. There are no hidden extras.
How long does it take?A short story usually takes a week to ten days. Sometimes, a full-length novel (eighty to a hundred thousand words) can be completed in as little as eight to ten weeks; however, you should be aware that thoroughness will always be more important to us than speed. Manuscripts that contain a multitude of errors will take longer. As we use Microsoft Word’s annotation facility, though, we critique as we go – line by line, paragraph by paragraph – and so you are soon able to build up a picture of the areas of your manuscript that require most attention. And because we work in sequence with our clients, this will give you the opportunity to make any suggested amendments while waiting for the next batch.
How much does it cost? The JBWB fee structure can be found HERE. Rest assured that we understand all about the struggling writer, and because of this we are willing to arrange payment in instalments, if required.
Rewriting After you have amended your manuscript in line with the suggestions made by JBWB, you may want us to take a look at your rewrites, and we are always perfectly willing to do this (sometimes for a reduced fee, depending on the level of work involved). And if a publisher or agent is waiting in the wings, we will always try to give your manuscript priority.
Ghostwriting Should you feel you need a ghostwriter, not an editor (if, for example, English is not your first language), then JBWB does undertake this type of work. You will need to contact Doug Watts at doug@jbwb.co.uk and give him details - but be warned that ghostwriting is not the same thing as editing; it is a much lengthier process and the fees are considerably higher.
Free Critique So that you can see for yourself the high quality and level of professionalism offered by Jacqui Bennett Writers Bureau, we offer a way in which you can benefit from our services, free of charge and with no obligation. Why not e-mail the opening paragraphs of your novel (max 300 words - as a Microsoft Word attachment only) for free constructive comment and critique? (NO POETRY PLEASE.)
Copyright (c)1998-2019 Jacqui Bennett Writers Bureau
Jacqui Bennett Writers Bureau, 87 Home Orchard, Yate, South Gloucestershire BS37 5XH
e-mail: doug@jbwb.co.uk