Manuscript Assessments
This year IF Maitland is pleased to be introducing manuscript assessments into the program.
The face to face component of these will take place at Mansfield House on Sunday, May 30th. Each face to face session will last a total of 15 minutes. Prior to that, those who have booked assessments will have to upload their manuscript using the link provided at the time of booking.
Assessments will be based on the first 2000 words of a manuscript (or two 500 words picture book manuscripts).
Anthologies of poems may also be submitted with a maximum of five poems and no more than 1000 words in total.
If uploading a document that contains more than the first 2000 words, you must clearly indicate the point at which the word count has been reached.
You will also need to upload a 500 word synopsis (and yes… we want to know how the story ends).
There are only eight available sessions with each assessor and the times are not transferable, so please choose your session carefully. We are structuring the program so most panelist sessions will be completed by the time the assessments begin.
The cost of all assessments is $110 GST inclusive.
All uploads must take place on or before midnight on Saturday, April 10th.
The Assessors
Sue Whiting
YA, Middle Grade, Picture Books
Sue Whiting is a children’s and YA author and editor who has worked in publishing for two decades. Sue was senior commissioning editor and publishing manager for Walker Books Australia for many years before leaving in 2016 to concentrate on her writing. As a storyteller and schools’ performer, Sue has informed, inspired and entertained thousands of kids across the country. She is also a freelance children’s book editor and writing coach, and the author of numerous books, including the bestselling Missing, the award-winning A Swim in the Sea and the CBCA Notable Books, Platypus, Get a Grip, Cooper Jones and Beware the Deep Dark Forest. Sue has two new releases in 2020: The Book of Chance a mystery/suspense novel for readers 10+: and Good Question, a picture book illustrated by Annie White.
David Musgrave
Poetry, Fiction
David Musgrave is a poet, novelist, publisher and critic living in Newcastle. He has published 6 books of poetry and one novel, as well as having edited numerous other works. In 2005 he founded the independent literary publishing house Puncher & Wattmann. He is currently deputy Chair of Australian Poetry and deputy chair of World Poetry, a Hainan-based poetry organisation, as well as being the Australian editor for the journal World Poetry.
Ed Wright
Fiction, Non-Fiction, Memoir, Poetry
Ed Wright is a Hunter-based writer, editor and critic. His latest book of poetry is Gas Deities (Puncher & Wattmann 2020). He is the founding director of the Creative Word Shop which teaches Creative Writing to adults and children and provides editing and manuscript assessment services. Books he has worked on have been short-listed for a number of awards including the Miles Franklin and Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. Since 2014 he has been the Fiction Publisher at Puncher & Wattmann. He also writes a review column on Australian Literature for The Australian.
Claire Bradshaw
Speculative Fiction, General Fiction
Claire is a freelance editor and proofreader based in Newcastle. She holds a B. A. in English and Writing and a Graduate Certificate of Editing and Publishing. Claire specialises in helping authors prepare their manuscripts for submission or self-publication, particularly those in the fantasy genre. In her spare time, you’ll either find her reading or drinking endless cups of tea while writing things of her own.
Brian Purcell
Fiction, Non-Fiction, Memoir, Poetry
Brian Purcell graduated with an MA in Writing from Sydney’s UTS in 2001, specialising in the novel. He has been publishing poetry for forty years. Apart from being an award-winning poet, he is also a painter, and was the singer/lyricist for the band Distant Locust, which released records and toured Europe in the nineties. He was the founder and for many years the coordinator of the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival. He’s worked as an editor/proofreader and manuscript assessor for both his own agency, and for the major manuscript agencies Lynk (2003-06) and The Manuscript Agency (2015-2016).
Jennifer Sharp
YA, Children's, Romance
Owner of small publishing company, Daisylane Publishing, Jennifer Sharp is a local writer, coach, mentor and publisher. Whilst working as a primary school teacher for almost twenty years, she also worked as a freelance editor, proofreader and assessor for a variety of diverse publications.
