Children’s Book Editing: use our editors to boost your chances
Children’s book manuscript edit
Get expert feedback on your children’s book
Jericho Writers was founded by writers, for writers. Four of us are published by the Big 5, while others are deep in the writing process. We carefully select the editors we work with — we choose the kind of people we’d want to guide us in our own writing. It’s this approach that has helped authors move forward with confidence, launch their careers, sign with literary agents and become Sunday Times bestsellers.
A children’s manuscript assessment will give you a report with structured editorial feedback on your entire manuscript. Perfect for authors of children’s fiction with a finished draft, including chapter books, middle-grade, and young adult. Your professional book editor will advise you on how to craft your work into shape and give you insight into the marketability of your novel. Our exceptionally strong team of children’s book editors includes writers who have won or been shortlisted for some of the most significant children’s book awards.
Your children’s manuscript assessment will include
Actionable feedback on your children’s book
Advice on commercial potential
Support tackling next steps
Detailed editorial report
Discussion with your editor
Need more support?
Work with one of our professional children’s book editors
We’ve worked hard over 20 years to hand-pick our team of expert editors. Once you buy a children’s book assessment, our Writer Support Team will match you with the editor that best fits your work. Our book editors specialise in trade fiction and non-fiction texts. They include traditionally published authors as well as publishing professionals such as literary agents and Big 5 publishers. Find out more about our editors, here.
Chloë Rayban
Editor • Critically acclaimed novelist
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
Chloë Rayban is best known for her YA novels. Her wacky, humorous ‘Justine’ novels have been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and twice for the Guardian Fiction Prize. One of them was made into a feature film by Columbia Tristar. Over the past twenty-five years, her books have been published by Random House, Harper Collins, Hodder, Headline and Bloomsbury.
Under her real name – Carolyn Bear – OUP publishes her books for younger children, the most popular being the Scrapman series, which sells worldwide, most recently in China.
- Children’s
- Young Adult
Deirdre Power
Editor • Literary Agent and Editor
- Bio
- Genres
Deirdre is a literary agent at David Higham Associates, where she assists Caroline Walsh across her list of children’s and YA fiction. Before her start in publishing, Deirdre was a children’s bookseller for many years and tutored in creative writing while she earned her MPhil in Children’s Literature from Trinity College Dublin.
Deirdre brings to her work a keen editorial eye and in-depth knowledge of the market, having worked in children’s editorial at major publishing houses with authors including Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Ravena Guron, Bill Hussey, and David Farr.
- Picture books
- Children’s
- Young Adult
Haydn Middleton
Editor • Acclaimed novelist
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
Haydn Middleton has written extensively for adults and children for almost forty years. His nine novels for adults, marketed variously as literary fiction and fantasy, include The Ballad of Syd & Morgan which was dramatized in 2023 on BBC Radio 4.
He has also written a huge number of children’s books, mainly non-fiction, on subjects ranging from Emmeline Pankhurst to jellyfish. His most recent children’s books, published under pen name Haydn Kaye, include the ‘True Adventures’ and ‘First Names’ series of historical children’s books.
- Contemporary
- Literary (Including ‘bookclub’)
- Science Fiction
- Fantasy
- Comic/satire
- Paranormal
- Children’s
- Young Adult
Philip Womack
Editor • Critically acclaimed novelist
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
Philip is the author of The Other Book and The Liberators (Bloomsbury). The Liberators was a Children’s Book of the Year for 2010. He teaches Creative Writing to BA and MA students at London University, and has been a literary critic for nearly twenty years, as well as a freelance journalist for a variety of national newspapers and magazines.
Philip is known for his honest and well-informed editorial reports – particularly those he does for children’s authors and sci-fi and fantasy writers. Philip is also a Tutor on our Ultimate Novel Writing Course.
- Contemporary
- Literary (Including ‘bookclub’)
- Crime/Thriller/Action
- Science Fiction
- Fantasy
- Comic/satire
- Paranormal
- Short Stories & novellas
- Children’s
- Young Adult
- Memoir/autobiography
- Other Narrative Non-fiction
Pippa Goodhart
Editor • Critically acclaimed novelist
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
Pippa Goodhart is the author of over 140 picture books, early readers, and MG novels. She began her career as a bookseller and advisor to publishers, working with top children’s book editors on novels by Jacqueline Wilson, Tim Bowler, Helena Pielichaty and Geraldine McCaughrean.
Her best known books include the ‘You Choose’ picture books, with sales well over a million copies. Since 2008, Pippa has been writing the well-known ‘Winnie and Wilbur’ young fiction series under pen name Laura Owen. Pippa has had novels shortlisted for the Kathleen Fidler Award, the Smarties Prize, and The Young Telegraph Book of the Year.
- Picture books
- Children’s
Why choose Jericho Writers?
Many companies promise to get your book published, but we only offer services we believe will genuinely benefit you. Unsure if this is the right fit? Give us a call – we’ll be honest with you. This commitment to integrity has helped Jericho Writers thrive for over 20 years.
Jericho Writers’ Children’s Manuscript Assessment
Other Providers
Don’t take just our word for it…
We’ve been helping writers achieve their goals for over 20 years. Here’s what some of them have had to say:
Could you be our next success story?
Over the last 20 years, many of our clients have gone on to win prizes, become bestsellers, get film and TV deals, achieve huge global sales, and more. To name a few, John David Mann went onto become a New York Times Bestselling author; Paul Braddon’s The Actuality has been optioned for a TV series; Eleanor Anstruther won the Desmond Elliott prize; and Nussaibah Younis has been shortlisted for The Women’s Prize awards. Now it’s your turn.
Get a children’s book assessment with guidance to improve your writing in as little as two weeks
Get an instant quote based on your wordcount below.
Children’s Manuscript Assessment
Express Children’s Manuscript Assessment
Find the right editing service for your book
Our children’s book editing service is ideal for authors with a first draft who are looking for a detailed, structural edit of their manuscript. For authors who have a polished draft and would like structural feedback plus in-text comments applied directly to their manuscript, then we would recommend developmental editing. This our premium editing service and is equivalent to an editorial report from a Big-5 Publisher.
Children’s Manuscript Assessment
Developmental Editing
Frequently asked
questions
Do I need to be based in the UK for this service?
Not at all, our editorial services are delivered online and are suitable for writers from all around the world.
How do I submit my manuscript?
Do you have manuscript or screenplay in need of a professional set of eyes? Here are the steps to follow to submit your manuscript for our professional editing service:
1) Select your word count in the box above.
2) Click on “Add to basket”
3) Once you’ve made your payment, you’ll be sent an email with a link to upload your manuscript.
How should I format my manuscript?
Please only upload Word documents via the online submission form. Don’t forget to number your pages and double space your lines, and use an easy-to-read font like Times New Roman 12. Editors would prefer if you could also indent your paragraphs and use page breaks throughout the manuscript.
Should I include my illustrations (picture books only)?
You’re more than welcome to include your illustrations when you submit your picture book(s) so your editor can have a look. Don’t have any illustrations? Don’t worry, this isn’t essential and in fact if you’re thinking of publishing traditionally, publishing houses will often provide their own illustrator.
How long will it take to match my manuscript with an editor?
We aim to match you with the right editor within 2-4 days. We’ll get back to you as soon as the choice has been confirmed.
How do you choose the editor?
We match manuscripts based on over 20 years of experience working with our editors. We consider editor experience, their genres of interest, and whether they themselves feel they are the right fit for your work. As all our editors are freelance, this depends on availability.
Can I choose my editor?
If you have a particular editor in mind, we will of course do our best to match you with them. We cannot guarantee this, however, as all of our editors are freelance and there are times when they are unavailable due to demand and/or other commitments.
Once you have placed your order, you’re welcome to send a shortlist of 4-5 editors from our website (and we’ll do our best to place you with your preferred editors).
Is there a discount for resubmitting the same manuscript for a second read?
Yes. You’re entitled to a 10% discount if you’re submitting the same manuscript again for a full manuscript assessment. To get the coupon code you need, just get in touch!
What if my book is good enough? Will you help me find an agent?
On some occasions, an editor will flag a manuscript as submission ready. When this happens, a member of the Jericho Writers team will look at the author’s agent submission pack and provide some free advice on it, plus access to AgentMatch. On some occasions, where the manuscript shows real promise, we’ll also approach agents on the author’s behalf.
It’s worth noting however, that this service is reserved for manuscripts which editors believe have strong commercial potential and are of a very high quality. Please don’t be disappointed if yours isn’t selected – most manuscripts require quite a few rewrites before reaching submission standard!
Which editorial service is right for me?
We offer quite a few editorial services, so you’re right to take the time to consider all of your options. The writing process is a long one, so whether it’s line editing or copy-editing, or something on a larger scale, like a manuscript evaluation or developmental edit, we have the service for you. You can take a look at all of our editorial services here. You might also like to read our article explaining all the different types of editorial services. If you’re still not sure, feel free to get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to offer more advice.
What is manuscript editing?
Manuscript editing refers to the process of receiving comprehensive, structural feedback on your entire manuscript. This professional editing includes feedback on things like structure, pacing, writing style, characterisation, and marketability. It’s helpful whether you’re looking to self-publish, or whether you’re planning on querying literary agents and becoming traditionally published.
Can manuscripts of any genre be submitted?
We offer manuscript assessments for manuscripts of all writing styles and genres, including children’s fiction and non-fiction. We will ensure that you’re matched with a manuscript editor who has experience with your chosen genre. For picture books, consider our Picture Book Assessment service. This service is not suitable for academic texts.
How do you professionally edit a manuscript?
A manuscript that’s edited by a professional editor will often go through several rounds of edits. The big picture types of editing (developmental edits, structural edits etc) will often be used in the early stages of a manuscript’s development, while other types of editing that focus on the more minute, sentence level details (copy-editing, proofreading etc) are used once a manuscript gets closer to completion and/or publication. Our manuscript editors have lots of experience working in the publishing industry, and they’ll work with you to enhance your manuscript.
How long does it take to receive my editorial report?
For standard editorial reports, our team expect to deliver your editorial report around three to four weeks after receiving your manuscript. Express reports can be delivered in up to two weeks.
Will I be able to discuss my report with my editor?
Following your editorial report, there will be an opportunity to check in with your editor via email. At this stage, you are welcome to ask a few follow-up questions regarding your editorial report. If you’d like to continue working with your editor on your manuscript, you could book one-to-one mentoring. These are flexible, online sessions that can be tailored to your needs. Find out more about Mentoring here or get in touch with our Writer Support team.
Not the right service for you?
Whether you’re looking for detailed structural edits, line-editing, or you’re just getting started and need some feedback on your opening chapters, we have you covered.
