And that's where an Editorial Assessment becomes THE answer to seeing your book objectively, from an editor's perspective.
Introducing
Srishti’s Editorial Assessment
{Your Book, Through an Editor's Eyes}
Say goodbye to rereading the same chapters and still not knowing what's off, and say hello to knowing exactly what your book is doing on the page with my big-picture editorial assessment that helps you see what's working in your story, what's holding it back, and why.
If you're a fiction writer who has self-edited until you can't see the page anymore…
If you're a fiction writer who has self-edited until you can't see the page anymore…
OR an author who's already been through a developmental edit {or months of querying} and still feels like something's missing!
Annd you find yourself saying…
“I wish someone could just tell me what's really going on with this book"
- this is for YOU.
Srishti is excellent at balancing what worked and what didn’t work. She is very knowledgeable, has an expansive understanding of structure and is a true professional. I look forward to hiring her again for all my books.
Jules Anderson
Jules Anderson
Everyone {& their mom} has an opinion about your book... your friends, your partner, your beta readers.
But none of them can tell you why your story is or isn't working.
And if that wasn't reason enough to pay attention…
- You get a 100% human assessment {zero AI, ever} from an experienced editor who has studied how every piece of your story is working together.
- You finally see what's working beautifully in your book, so you know exactly what to protect as you move forward.
- You get a big-picture assessment of what's holding your story back and why, so conflicting feedback stops pulling you in ten different directions.
- Your vision stays yours. I assess how well the page delivers the story YOU set out to tell, with zero pressure to bend it toward my personal taste.
- And all in all? You get to choose your next step {revise, query, or self-publish} as the author who knows her own book inside out.
{P. S. I can't promise you an agent or a 6-figure book deal… nobody honest can... but I can promise you'll know exactly what your book is doing on the page}.
You've written the book. You've edited it.
And by every measure you know, this book is DONE...
So why does it still feel like something's missing?
- Maybe you're on month eight of querying, opening yet another "thanks, but this isn't for me," with zero clue what's making agents pass.
- Maybe you've worked with an editor before, but some of their notes never quite sat right with you... and now you can't tell whose instincts to trust: theirs or yours.
- Or maybe you've made every change on your list, and you're staring at the "final" draft thinking, "okay... but is it actually working now?"
Slowly, the confidence you had when you typed “The End” is starting to crack.
And you begin wondering…
Have I spent years on something that's never going to go anywhere?
Buuuut... you don't have to keep guessing. Not anymore.
What if you could finally see your book the way an editor does... PLUS know exactly where it stands before you make your next move?
{so you can finally revise, query or hit publish with complete clarity}
Hey, I'm Srishti
Over the years,
I {Srishti} kept getting the same kind of email.
They’d written the first draft.
Self-edited.
Taken feedback from family, friends & beta readers.
Some had even worked with other editors.
Then, revised sincerely.
ANND their books were actually DONE!
Yet, something wasn’t landing the way they wanted.
They were stuck querying agent after agent, or feeling frustrated after endless rounds of ‘just one more revision.’
At this stage, they did NOT need someone to rework their story.
They just wanted an experienced editor {or a second opinion from a new editor} who could read the book and tell them, honestly, what was going on.
So, I built Srishti’s Editorial Assessment for exactly that moment.
Here's what makes
Srishti’s Editorial Assessment worth it:
01
An editor's objective perspective {not just another opinion}
You get what's working, what's holding your story back, and the craft reasons behind both. So for once, the feedback you get actually explains itself.
02
Your story VS your Author Vision
Before I read a single page, you'll tell me what you want this book to be. Then I assess how close the page gets to that story, so I’m never biased around my personal taste.
03
A reader's experience, through an editor's eyes
I track where attention dips, where emotion lands, and where confusion creeps in... and then I identify what's causing it. Beta readers can tell you where they got bored. I'll tell you why.
04
100% Human Editorial Perspective
Every insight in your assessment comes from me actually reading and thinking through your book. I never use AI for client projects and this is reflected in my contracts as well.
Imagine going from…
FROM THIS
- Rereading a previous editor's notes, half nodding and half arguing in your head, unsure whose instincts to trust
- Rereading your query letter after another form rejection, hunting for clues about what turned them off
- Opening your old draft and your revised one side by side, unable to tell if the new version is actually better
- Wondering if your book needs another big round of work... or if it's closer than you think
TO THIS
- Trusting your own instincts again, with a clear, objective second opinion to weigh every note against
- Getting clear, specific insight into why your story may not be clicking with agents yet... so your next move is an informed one
- Knowing which parts of your story are strong enough to protect, and which few things are genuinely holding it back
- Making your next move {revise, query or hit publish} based on what you know, as the author who knows her own book inside out
If you’re ready for it, then…
It’s time to discover…
Srishti's Editorial Assessment
{Your Book, Through an Editor's Eyes}
Srishti's Editorial Assessment is a big-picture evaluation of your full manuscript that shows you exactly where your book stands: what's working, what's holding it back, and why... so your next move {revise, query or hit publish} is one you make with total confidence.
YES, I’M READY TO GET MY ASSESSMENT
Here’s what's waiting for you
Editorial Assessment Report {10-15 pages}
Say goodbye to piecing together scattered opinions about your book.
Your assessment is divided into 12 focused sections covering every big-picture element of your story, allowing you to see exactly where your book stands, all in one place.
Inside you're getting:
- Overview of the Manuscript so you know I've truly understood what your book is trying to achieve before anything else.
- Strengths of the Manuscript so you know what's working already and deserves to be protected in every future draft.
- Story Structure & Plot Development so you can see whether your premise, stakes and tension are carrying the story from beat to beat.
- Character Arcs & Emotional Development so you know whether your characters' motivations and growth are landing the way you intended.
- Setting, Worldbuilding & Description so you can tell if your world feels vivid and believable without weighing the story down.
- Narrative Voice, Tone & Writing Style so you know whether your voice stays consistent and if the writing style is serving the story.
- Point of View, Pacing & Narrative Flow so you can pinpoint where your story's momentum builds, and where it slips.
- Themes & Emotional Impact so you know whether the moments that matter most to you are hitting readers just as hard.
- Reader Experience: Immersion & Confusion Points so you can see specifically where a reader might get pulled out of your story {and why}.
- Areas That May Be Holding the Story Back so the biggest concerns are summarized in one place for you to check off your list.
- Market Positioning & Genre Expectations so you understand how your book sits within its genre and what readers will expect from it {honest perspective, zero publishing promises}.
- Your Top 3 Focus Areas so you know which three things matter most for your book right now, out of everything in the report.
30 Days of Email Support
Say goodbye to being left alone with your feedback.
For 30 days after your report lands, you can email me any questions about your assessment. Whether you want me to clarify an observation or explain a point in more detail, reach out and I’ll be happy to answer.
How It Works:
Here's what happens once you're booked in:
STEP 1
Tell Me About Your Book
You'll fill out a short onboarding questionnaire and upload your full manuscript. This is where you tell me what you want your book to be, so I can assess it against your intentions.
STEP 2
I Get To Work
I'll read your entire manuscript, start to finish, and evaluate how every big-picture element of your story is working. 100% human, zero AI.
STEP 3
Your EA Delivered
Your 10-15 page Editorial Assessment Report arrives within the agreed timeline, with everything from your strengths to your Top 3 Focus Areas.
STEP 4
Email Support
You get 30-day post edit email support, so you can reach out to me with any questions about your feedback. Whether you want me to clarify an observation or explain a point in more detail, I’ll be happy to answer.
Or if you prefer to talk it all through in one go? You can book a 60-min Editorial Consultation Call with me at a special rate, just for EA clients.ss
What My Author Clients are saying:
Srishti is excellent at balancing what worked and what didn’t work. She is very knowledgeable, has an expansive understanding of structure and is a true professional. I look forward to hiring her again for all my books.
Jules Anderson
Srishti gave many helpful insights and suggestions for how to make my story the best it can be. I am so thankful for her time and attention to detail. She had many suggestions on plot, character, and voice that were both actionable and impactful. Thank you!
Amanda M Dew,
Author of Love, Peter
Excellent advice and knowledge with a professional presentation. The insight was clear and helpful with critique delivered in a helpful, non-emotional fashion. As an author, I am looking for fresh eyes to help me see my blind spots and this review was helpful.
Renda Knapp
Srishti provides excellent feedback and critiques. I always look forward to her honest opinion and I’m convinced I can further my craft as a result of it. I would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a solid review of their work.
Ben Walker
Author of Volturim
Everything noted by Srishti is just perfect. The points I had a doubt about have been clarified. Love the way the feedback is given. It helps in understanding the flaws and now I know the areas I need to focus on. Thank you very much!
Girish
I was very apprehensive sending out my first novel to be read for the first time. Srishti was very kind, and patient with me. She explained everything I needed to do and she did an amazing job, way more than I expected. She gave me some great feedback that I can now work with, and an overview of the entire novel, that was both critical and fair. Her kind words have give me the confidence I need to now make my novel the best it can be. I would recommend her service. And I would definitely work with Srishti for my following novels.
Stuart Alwyn White
Author of Escape From Iron Mountain
So... what's the investment?
Your investment depends on your manuscript’s word count, so every quote is custom.
Just fill out the Editorial Assessment request form, tell me a little about your book, and your quote + timeline will land straight in your inbox within 1-2 business days 💛
Wondering who's going to be reading your book?
Me! {Srishti, the human behind Kathansh} 👋
I’ve spent 5+ years reading stories from every side of the desk: winning writing contests, earning my MFA in Creative Writing, working at a publishing house, and now editing 170+ projects for 80+ authors.
Which means I’ve seen a LOT of books that were almost there {and weren’t ;}
So, I can usually tell you why.
When you hand me your manuscript, you get an editor who carefully reads every page, engages with the story as a reader-first-editor-second perspective and then, {kindly!} tells you the truth.
Srishti provides excellent feedback and critiques. I always look forward to her honest opinion and I’m convinced I can further my craft as a result of it. I would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a solid review of their work.
Ben Walker, Author of Volturim
Ben Walker, Author of Volturim
Let's Clear the Air…
Beta readers and critique partners are wonderful! They can tell you how your book made them feel. But they read with their own tastes, and they rarely know why something isn’t landing.
An Editorial Assessment brings years of industry knowledge to your whole manuscript, so every observation comes with the reason behind it.
And don’t even get me started on AI – the devil. Yes, it can summarize your plot and maybe give you a few pointers based on the generic norms. But it can’t really notice that your big reveal should’ve made a reader gasp… and didn’t.
That takes a human who has actually read your book and experienced the story like it is meant to be.
Yes! In fact, many of the writers who come to me for an assessment have already worked with another editor.
Here’s the thing: your previous editor read an earlier version of your book. Since then, you’ve revised, rewritten, maybe even reimagined whole sections… which means the story on the page *today* is one no professional has looked at yet.
Or it’s possible that you’re not fully sold on the other editor’s take on your book, so then a fresh pair of professional eyes can help you figure out which instincts to trust.
An Editorial Assessment gives you an objective second opinion without having to start a whole new editing process from scratch.
Every manuscript {and every writer} is at a different stage, so there’s no one-size-fits-all answer here.
Just fill out the request form and tell me where you’re at with your book. I’ll look at your answers and let you know whether an Editorial Assessment is the right fit for you right now… or if something else would serve your book better.
Fair worry! Nobody wants a fancy report that just sits in a folder.
But here’s what I’ve seen: most writers who come to me are stuck for one simple reason. They can’t see what’s actually going on in their book. And that’s exactly what your assessment hands you.
Your report ends with your Top 3 Focus Areas, so you know which aspects of your book need your attention right now. And for 30 days after it lands, you can email me any questions, so you’re never left alone.
I won’t revise the book for you {that part’s all yours!}, but you’ll walk into your next step being aware of your current draft’s strengths and weaknesses.
Srishti’s Editorial
Assessment is
PERFECT for you if:
- You've finished your manuscript and revised it to the best of your ability... and something still isn't landing the way you want.
- You've been querying agents for a while, and the form rejections aren't telling you anything useful.
- You've worked with an editor before, and now you want a fresh, objective opinion on where your book stands today.
- You've collected feedback from beta readers and critique partners, and you want one clear professional read to weigh it all against.
- You want to understand what's working and what's holding your story back, and you're happy to make the revision decisions yourself.
If you've just checked most of these boxes, this assessment was crafted just for you. 💛
GET MY CUSTOM QUOTEAnd here's who it's
NOT for:
- You want specific suggestions on how to revise your story with in-depth feedback on scene and chapter level. That's exactly what my 1:1 Developmental Editing Experience is designed for.
- You're still in the middle of your first draft. An Editorial Assessment looks at your story as a whole, so it works best on a complete manuscript.
- You're hoping an assessment will guarantee you an agent or a book deal. Nobody honest can promise that... but I can promise you'll know exactly what your book is doing on the page.
FAQs
GET MY CUSTOM QUOTEI personally read every request. If your book feels like a good fit, you'll get your custom quote + timeline in your inbox within 1-2 business days. Once you're happy with it, I'll send over the contract, and as soon as that's signed and your payment's in, you'll receive your onboarding questionnaire and upload your manuscript.
Yes! An Editorial Assessment looks at your story as a whole, so it works best on a complete manuscript that you've revised at least once {self-editing counts}. If you're not sure your book is ready, mention it in your request form and I'll guide you.
My primary expertise is in fiction. I especially love working with upmarket fiction {meaningful stories in mainstream genres} like YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance, and Thrillers, basically any story with something real to say. I sometimes take on selective literary fiction too, if I connect with your story. I don't usually take nonfiction, but I do take selective projects where the lines blur, like memoirs and auto-fiction.
Because your investment depends on your manuscript's word count, and I'd rather give you an accurate number than a vague range. Fill out the request form, and your custom quote will land in your inbox within 1-2 business days. No call needed.
The call is an optional add-on, available at a special rate just for EA clients. What is included: 30 days of email support after your report lands, so you can ask me any questions about your feedback.
Editorial Assessment gives you my editor's perspective on your manuscript's strengths and weaknesses, so you become aware of what's actually holding your story back. It's a great fit if you've already had a developmental edit elsewhere and want a second opinion, or if you're querying and want an editor's read on your story before sending out more submissions.
Developmental Editing is the full author's feedback package and a lot more exhaustive in nature. As your developmental editor, I closely engage with your narrative to identify what's working, what's not, WHY it's not, and then suggest potential directions to actually fix it.
It won’t be harsh, but it will be truthful. I know how much of yourself lives in your book, so every observation is delivered with care and respect for the work you've put in. You'll also hear about everything that's working, not just what isn't.
That's completely okay! You're the author, and every decision about your story is yours. My job is to show you what's happening on the page and why, so whatever you choose, it's an informed choice. And if something in your report isn't clear, you can always email me about it within your 30 days.
It depends on your book's length and my availability at the time, but most Editorial Assessments are delivered within two weeks. You'll get your exact delivery date along with your custom quote, so you'll know precisely when to expect your report.
Never. Every observation in your assessment comes from me reading and thinking through your book myself. My 100% human policy applies to all my client work, and it's written directly into our contract.
Absolutely. Your manuscript is kept fully confidential, and you keep complete copyright and ownership of your book. This is covered in our contract.
Just reach out! Email me at hello@kathansh.com, or use the chat icon at the bottom left of this page to message me on WhatsApp.
Make this the week you stop feeling confused about your book...
RECAP
Here’s Everything You Get:
- Onboarding Questionnaire: so your book is assessed against your intentions
- A 100% Human Read: every page of your manuscript, read start to finish by me
- Your 10-15 Page Editorial Assessment Report: 12 focused sections covering every big-picture element of your story
- Strengths & Areas Holding Your Story Back: what's working, what isn't, and the specific reasons behind both
- Your Top 3 Focus Areas: the three things that matter most for your book right now
- 30 Days of Email Support: so you're never left navigating your feedback alone
YES, GET MY ASSESSMENT
Custom quote in 1-2 business days | Most assessments delivered within 2 weeks
