Manuscript X-Ray: Diagnose Your Picture Book's Strengths & Weaknesses

The Manuscript X-Ray provides children’s book authors with a structured framework to evaluate their work through an editor’s eyes.

This 7-page interactive worksheet guides you through 10 critical elements that make picture books successful – from concept and character agency to marketability and adult appeal.

By answering targeted questions about your manuscript, you’ll identify exactly what’s working and what needs improvement. The worksheet includes a personalized action plan to help prioritize revisions and track your progress.

Whether you’re polishing a first draft or preparing for submission, this professional diagnostic tool helps eliminate common weaknesses that lead to rejection and strengthens the elements that will make your story stand out.