How we work

We meet a manuscript where it is

Narriva's job is not to judge a manuscript pass or fail. It's to read it carefully, work out what it needs to become the best version of itself, and build from there. Some books need deep editorial work. Some need a light pass and a great cover. We tell you honestly which — and then we do it.

What we look at

Not a checklist to pass — the things we read for when we're working out what a book needs.

Narrative structure
How the book is built — where it starts, how it moves, whether the shape serves the story or fights it.
Prose quality
Sentence by sentence: rhythm, clarity, and whether the voice is doing what the author wants it to.
Clarity of audience
Who this book is for. The strongest manuscripts know their reader; we help the others find theirs.
Completeness
Where the manuscript actually is — a rough draft, a polished one, or something in between — so we can scope honestly.

What happens after you submit

Most authors hear back within six to eight weeks of submission with an assessment and a proposed plan. Here's the whole path.

1

Submit

Day one

Send your manuscript and a short note on what it is and who it's for. We confirm we've got it the same day.

2

Assess

6–8 weeks

An editor reads the whole manuscript and writes you an honest assessment: what it needs, where it shines, and what we'd recommend.

3

Plan

1 week

We scope the work together and agree on the path from where the manuscript is to publication — timeline, services, and cost.

4

Build

3–6 months

Editorial passes, design, interior layout. The longest part, and the part that matters most. You stay in the loop throughout.

5

Produce

3–4 weeks

ISBN, print-ready files, digital formatting, and proofs. The unglamorous machinery that makes a book real.

6

Launch

Ongoing

Your book goes live in the bookstore with a plan behind it, not just a listing — and we stay invested in what happens next.

How we work with you

You get a single point of contact who knows your book — not a relay of strangers. You have visibility into where things stand at every stage, and you have a real say in the decisions that matter: cover direction, title, how the book is positioned.

We build the book with you, not for you. That's the part most publishers skip, and it's the part that makes the difference.

Submit your manuscript