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The honest self-assessment that tells you if your manuscript is at the wrong party—and exactly how to fix it
The Manuscript Positioning Diagnostic is for the author who’s ready to stop guessing and get honest about where their book actually belongs.
Your prose might be gorgeous. Your story might be compelling. But if you’re calling it the wrong thing or targeting the wrong readers, none of that matters—because the right people will never find it. This diagnostic helps you figure out whether you’re one of the many authors sitting on a positioning problem, and more importantly, which specific mistake you’re making so you can fix it before you query.
Inside This Guide:
Part 1: YA vs New Adult vs Adult (the protagonist age + life stage test)
Part 2: Romance percentage reality check (is it actually romantasy?)
Part 3: Comp title accuracy assessment (are your comps market-current?)
Part 4: Tone & content alignment (does your genre label match your manuscript?)
Part 5: Genre convention checklist (are you delivering on reader expectations?)
Part 6: Agent query targeting (are you querying the right people?)
Part 7: Reader expectation test (do you know your genre well enough?)
Part 8: Platform strategy alignment (are you building where your readers are?)
What You’ll Get:
A clear diagnostic for each positioning area
Specific “red flags” that identify your exact problems
Concrete fixes for the most common mistakes
An action plan built on your results (0-2 mistakes vs 5+ mistakes = very different strategies)
An honest read on whether to reposition or revise
This isn’t about changing your vision. It’s about making sure the readers who’ll love your book can actually find it.
PS: Pairs perfectly with the Genre Positioning Research Guide—do the research there, then run your manuscript through this diagnostic to check your work.
The honest self-assessment that tells you if your manuscript is at the wrong party—and exactly how to fix it
The Manuscript Positioning Diagnostic is for the author who’s ready to stop guessing and get honest about where their book actually belongs.
Your prose might be gorgeous. Your story might be compelling. But if you’re calling it the wrong thing or targeting the wrong readers, none of that matters—because the right people will never find it. This diagnostic helps you figure out whether you’re one of the many authors sitting on a positioning problem, and more importantly, which specific mistake you’re making so you can fix it before you query.
Inside This Guide:
Part 1: YA vs New Adult vs Adult (the protagonist age + life stage test)
Part 2: Romance percentage reality check (is it actually romantasy?)
Part 3: Comp title accuracy assessment (are your comps market-current?)
Part 4: Tone & content alignment (does your genre label match your manuscript?)
Part 5: Genre convention checklist (are you delivering on reader expectations?)
Part 6: Agent query targeting (are you querying the right people?)
Part 7: Reader expectation test (do you know your genre well enough?)
Part 8: Platform strategy alignment (are you building where your readers are?)
What You’ll Get:
A clear diagnostic for each positioning area
Specific “red flags” that identify your exact problems
Concrete fixes for the most common mistakes
An action plan built on your results (0-2 mistakes vs 5+ mistakes = very different strategies)
An honest read on whether to reposition or revise
This isn’t about changing your vision. It’s about making sure the readers who’ll love your book can actually find it.
PS: Pairs perfectly with the Genre Positioning Research Guide—do the research there, then run your manuscript through this diagnostic to check your work.
