Short story
$9.99
Enough for ~40,000 word analysis.
A short story, a novella or a few chapters to check.
For shorter novels or to get started.
COST, TURNAROUND AND SCOPE
What a manuscript assessment costs. And what changes with Vellam.
Editorial assessments are priced at roughly 1.5 to 2 cents per word, which puts an 80,000-word novel at about 1,200 to 1,500 USD and takes weeks. A developmental edit sits higher again, at 3 to 3.5 cents per word for fiction. Vellam is 25 USD one-time for a pack that covers roughly 100,000 words of analysis, and you can run it again after every revision.
- Human assessment
- 1,200-1,500 USD
- several weeks
- Vellam
- 25 USD
- one afternoon
Gustave Doré, Don Quixote, 1863 The Other Side of the Lake Tension chapter by chapter · select a chapter 12 chapters, 6 notes
- Critical The investigation thread breaks off The lead from chapter 4 never returns in the finale.
- Medium Anna's hair colour Chapter 2: red. Here: jet black.
THE FOUR AXES
This is where the difference is decided.
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Turnaround
A human assessment takes weeks, because somebody has to read the whole book. Vellam analyses a chapter in minutes, so revision work starts the same day you finish the draft.
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Cost
Around 1,200 to 1,500 USD for one human reading of an 80,000-word novel. Vellam is a one-time payment with no subscription, and purchased credits never expire.
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Scope
A human assessment condenses the book into an editorial letter. Vellam returns the same map chapter by chapter, with each note attached to the passage behind it.
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Repeatability
Every further human reading is a new commission at full price. You rerun the analysis after each revision and compare versions.
COMPARISON
Vellam next to a human manuscript assessment.
| Criterion | Vellam | Human assessment | General chatbot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnaround | Minutes per chapter, no queue. | Weeks, depending on the editor’s schedule. | Instant, but only for the excerpt you pasted. |
| Cost per reading | 25 USD one-time for roughly 100,000 words of analysis. | About 1,200 to 1,500 USD for an 80,000-word novel. | A general-purpose monthly subscription. |
| Pricing unit | Credits for the text actually analysed. | Cents per word, typically 1.5 to 2 for an assessment. | A month of access, whatever the length of the book. |
| Scope of the read | The whole novel, chapter by chapter, in order. | The whole novel, condensed into an editorial letter. | Whatever fits in the conversation window. |
| Anchored to the text | Every finding leads back to a chapter and a passage. | Examples quoted at the editor’s discretion. | Depends on what was pasted into the message. |
| Rerun after revision | Analyse again and compare versions. | Each rereading is a separate commission at its own rate. | Repeatable, though the answer differs every time. |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Plain answers without promises beyond the manuscript.
001 Why does a human assessment cost that much?
Because a person reads the entire manuscript and writes a reasoned verdict. That is several days of work by someone with editorial experience, and the rate reflects that time.
002 What is the difference between an assessment and a developmental edit?
An assessment delivers the editorial letter alone. A developmental edit adds notes inside the manuscript, which is why it is priced at roughly double.
003 How much does Vellam cost?
It is a one-time payment with no subscription: 9.99 USD for a pack covering around 40,000 words and 25 USD for around 100,000 words. Purchased credits never expire, and the first 5,000 credits are free without a card.
004 Can I use both?
That is the sensible route. Vellam clears the contradictions, pacing problems and style habits before a human reads it, so the editor spends their hours on what only a person can judge.
005 Does Vellam replace a human editor?
Vellam does not replace a human editor and does not decide whether your novel is ready for a publisher. It organises what the manuscript already shows, and the judgement stays yours.
KEEP READING
Read this before you decide.
Pricing
Simple. No subscription.
Pay once and use whenever you want: this year, next year, when you finish one volume and start the next. Credits don't expire.
$0
Write and organize. No text limits.
- Write the whole book in the editor, no word limit
- Export to .docx whenever you want
- Story Bible: describe your world once
- 15,000 credits to start
Start for free →
Enough for ~2,000 word analysis.
Novel
Most popular $25
Enough for ~100,000 word analysis.
A whole novel up to about 100k words, with room for revisions.
Publisher options? Contact us.
Series
$99.99
Enough for ~400,000 word analysis.
Several novels or a whole series, with room for new drafts.
For writers working on a whole series. Contact us if you need more.
What credits pay for
One credit balance works across almost the whole app. You never buy analysis and chat separately: every feature takes what it uses from the same balance.
- Chapter and full-book analysis
- Consistency analysis
- Craft analysis
- Reader reaction
- Chat with a character
- Chat with the assistant
- Fact check
- Translations
A full analysis uses the most, about 2.5 credits per word. A chat with the assistant or a fact check usually costs a few hundred credits. Writing, the Story Bible and export are always free.
In every pack
- Know what is off in your plot, characters and locations
- An analysis that knows your world and your rules
- Upload a finished .docx, .txt or .pdf
- Every chapter read in the context of the whole book
- Your text never trains any models
NEXT STEP
Start with one chapter and compare for yourself.
Analyze your first chapter free
First chapter free · No subscription · Your text remains yours