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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

THE FOUR AXES

This is where the difference is decided.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A comparison of turnaround, cost, scope and repeatability between Vellam, a human manuscript assessment and a general chatbot
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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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 $

forever · no card

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
✓ 5,000 credits to start

Start for free →

Enough for ~2,000 word analysis.

9.99 $

one-time · 100,000 credits

Enough for ~40,000 word analysis.

✓ 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

Start writing →

For shorter novels or to get started.

Start with one chapter and compare for yourself.

First chapter free · No subscription · Your text remains yours

Analyze your first chapter free