04/27/2026
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ป
1. Idea / Hook โ Do your ideas grab and hold?
2. Audience & Purpose โ Do you write for someone who will care?
3. Structure / Plot โ Does your writing escalate, turn, and resolve?
4. Character & Emotion โ Are characters real, alive,
and memorable?
5. Language / Ex*****on โ Does your writing carry the story?
Our AUTHOR LEVEL TEST finds you where you are and DELIVERS a personalized map to and through your NEXT LEVEL AUTHOR journey.
We are interested in both discovering and creating great authors!
Over 38 years, this test has guided hundreds of authors to leveling up.
๐ฏ This is for:
Serious unpublished writers
Early to Mid-career authors
Writers stuck between โpeople say itโs goodโ and โnothing is landing.โ
๐ซ Not for:
Hobbyists seeking validation
Writers unwilling to accept critical analysis for revisions
People who want shortcuts to profit with no sustainable skillset
๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น?
Your test is evaluated by an experienced Editor using our standardized rubric, while allowing for feral brilliance, uneven polish, and emotional risk.
The rubric is divided into 24 skills across 5 key areas:
1. Experience
2. Conventions
3. Characterization
4. Structure
5. Author Style
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 120
Scoring Method
24 Key Skills ร 5 Points = 120 Total
Each skill is scored as:
0 โ Not present
1 โ Poor/unclear
2 โ Emerging
3 โ Competent
4 โ Strong
5 โ Exceptional (+ Chills)
โ+ Chillsโ is defined as sustained emotional, sensory, or intellectual resonance that lingers beyond the page.
Author Levels (120-Point Scale)
Level 1 | Emerging (0โ39)
Coaching required. Fundamentals incomplete or unclear.
Level 2 | Aspiring (40โ69)
Average to good. Skills present but inconsistent.
Level 3 | Skillful (70โ79)
Excellent potential. Craft is visible and developing.
Level 4 | Accomplished (80โ99)
Excellent ex*****on. Publication-ready with light guidance.
Level 5 | Accomplished+ (100โ120)
Exceptional skill. Emotionally resonant, technically confident, artistically distinct.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ?
* After the evaluation is complete, you will receive an email telling you:
* Our opinion of your story idea pitch and the story itself
* What level you tested on and why
* Your greatest strengths
* Your three weakest areas and recommendations for improvement
* Potentially an offer for an editorial contract for level 1, 2, 3, or 4 authors or an offer to publish your work for level 4 & 5 authors
Discover where you are and how we can take you from there to your published NEXT LEVEL AUTHOR journey.
