Allison grew up on a farm in a small Victorian town, fostering her love of animals, collecting vegetables and shearing the sheep. Now based in Queensland, Allison is the author of Anzac Sons: The Story of Five Brothers in the War to End All Wars and the children’s version, Anzac Sons: Five Brothers on the Western Front, which made the 2016 Australian Book Industry Awards longlist and was a CBCA notable book as well. Her interest in the service of her ancestors began when she was studying to become a teacher. She used a selection of the letters which her grandfather and his four brothers sent from the Western Front to complete an assignment. The dream to honour their courage and sacrifice was ignited.

Allison is a proud 2017 recipient of a May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Creative Time Fellowship, which resulted in the securing of a contract for her first historical novel for young adults, Follow After Me – released in 2019.

Allison has created a series of information books for children called Australia Remembers. The first of these – Australia Remembers: Anzac Day, Remembrance Day and War Memorials was released in October 2018. The second title, Customs and Traditions of the Australian Defence Force, was recently published in March 2021.

She has written other children’s books, Granny’s Place and Shearing Time, with another; I Wonder, being released in August 2021.

Allison now works full-time as a writer and presenter in schools.

Three kinds of assessments are offered, as below. Your story will be read and thoroughly edited online and you will also receive a written report outlining the strengths of your manuscript and suggestions for ways in which you can improve it. If Di believes your story is publishable, she will suggest a number of Australian publishers to whom you can submit the manuscript.

When you have made payment (and informed Di), you can submit your story as a Word document and editing will be undertaken online. It usually takes fewer than five days for Di to read, edit and assess your manuscript from the date of submission. You are also welcome to ask any questions before, during and after assessment.

Di’s email address is dibates@outlook.com; she responds as soon as possible to all emails.

Picture Book Assessment
For books under 500 words, the assessment will cost you $100. For books between 500 and 1,000 words, the cost will be $150.

Junior Novel
Your novel, for children aged 8 to 12 years, should be about 25,000 words and no longer than 45,000. The cost is $10 per 1,000 words.

Children’s Non-Fiction Book
As for junior novel. Testimonials are available on request.

Payment

Apply to Di at dibates@outlook.com for how to pay.

About your assessor
Dianne (Di) Bates has published over 130 books for young readers in her 35 year writing career. Some of these books have been published overseas and won national and state book awards, including two children’s choice book awards. Di has also worked as a newspaper and children’s magazines editor. In 2006 she founded Buzz Words, an online magazine for people in the Australian children’s book industry. Di has received grants and fellowships from the Literature Board of the Australia Council. She also received the Lady Cutler Award from the Children’s Book Council of Australia for distinguished services to children’s literature.
Di offers online writing courses for adults writing for children; (she will send full details, if you are interested), and since 2006 had produced the twice monthly children’s book industry newsletter Buzz Words.
Di is married to prize-winning YA author Bill Condon; they live in Wollongong, NSW, and share a website: http://www.enterprisingwords.com.au.