This article provides a detailed analysis of the current state, needs, and desires of members of the TEI community working with manuscript material, based on the results of a survey carried out by the authors. An analysis of the survey results provides insights into the practices, problems, and limitations of the community utilizing the TEI for manuscript encoding. The results demonstrate the existence of a steep learning curve for the TEI, where many practitioners are self-taught and where learning-by-doing dominates; there exists a long gap between the first encounter with the TEI and its actual use in projects. Survey results highlight the need for user-friendly, bespoke tools facilitating the processing, analysis, and publishing of TEI-encoded texts. Feedback on the Guidelines themselves reveals aspects that do not fully meet the needs of those encoding manuscript material. To better address these needs, a strengthening of the Special Interest Groups is proposed.