Payments
If you already have a PayPal account, you can pay
using either funds in your account, or by debiting a separate bank
account. If you prefer not to open a PayPal account, you can still pay
by credit card through PayPal.
"Can I pay you when the critique
is completed?"
I'm already taking a risk by offering a 30 day
money-back guarantee on my critique service. If you're still
uncomfortable paying up front, why not use the option to test the waters
by sending in a shorter extract for a smaller outlay? A first impression
critique of 3000 words is only US$33.00.
Previous payments for critiques on extracts of the
same manuscript will be taken into account in the quote for a critique
of the full manuscript.
Emailing your manuscript
Once your payment has been processed, simply email
me your manuscript. The email address is provided on the page that
PayPal will return you to.
I will liaise with you regarding your manuscript
and estimate a time frame for returning my comments and
corrections.
My comments
Please remember that the feedback I send you
regarding your work is my personal opinion. I am not able to offer you
editorial advice, neither can I guarantee that your work will be
accepted for publication.
Formats
Microsoft Word
The easiest format for me to work with is a
Microsoft Word document. I will provide my comments and suggested
corrections in a copy of your document using Word's Track Changes
feature. You will then be able to review my comments and accept or
reject the changes as you feel appropriate.
If you're unsure of how to use the Track Changes
feature, I will be happy to guide you through it.
I will also send you a separate file containing my
comments and notes on your work.
Other Word Processing Programs
If you use a word processing program other than
Microsoft Word, please send me a single page test file so that I can
determine whether I can open your file on my system.
Alternatively, send me your document saved in Rich
Text Format (rtf), or as a Plain Text file (txt). These formats are generally
readable on any system.
I will return my corrections and suggestions in
pdf format (Portable Document Format), along with my comments and notes
in Text format.
Lengthy manuscripts
For manuscripts longer than 10000
words, , together with a sample of approximately
1000 words.
Alternatively, you may wish to start by sending me
just the first chapter or two, which you can do using the order buttons.
This is useful for screening your manuscript for that initial
submission to agents or publishers, who often don't want to see more
than three chapters. I can help you refine your submission, and you can
decide whether you want me to look at the rest of your manuscript. At
this stage, I can give you a quote taking any previous payment into
account.
"I can get a free critique by
joining a critique group. Why should I pay for you to critique my
work?"
Critiquing another writer's work is
an excellent way to learn about your own writing craft, and I do
recommend you try a critique group if you want to explore this
method.
However, bear in mind that when
swapping critiques there is usually a bias towards "being
kind" so that the writer you're critiquing will go easy on you in
turn.
It also takes a lot of time to read
through and comment on someone's work, and this affects the depth of the
critique when a member doesn't have enough time to invest in the
process.
If your time is valuable to you, you
will be better off paying for a critique and spending the time saved on
your own writing rather than someone else's.
When you pay for me to critique your
work, you're paying for my time and you will get my full attention to
your work. You're also paying for my reading and critiquing experience
and insights.
"What do you mean by 'Peer'
Critique?"
A peer critique is a critique by
someone at a similar level to you - another writer, in other words, who
can give you pointers on your plot, characterisation, and writing style
and techniques.
Other critiques available may be
"editorial critiques" and "reader critiques".
An editorial critique provides advice
from someone who knows more about the publishing and editing side of the
business - this person may or may not have additional experience with
the writing techniques you may need advice on.
A reader critique will only usually
give you feedback on what the reader liked or didn't like, again without
much advice on writing technique. This is ideal if you have a manuscript
that has already gone through a full critique and edit, and simply need
some final feedback.
"Will you steal my idea?"
No. I have more than enough ideas of
my own to last me a lifetime.
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Elsa has critiqued many of my stories. She has a real eye for plot and character motivation and can see
clearly when you've gone astray. Her grammar is spot on as well. Thanks
to her, my story "The Rich People's School" recently appeared
in the prestigious U.K. based literary magazine, Mslexia. I would highly
recommend her.
Lauri Kubuitsile - author of the novella, The Fatal
Payout (Macmillan 2005)
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