Has anyone ever paid for a manuscript critique and what was your experience like? I see that Larry Brooks who has a very helpful website does them. They are very expensive and I would like to know if anyone has benefited from his manuscript review in particular or if any of you could recommend someone. Thanks
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Professional manuscript review/critique
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I've used the University of Wisconsin @ Madison's Department of Continuing Studies service a couple of times. They're worth the money for me, but I started out very, very rough. I've also worked with Robin Smith (www.robinsmithink.com) and she was very helpful to me.
Dr. Debra Doyle, English Ph.D and very fine teacher at the Viable Paradise Workshop, and author and co-author of many fine books does critiques.
http://www.sff.net/people/doylemacdonald/editorial.html
http://www.sff.net/people/doylemacdonald/editorial.html
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I can vouch for Debra Doyle's expertise: I attended Viable Paradise where she critiqued my manuscript, and she was superb.
I used The Visions Group for my first urban fantasy novel. You can see my testimonial here. Though they put two instead of three book deal... 
You might want to consider what it is you are trying to achieve by hiring somebody for one. I wanted to figure out what my weak points were in my writing so I could go pro. This definitely helped me with that. If you're just looking for someone to hold your hand or give you a line-by-line crit, this isn't the right service for you.
You might want to consider what it is you are trying to achieve by hiring somebody for one. I wanted to figure out what my weak points were in my writing so I could go pro. This definitely helped me with that. If you're just looking for someone to hold your hand or give you a line-by-line crit, this isn't the right service for you.
I used John Jarrold some years back. He was excellent.
I would recommend that you use up all the free options of beta readers and crit groups before you use a paid editor, otherwise you will not get the best value out of them.
I would recommend that you use up all the free options of beta readers and crit groups before you use a paid editor, otherwise you will not get the best value out of them.
I used The Visions Group for my first urban fantasy novel. You can see my testimonial here. Though they put two instead of three book deal...
You might want to consider what it is you are trying to achieve by hiring somebody for one. I wanted to figure out what my weak points were in my writing so I could go pro. This definitely helped me with that. If you're just looking for someone to hold your hand or give you a line-by-line crit, this isn't the right service for you.
I don't have betas and don't feel comfortable using people I don't know. What I am looking for is an objective view of how to make my manuscript strong and to find out if it lags at any point. Are me character arcs strong? That kind of stuff,
Lisa- that is exactly what a beta reader does for you- and it absolutely shouldn't be someone you know- you are willing to pay a stranger to read and critique your work- why not a beta reader? There are many wonderful people right on this board who might be willing to beta for you- some are editors, some are published writers and some are just like you- but having someone else with fresh eyes read your novel ( I think) is the best oway to get an objective view of how to make your MS strong, find parts that lag, and analyze character arcs for you- I would definitely recomend this before shelling out big bucks to a proffesional editor- (Not dissing pro- editors though- they are great) Anyway- just something to thnk about-
Why are you hesitiant to give your MS to someone you don't know?
When I read this post by Maryn it freaked me out.
This is it: FWIW, I'm the person you all know ("Howdy!") whose work was stolen and sold by an online critique person I'd known for a couple of years.
I just want to say it does happen. Rare, yes, but not never.
Maryn, who did get legal advice, thanks
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My WIP is very high concept and the idea could easily be lifted and perhaps not written as I have but lifted none the less.
I just don't want to take any chances that's why I asked for advice about a pro .
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Oh, that's why my ears were burning.
For what it's worth, I don't hesitate to use beta readers here at AW. I select from people I 'know' here, who have been around for some time (years, usually), whose critiques here seem insightful, who write or at least are well read in my genre.
While we all think our concept is worthy of theft, it's even rarer than theft of the finished work. Writing a novel is hard work, and slow. Making the sale is long odds, too--too long to be worth months of daily effort. ('2% of completed novels sell' is a figure I see tossed around unchallenged, but it's never clear whether that's first drafts, or polished and repped by agents, or what.) How many people are not only dishonest but also work that hard for odds of 49 to 1 that it will never pay off?
Maryn, who didn't mean to scare you
For what it's worth, I don't hesitate to use beta readers here at AW. I select from people I 'know' here, who have been around for some time (years, usually), whose critiques here seem insightful, who write or at least are well read in my genre.
While we all think our concept is worthy of theft, it's even rarer than theft of the finished work. Writing a novel is hard work, and slow. Making the sale is long odds, too--too long to be worth months of daily effort. ('2% of completed novels sell' is a figure I see tossed around unchallenged, but it's never clear whether that's first drafts, or polished and repped by agents, or what.) How many people are not only dishonest but also work that hard for odds of 49 to 1 that it will never pay off?
Maryn, who didn't mean to scare you
If someone stole my work, I'd beat the shit out of them.
TwoAndAHalfBeersBat
Uh, I'll just see myself out now...hic...
TwoAndAHalfBeersBat
Uh, I'll just see myself out now...hic...
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It is a risk but then how can you know you trust the professional editor? Or the agent you send it to? Or the publisher they send it to? At some point in the process you do have to be prepared to take a risk and be comforted by the fact that if you have any sense you will have logged and recorded all the work you have done on that novel - sending it to critters in time and dated e-mails, for example, is evidence that you have written that work and when - so that when the theif publishes you can step up and say 'sorry, that is my work.'
Doesn't work so well with ideas, mind.
If you pick your betas carefully you should not have a problem with any of them. Even forgetting the people on this forum (ok, you may not know any of us very well, fair enough...) there must be friends or family who are interested in your genre who might read it for you. An important part of the process of writing, IMO, is getting the opinion of 'ordinary readers' as well as 'professional writers and editors'. In my experience you get a better response to the question 'would you buy this book' from a non professional/ordinary person in the street than you do from a professional editor/writer whereas you get a better response to more technical issues from the editor.
Doesn't work so well with ideas, mind.
If you pick your betas carefully you should not have a problem with any of them. Even forgetting the people on this forum (ok, you may not know any of us very well, fair enough...) there must be friends or family who are interested in your genre who might read it for you. An important part of the process of writing, IMO, is getting the opinion of 'ordinary readers' as well as 'professional writers and editors'. In my experience you get a better response to the question 'would you buy this book' from a non professional/ordinary person in the street than you do from a professional editor/writer whereas you get a better response to more technical issues from the editor.
Dr. Doyle is absolutely trustworthy. She also has YA experience. Other professional writers and editors who do paid critiques that I'd absolutely trust include Jo Sherman, and Laura Gilman.
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