Where to find Agent Critiques

[Belle_91]

Hello.

First, apologies if this is in the wrong thread. I wasn't sure where to go with this.

I've been querying my manuscripts for years now. I've gotten to the point where agents are telling me they love my work/writing BUT just don't love it enough to offer rep. I've had two agents tell me that I'll be published one day. So, what I'm looking for is a place I can go to where an agent will critique chapters, queries, etc. and tell you why others aren't biting specifically.

There's a writing conference near me, Killer Nashville, but you have to pay for admission for the whole conference (around $400) for an agent to look at your work (an additional $80), and I was hoping there might be a more cost-effective way. I had a beta reader who did this and only paid around $80. She also didn't have to leave the sanctuary of her house. I've thought about reaching out to her about where she went, but because she lives in the UK, I'm assuming that it's more regional. Could be wrong.

I was hoping someone would know of a good, reputable place to submit a chapter or two to an agent/publishing professional that gave detailed feedback, and it wasn't a query situation but more of a critique.

Maybe I'm going about this all wrong, but I just want to hear from the horse's mouth why this isn't working.

 

[Unimportant]

I have no information to offer, but maybe pm gtanders? IIRC in his query letter thread he said he'd paid to get agent/editorial feedback on his work. He might be able to point you in the right direction.

 

[Belle_91]

Thank you. I'll try that. And maybe the solution is just to query another manuscript and hope that one sticks. It just seems like I'm doing the same thing over and over again, but not getting the results I want.

*sigh*

 

[Unimportant]

Thank you. I'll try that. And maybe the solution is just to query another manuscript and hope that one sticks. It just seems like I'm doing the same thing over and over again, but not getting the results I want.

*sigh*

Have you tried submitting directly to publishers?

IMO: If the query is getting requests for pages, the query works. If the first pages are getting requests for the full ms, the story idea and writing quality/voice are good. If the full ms isn't getting an offer of representation, then logically it seems there must be something higher-level -- structure, theme, resolution -- that isn't working.

Which might mean it's time to have a skilled editor read the entire ms.

Or perhaps go back to your beta readers and ask them to tell you, honestly, if there was anything they didn't like or didn't find satisfying about your book.

 

[mccardey]

I had a beta reader who did this and only paid around $80. She also didn't have to leave the sanctuary of her house. I've thought about reaching out to her about where she went, but because she lives in the UK, I'm assuming that it's more regional.

Even so, you could still work with your beta's person online, couldn't you? UK/US queries differ a bit, but I imagine, since your query is getting you reads, that it's the book itself or part thereof that you want to get feedback on...

 

[Belle_91]

Mccardey--I think I will reach out to her and ask. I think she said it was through a contest for British writers, but I could be wrong. I might also reach out to the person Unimportant mentioned.

Unimportant--I did submit to Kensington Publishing, and I did not hear back from the editor I messaged.

 

[VeryBigBeard]

Thank you. I'll try that. And maybe the solution is just to query another manuscript and hope that one sticks. It just seems like I'm doing the same thing over and over again, but not getting the results I want.

*sigh*

If you're getting positive responses, your query is fine. Any agent who tells you that is an agent you should submit to again in the future.

There are agent critique services out there, some people swear by them, but I'm sceptical. Real agents already receive all the unvarnished MSs they could ever desire, they can and do critique the ones they sign, and their only job is selling those books. Nothing other than that is going to influence their decision to sign an author.

Agenting is a tough business. I know I could never do it. An agent who can give you real insight is as likely not to need to, and if they did, they'd likely just tell you it's subjective, because it is. A newer agent might make some money on the side by critiquing excerpts, but what does that say about said agent's knowledge of the industry and ability to sell books? Would you necessarily trust that critique so much more than any other (and any critique has value), especially if the agent hasn't sold much yet? Would that crit mean anything to your dream agent?

I think you've pretty much answered your own question. A lot of this game is perseverance (and no, I don't really believe it either). Query another book. Keep writing. Keep querying. If you're getting personalized positive rejections, you've done everything you can do, and spending money won't change anything. There is no formula that allows you to fix some element of the MS and have it get offers. It's not a linear process, with Input A equaling Outcome B. There's a lot of luck. You can absolutely do the same thing over and over again, not get the results you want, and that doesn't mean you've done anything wrong. It doesn't even mean you're not a good writer. Quite the opposite--it means you're a writer.

 

[Brigid Barry]

Hello.

First, apologies if this is in the wrong thread. I wasn't sure where to go with this.

I've been querying my manuscripts for years now. I've gotten to the point where agents are telling me they love my work/writing BUT just don't love it enough to offer rep. I've had two agents tell me that I'll be published one day. So, what I'm looking for is a place I can go to where an agent will critique chapters, queries, etc. and tell you why others aren't biting specifically.

There's a writing conference near me, Killer Nashville, but you have to pay for admission for the whole conference (around $400) for an agent to look at your work (an additional $80), and I was hoping there might be a more cost-effective way. I had a beta reader who did this and only paid around $80. She also didn't have to leave the sanctuary of her house. I've thought about reaching out to her about where she went, but because she lives in the UK, I'm assuming that it's more regional. Could be wrong.

I was hoping someone would know of a good, reputable place to submit a chapter or two to an agent/publishing professional that gave detailed feedback, and it wasn't a query situation but more of a critique.

Maybe I'm going about this all wrong, but I just want to hear from the horse's mouth why this isn't working.

So were these actual personalized rejections or were they forms? Some of these agents have top notch form rejections.

Query Shark does query critiques, or you can throw the query and opening pages into SYW and see if the squirrels have any feedback for you.

I've been getting nothing but forms and was told that there has been a mass exodus from agencies and publishing so everyone who is left is extra busy and not taking on things that aren't *exactly* what they're looking for.

The least expensive crit service I know is a former agent, now freelance editor and she happens to be unavailable until mid-June.

 

[Unimportant]

Someone -- I think mmcardey? -- told me that Jericho are really good.

 

[mccardey]

Someone -- I think mmcardey? -- told me that Jericho are really good.

I did and they are. Not cheap, but very well worth it.

ETA: I've only used them for ms assessment for the UK market - but I see they have an Agent Submission Package. That looks pretty good.

 

[Belle_91]

The responses were personalized, I just didn’t go into detail about exactly what that said. I also made sure to check query tracker to see what their forms were.

Thanks for the recommendation for Jericho. I will definitely check them out.

 

[Belle_91]

Thanks VeryBigBeard. Sorry if the formatting is weird because I’m on my phone. I think you’ve hit the nail on the head which is both good, in that I am a good writer, and bad because there’s probably nothing more I can do to fix it.

Maybe I should just invest the money into therapy

 

[VeryBigBeard]

Maybe I should just invest the money into therapy

If it helps, I feel much about therapy as I do about paying for crits.

It's helpful for people at a certain point, but I've read some of your stuff, and between that and the personalized rejections, I suspect you're past it, at least when it comes to writing.

A writing group might help. Not that AW isn't one, but one in real life, if there's something in your area. A good group can be motivation to keep bringing something new and it can be a place to pour out your frustrations when that's necessary.

Plus I hear a lot of them let you bring wine, which I don't think therapists do.

 

[Belle_91]

Thank you, VeryBigBeard, I needed to hear that.

Onwards and upwards I suppose.

 

[gtanders]

@Belle_91 not sure if you still need resources, but I've worked with two industry pros who offer developmental edits and editorial assessments. One is a former agent, one a former editor. They both advertise publicly, so I don't think it hurts to post their websites here. (I have no affiliation other than being a client of their freelance businesses, and I don't get anything from this. ) I've engaged them only for query and 10-page critiques, but I highly recommend them both from that experience.

Sarah LaPolla (former agent)

Rebecca Brewer (former editor)

Another resource is Reedsy. It's basically a marketplace for freelance editors. I've worked with people from Reedsy too and had a great experience.

ETA: Manuscript Academy is also great for query and 10-page critiques. You don't get written notes, rather a phone or Zoom call, but it's been illuminating for me.

Now... caveat. The gang here has advised me to think carefully before engaging in a developmental edit or editorial assessment of an entire manuscript. I learned a lot from that thread ^^ --maybe some of this advice applies in your situation?

 

[Belle_91]

Gtanders, thank you for sharing these resources. I will check them out!