What you get

Quick first-impression critiques offer a general evaluation of your work in one page or less. We tell you what we like about your work, what needs improvement, and what steps you might take next.

Select a quick critique if you want a general assessment of your work by an expert first reader.

Quick critiques cover the following (as applicable):

• Story/content
• Structure
• Characters
• Style/voice
• Dialogue
• Ability to hook reader and sustain interest
• Mechanics (grammar, punctuation, layout, etc.).

Critiques are delivered via email and are kept strictly confidential.

Prices

Works of up to 5000 words: $50

Works of 5001 to 10,000 words: $90

Works of 10,001 to 15,000 words: $140

If your work is longer than 15,000 words, please email us for a price.

All critiques must be paid in advance.

All prices include a follow-up discussion.

Special Discounts

For multiple critiques.10% off for two critiques; 15% off for three critiques! (Works must be submitted within 7 days of each other to qualify for the discount.) You may mix and match quick first-impression critiques and detailed critiques to qualify for the discount.

For Writing Show contest entrants. If you entered our 2008 contest and did not win a critique, subtract $10 from your total. This discount can be used once.

For friends of The Writing Show. When you contribute $35 or more to The Writing Show (see our home page for PayPal donation buttons), subtract $15 from your total and support The Writing Show at the same time! This discount can be used once for each qualifying donation you make.

For critique purchasers. Buy any critique and get 10% off our in-depth mentoring services. This discount can be used once for each critique you purchase; must be used within 6 months.

Turnaround time

We attempt to get your quick first-impression critique back to you within one week. We’ll let you know how things look when you submit your work.

How It Works

To get started, please query first:

1. Send an email to paula@writingshow.com with the word “mentoring” in the subject line.

    

2. Tell us about your writing experience, goals, and what you would like to get from a critique.

    

3. Give us your title or titles of the work(s) to be critiqued as well as word count, genre, and a log line (one-sentence teaser or description of the work). Don’t worry if you can’t write a good log line. We just want to get a feel for the work.

    

4. Include your name and contact details.

    

5. Let us know if you would prefer to pay via PayPal or a check (U.S. and Canada only).

    

6. Attach your work to the query as a Word document or .rtf file.

    

7. Once we receive your email, we’ll be able to tell whether we can help you. (Sometimes works fall outside our areas of expertise.) If we are able to take on your work, we will provide instructions for paying via PayPal, check, or money order.

Disclaimer: The Writing Show Mentoring Service cannot guarantee publishing success or sales of your work. We reserve the right to refuse projects for any reason whatsoever.

Back to mentoring overview