Edit: Improve Your Writing With a Professional Critique

We specialize in Novels, Essays, Fiction, Non-fiction, Memoirs, and Short Stories for the commercial/consumer book market. 

“How good is my writing? What can I do to edit it? How can I get inspired to write and stay inspired?” These are very good questions.

Evaluating and improving your writing can help you attract an editor or agent. Even if you are trying to self-publish, you will want to assess the quality of your work. You’ll want real humans to read your manuscript and give you professional one-on-one feedback–something the AI robots don’t do nearly as well. Yes, we show you how to  polish your writing, and improve your publishing chances.

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM A CRITIQUE?

•   You have finished a manuscript but are not sure if it is any good.
• Your manuscript needs work but you don’t know what to do with it.
• You have several chapters written but want to know if it’s worth continuing?
• You have a draft or proposal that needs polishing before you send it to an agent or editor.

WHAT YOU GET: A WRITTEN EVALUATION

In our detailed written critique (for your eyes only), we’ll evaluate the work and suggest how to improve your writing by questions such as these;

• Is my short story well structured?
• Have I hooked the reader into the story?
• Am I using too many cliches?
• Is the story’s pacing right?
• Are my plot points well-placed?
• Does the dialogue feel authentic?
• Are my characters believable?
• Are the characters’ motivations strong enough?
• Is there sufficient conflict in the story?
• Is the story resolution satisfactory?
• How marketable is my story concept?
• And much more!

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CRITIQUE AND EDITORIAL SERVICE?

Usually, book editing and copy editing are costly. But there is a way to find out how well your novel is written. Instead of paying thousands of dollars for an editorial service, you can get a mini-critique at Authorlink®️

A critique service is a little different from a full developmental editorial service. Critique professionals can quickly spot big problems with plot, dialogue, structure, credibility, audience appeal and so on. While a developmental editor delves deeply into correcting major projects, a critique expert provides an excellent guide for what you may or may not be doing that prevents your manuscript from being well-received by editors or agents. A critique can tell you if you are on the right track to reach your target audience.  It can be a vital first step in refining your work for publication.

A written critique by our professional editors can show you what mistakes you are making in a 60-page segment of your manuscript, and suggest ways you can improve. If you are making editing mistakes in those 60 pages, you are likely making the same editing mistakes in the rest of the story.  So, instead of paying for a critique or edit by a book doctor of all 300 or 400 pages of your novel or nonfiction book, you are only paying for a partial read by our experienced edit or critique staff.  And if you want us to offer a critique of edits on your entire manuscript, you can submit as many 60-page increments as you like.

HOW LONG DOES THE CRITIQUE TAKE?

Our professional critique services are easy and fast! You’ll receive the written evaluation within about one to two weeks.

WHY CHOOSE AUTHORLINK®️ CRITIQUE SERVICES?

Authorlink® CEO Doris Booth has been a literary agent and publisher for many years. She has been involved in and/or sold projects at Netflix, St. Martin’s Press, HarperCollins,  Harper Audio, Tantor Media, Simon & Schuster, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Quirk Books (distributed by Random House), Barness and Noble/Sterling Publishing, Mirror Books in the UK, and others. She and her book publishing unit have edited and published more than 200 books for clients. Her editorial team members have strong publishing backgrounds. Unlike other web services, we have deep first-hand experience in both marketing and publishing. Though no editorial or critique service can guarantee publication, our editorial team provides an honest, experienced, personal evaluation of your work.

GET STARTED!

Sign up and upload your partial manuscript online! Pay through our secure site. No printing, mailing, or postage is needed. Once your account is established, you can have us critique as many pages as you’d like (in 60-page increments). CLICK THE BLUE FORM LEFT OR BELOW TO SUBMIT YOUR WORK.

Have more questions? E-mail Doris at dbooth@authorlink.com

MORE ABOUT CRITIQUE AND EDITORIAL DIFFERENCES

Here’s a more detailed definition of the differences between critique and developmental editing:

A literary critique is a detailed evaluation of a piece of writing, hopefully by a well-qualified reviewer. In a careful, analytical read, the reviewer looks at the obvious weaknesses and strengths in a piece. The critic will assess such elements as hook, theme, characterization, motivation, plot, pacing, and use of dialogue. Together, these elements will give the reader an overall impression of the document’s readiness for possible publication. If some story factors are missing or underdeveloped, especially in the first 100 pages or so, there is a good chance the same mistakes occur throughout the entire piece. A critique can sometimes set the author on a better path toward publication, giving him or her an objective view of the work, helping them to overcome blind spots in the writing.

Developmental editing involves actual strengthening or reshaping of the elements that may impair a good story. The developmental editor may add or delete characters, pages, or chapters. He or she might strengthen character motivation, improve dialogue or rearrange plot points, fix or point out bad grammar, reinforce the theme and develop a stronger hook for the entire manuscript.

The Authorlink® Critique Service is for those who want to improve their craft and need professional guidance for their writing. Authorlink® has evaluated thousands of manuscripts through our many years online. Our evaluators are all published authors and experienced teachers. You receive one-on-one, individual guidance via a detailed written e-mail evaluation. Now is the time to get started!