Partial Manuscript Critique
CLARITY ON THE STORY SO FAR
It can be difficult to see if a project is working when you’ve been staring at it for months or even years. You might feel stuck and unsure how to proceed, or you might want to know if the idea is structurally sound before continuing.
A partial critique looks at the first 20,000 words of your manuscript and an outline detailing the rest of the story. If you’re not sure of all your plot points or even how the story ends, explain where you’re stuck in the outline.
Note that the outline doesn’t need to be query quality. It just needs to explain the main beats of the story. Please keep the outline below 2,000 words.
This critique is delivered as an editorial letter of 5-10k words. It looks at both the written and outlined work before analysing them together to identify which areas are fundamental to your story vision and which need to be reworked.
Feedback on the text looks at:
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The strength of the beginning chapters
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Promises and setups made so far
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The inciting incident
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Engagement of characters with the plot
Feedback on your outline looks at:
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The integrity of the plot structure
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Any plot holes or pacing issues
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Character development through arcs and themes
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Whether your promises and setups have satisfying and logical payoffs
A partial manuscript critique is suitable for drafts at any stage.
Please note, this service does not include line, grammar or spelling edits.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
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An EDITORIAL REPORT is a letter containing thorough and actionable feedback about your manuscript. It includes analyses of strengths and weaknesses in the text, suggestions for revisions that support your vision for the story, and suggested reading materials for further study.
The report for a partial manuscript critique is between 3,000 and 8,000 words long.
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MANUSCRIPT COMMENTS are made on the document itself and point to specific issues in the text, ask questions, show reader reactions or point out story craft that is particularly strong.
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EMAIL FOLLOW-UP consists of two rounds of email questions and answers.
You may ask as many questions as you would like clarified.
PRICE
$350
(prices in USD)
NEXT STEPS
If you would like to book a partial manuscript critique, use the button below to request a quote.
The link includes a short questionnaire and a place to upload your manuscript.
This information allows me to perform a sample edit and tailor a quote to the needs of your novel. Once received, I will send the quote with your sample edit and further information within 24 – 48 hours.