Critiques

Bailey and Lucky mulling over another manuscript
One of the most important things a writer can do when they have revised and revised and revised their manuscript is to give their manuscript to a trusted beta reader- that one person or persons who will give the manuscript a good read and give feedback. If you don't have someone like that, you can find online critique groups through professional organizations like SCBWI or through websites like Writer's Digest(www.writersdigest.com/forums ).


There are also some great sites that offer this type of feedback for free. There is a catch. In most cases your work will be posted on the site and critiqued publicly. These sites aren't for the thin skinned or weak hearted, but they can be helpful just the same.

On Ray Ramey's Flogging the Quill site(http://www.floggingthequill.com/) , he will critique the first 16 lines of a manuscript. He offers some great feedback and even if you don't post your work, his critiques of other people's work are insightful and useful just the same.

Literary agent Janet Reid critiques query letters on her Query Shark blog(queryshark.blogspot.com) . Her critiques are often blunt and always insightful. She posts the query letter and her critique on the site. It's an invaluable tool to use when writing query letters.

Both sites deserve a look, just make sure you read and follow the rules.

Anon,

Nancy