Manuscript Critiques – Submission Deadline was Midnight, May 31, 2010
This deadline has now passed. Please do not request a critique for this year.
This year Write! Canada is continuing its popular manuscript critique service. If you are keen to discuss a book or article proposal with a specific faculty member, requesting a manuscript critique is one of the best ways to obtain one-on-one time. You will receive written comments and a 15-minute appointment with the faculty member. This service is a bonus feature that is only available to conference registrants.
There are two kinds of critiques and you may request either kind, or one of each from different people.
1. Writing Critique: The critiquer will give you suggestions as to the strengths and weaknesses of your submission, and offer suggestions on how to improve the quality of the writing, looking at aspects such as structure, flow, gaps in logic or information, description, characterization, dialogue, etc. depending on the genre. You can send in any kind of writing, from poetry to the first chapter of a book to a query letter or book proposal.
2. Marketing Critique: In-house editors or publishers will tell you whether the work would suit their needs, and, if not, offer suggestions as to what you might do with it or how you could change it. A freelance writer or editor will try to suggest suitable markets or offer advice on how to better tailor it to your target audience.
Note 1: The paid manuscript critique service is separate from appointments with faculty. Each Write! Canada registrant may book free appointments to speak to up to 3 faculty members at Write! Canada if you register by midnight, June 7.
Note 2: If you join The Word Guild, you can join our online critique group, Revision, and get year-round critiquing from other members.
How the Manuscript Critique Program Works
After your register for Write! Canada, you will receive a separate Appointments and Manuscript Critiques Package by email.
Send your forms and manuscript(s) no later than midnight, May 31, 2010. It is wise to submit early, because most faculty members are very busy and have a limit of how many critiques they can do.
Eligible material:
- Articles up to 3,000 words
- Short stories up to 3,000 words
- Dramatic pieces with a 10- to 15-minute production time
- Poetry up to 75 lines
- The first chapter of a book, up to 3,000 words, plus a one-page synopsis of the book
- Two or three single-page query letters to editors of publications, pitching story ideas/angles/topics for articles, columns, etc.
- A one-sheet about you, your book, your editing services, your speaking ministry, etc.
- A book proposal of up to 3,000 words
- A self-publishing plan
- A marketing plan to promote your book, your writing-related services, your speaking ministry, etc.
You may request up to four separate critiques. They may be for four different pieces, or you may submit the identical piece to a maximum of two different faculty members.
We have deliberately kept the cost very low, to enable as many people possible to take advantage of this service. The cost is C$31.50 ($30 plus $1.50 GST) per critique.
Specifying a faculty member to critique
You may submit a manuscript without specifying a faculty member, and the manuscript critique coordinator, Jayne Self, will assign you to an appropriate person.
If you wish to direct your manuscript to a specific person, study the biographies of faculty members on this site. Look up the publisher's or publication's Web site to get a sense of what kind of material they use. If it's a magazine or newspaper, read its writers' guidelines and review some past issues.
Study the Marketing Critique Faculty Expertise/Interest Chart and Writing Critique Faculty Expertise/Interest Chart, which will be periodically updated as additional information is received from faculty.
We'll do our best to match you with you the faculty member you requested, but we cannot guarantee it. The Coordinator will make the final decision, based on the faculty member's availability, the piece's genre, the writing quality, etc.
Compete information about how manuscript critiques work, and the forms that you need to fill out, are included in the Appointments and Manuscript Critique package that is emailed to you after you register for Write! Canada
Questions?
If you have any questions about manuscript critiques, e-mail the Coordinator Jayne Self.
Also see Faculty Appointments information.
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