Manuscript Critiques – Submission Deadline Midnight, May 31, 2010
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 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 target it to your target audience. .
Note 1: The paid manuscript critique service is separate from appointments with faculty. Each Write! Canada registrant may make appointments to speak to up to 3 faculty members at Write! Canada if you register by midnight, June 7th.
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 Appointment and Critique Information Package by email.
Send your manuscript(s) no later than midnight, May 31st, 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 double-spaced one-page synopsis of the book
- A query letter
- A one-sheet on either you, your book, your speaking ministry, etc.
- A book proposal of up to 3,000 words
- A self-publishing plan
- A marketing plan
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.
For each manuscript you want critiqued:
- Email one electronic copy of your correctly formatted manuscript, together with one completed electronic copy of your critique request form.
- Send by Canada Post a cheque to cover the fee of C$31.50 ($30 plus $1.50 GST) per critique, together with a printed hard copy of your critique request form(s) in order to track your payment.
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.
After you register, you will receive a chart with more information about each faculty member's interests.
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.
STEP 1: Format your manuscript(s) correctly.
- Typed, 12-point Times Roman font, double-spaced, one-inch margins on all sides, pages numbered sequentially.
- Insert a header at the top of the page that recurs on all pages. In the header, include your name and address; the title of the submission; the word count.
Note: If your manuscript is not formatted correctly, or exceeds the allotted word count, the Coordinator will ask you to re-submit a correct manuscript.
STEP 2: Fill out the manuscript critique submission forms.
The manuscript critique request forms will be emailed to all Write! Canada Registrants in a separate Appointment and Critique Information Package. It will be available in PDF (to fill out as a hard copy) or as an MS Word file. We prefer receiving both the manuscript and the accompanying critique request form electronically, if possible.
Fill in one form for each critique. If you key in your answers on the MS Word form, please use bold or a different font so your answers are easy to see.
STEP 3: Send your manuscript(s) and submission form(s).
Email the electronic copies of the MS critique form(S) AND your manuscript(s) as Microsoft Word attachments to Jayne Self. Write "Manuscript Critique" in the subject line. Include a covering note explaining what is in your attachment.
STEP 4: Pay for your manuscript critique(s).
Make your cheque payable to The Word Guild. The fee is C$31.50 ($30 plus $1.50 GST) per manuscript. In the memo section of your cheque, write "Manuscript Critique."
Send the cheque together with a printed hard copy of the Critiques request form) in order to track your payment to:
MS Critiques
2 York Street
Orangeville, ON L9W 2L6
NOTE: Do NOT mail a printout of the manuscript – only the single request form.
STEP 5: Check for confirmation
The Coordinator will e-mail you confirmation that your manuscript has been received. If you do not receive confirmation within 5 business days, please contact Jayne Self to ensure that your manuscript was safely received.
Questions?
If you have any questions about manuscript critiques, e-mail the Coordinator Jayne Self.
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