Critiques by Kristi Holl

When you think about the hours, months and possibly even years it took you to write your book, you should be the first to acknowledge that having your work professionally edited is the next logical step. It is the one step you should never, ever skip. I am not going to go on and on about this, I am going to introduce you to a very special woman.

Ms Krists Holl

Kristi Holl is an award-winning author of 41 books for children, two nonfiction books for writers (Writer’s First Aid and More Writer’s First Aid), and over 150 stories and articles for children and adults, as well as conference speaker. Two-thirds of her books are middle-grade novels. She also taught writing for 27 years and has done freelance editing for two publishers.

Kristi understands that publishing has changed and is unlikely to go back to the times when her first books were published by Atheneum. At that time, editors had much more time to critique an author’s work and help him or her get it ready for publication. Her critique service fills a void that was left after corporate take-overs and reduced staff left many editors too swamped to work closely with writers to polish their work. These days, to stand a chance with a traditional publisher, your book manuscript must land on an editor’s desk in very “clean” shape.

“I prefer to critique middle grade (8-12) or tween (10-14) or teen (12-16) novels or nonfiction,” Kristi says on her website. “I like to receive the entire manuscript in the mail, double-spaced and printed on one side of the paper. I make comments directly on the manuscript as I read. Then I write a lengthy (4-6) single-spaced letter of comments to go with the manuscript critique, pointing out areas of strength and weakness, plus writing instruction to improve the manuscript.

“I charge $40 per hour. The average 25,000- to 30,000-word novel takes me about 5-6 hours. I return edited manuscripts with critiques to writers within two weeks—usually less. I ask for a $50 deposit to be included when you mail me the manuscript, then the rest is due after I complete the critique. I send a bill for the remainder when I return the manuscript. Keep the bill for your tax records, as it is deductible as a business expense. If this interests you, let me know, and I'll send you my street address. Contact me at Kristi.Holl@gmail.com.”

What's in a Review

As an author, reviews, opinions and constructive criticism are a crucial part of what we do. There is just no way around it, and we either work hard, getting all the comments, feedback and critique we can BEFORE we publish, or after. If we have hurried through the process it will show in the end result and comments. So please, do not take offense or be surprised by negative reviews…they serve an all important purpose; to make us better writers and to help us polish our work.

It does not help to write a false-positive review because we are afraid to hurt the author’s (and possibly a friend’s) feelings. In fact, we are not helping at all. If you choose to write alone, without feedback, then pay for a professional editing of the manuscript. This is something that should be done in any case, but especially if you were the only one to review the piece. Our mind gets to the point where it will add in missing words and skip over spelling mistakes…and if the misspelled word is still a word (like bend – end) the auto correct won’t pick it up either.

Join a critique group. Listen to their feedback. You do not have to make all suggested changes; it might help you solidify your point by adding back story to it, or might just let you know that you are on the right track. Regardless, you cannot and should not do without someone (and preferably up to ten people) giving you feedback. They are not in your head, they do not know what’s going on behind what you have written, and they will be able to notice missing links, characterization flaws, plot errors and such.

So, just as rejection letters are part of the job, so are negative reviews. Personally, I prefer to get my negative comments BEFORE I publish, so that I can make as many corrections and improvements as possible. However, if you have skipped these important steps, be forewarned…there’s just no escaping the red pen.

Oh, and if you are given a negative review…don’t take it out on the reviewer. Show some measure of maturity and dignity by choosing to learn from your mistakes.

Just as I was going to press the "Publish Post" button I came across this from a fellow author...

Elle LaPraim
This is me right now, in editing hell. I hate editing. The first two drafts are so painful, I would rather do just about anything else besides edit. BUT, doing the hard work is what separates the people who will be an author, from the people who just dream about it.

I Want to Write a Book

I believe everyone has a story to tell, but that not everyone is a born story-teller. If you have ever wanted to write, then write. Without something “on paper”, you have nothing to work with.

There are classes you can take, and websites to help, but on a simpler level, all you need is a pen and paper so you can jot down your ideas.

If you haven’t already started, then get to it. This is the first step, and an important one.

Once you have started writing, find someone to share it with. Be it friends, family, online groups, whatever…because the feedback will be invaluable.

You don’t have to put 600 pages to paper to be a writer. A poem, a short story, an article about something you know and want to share, a novella, a full-length book are all possibilities. Online magazines, print magazines, articles in the local paper, eBooks and books are all places you might find your writing. If you are willing to write, that is.

If you have decided to write a book right off the bat, then I suggest you share chapter by chapter with your critique group, because it’s easier to work on a shorter piece than if you have to overhaul 300 pages at a time. Mistakes made can be corrected and you might avoid repeating the same ones all the way through your work.

So, now that you are writing, allow me to enquire, WHO are you writing for? You would not use scientific terms for a young child’s picture book, nor would you use the language of an eight year old to write for a group of business men. Make sure you know who your intended audience is and write accordingly. If you are not sure, then pick up and read something from the same genre you want to write. Fortunately for us today, there are millions of free eBooks available online so we can do a comparison study. (You can upload a PC or phone app free from Amazon to read on android, PC, ipod, ipad etc…)

Do not be afraid to share your work with your critique or feedback group. Someone asked about the possibility of having their work stolen, and the answer was something like this- the risk that the work of an unknown artist, musician or writer gets stolen are slim to none…what the ‘thieves’ go after are the works of famous artists, musicians and writers…

The fun part about having someone to share the writing with is that you have someone to help when your stuck, someone to bounce ideas off, an opinion when you’re looking for the right word or turn of phrase. Another positive point is when they disagree with something you wrote; you can either change it or stand your ground, deciding what is best for your work. Don’t forget, they are not inside your head…and if they don’t get what you’re trying to say, try again. My favourite is testing descriptions…of course I know what my setting or character looks like, but if my friends cannot accurately describe the person or place, then I have failed at my attempt and have the chance to do it again.

Writing is an adventure in itself. YOU, the writer, get to create people, situations, reactions and whole worlds…so give it a try…and if you don’t have anyone to read your work or answer a question, I’d be happy to help.

So? What will you create today?