Novel Critique Service
My eleven published novels have sold more than 1.4 million copies, regularly made the paperback bestseller charts and been chosen for the Richard and Judy Book Club and the Radio 2 Book Club. But before all of that, I was a wannabe author with 102 rejections from agents to my name! I know how hard it is to write a novel and struggle to get it published. I’ve learnt about rejections the hard way and know all the mistakes to avoid. And over my sixteen years as a bestselling author, I’ve learnt a lot about what agents and publishers are looking for – and what can put them off.
If you’re near the beginning of your novel writing journey or almost ready to submit to agents, I can help you by critiquing your work, flagging up potential problems and recommending solutions to them. I’ll always be honest and will tell you if I feel something isn’t working, but I’ll also come up with suggestions as to how you can improve it and give yourself a better chance of success.
So, if you’re looking for guidance from an established author and experienced creative writing tutor to help improve your novel, you’ve come to the right place!
Because I want to be able to provide the best possible service, I only critique novels that I feel qualified to advise on. So, unfortunately, I don’t critique children’s or YA novels, historical, sci-fi, horror or fantasy novels. There are many other authors, editors and manuscript assessment services that do, so please try them instead.
If that doesn’t rule you out, here are the two services I offer:
First 10,000 Words
Writing a novel is a huge commitment. All writers go through a period of self-doubt where they wonder if what they’re writing is any good but sometimes it pays to pause and ask an expert to cast their eye over your work to let you know if you’re heading in the right direction, make suggestions as to how you can improve it and whether it’s something worth persevering with.
What you Get
A 2/3-page report on your first 10,000 words, highlighting strengths and weaknesses and suggesting ways you can improve your novel. I’ll give feedback on your characters, plot and structure and give you pointers about how they can be strengthened. I’ll also make annotations on your MS in more detail, picking out places where your novel could be tightened or where the pace sags or you risk losing reader interest. You will be given the option to include a one-page synopsis/outline of your novel (if you have one!) and I’ll give feedback on that, too.
What it Costs
This package costs £250, with the fee payable on submission. I’ll aim to get the report back to you in 3-4 weeks. This will be dependent on my own writing deadlines, but I’ll advise you of my current turnaround times before you submit.
One-to-one Zoom
There is an optional extra of a 40-minute Zoom session with me, after you’ve had the chance to read and digest my report, where I can outline issues raised in more detail and you’ll have the chance to ask further questions about how you can move forward. This costs £50.
Submission Package
Getting your submission package into the best possible shape before sending it out to agents or publishers is crucial to your chances of success. I’ll give feedback on your first three chapters (max 10,000 words), your synopsis (1-2 pages) and your query letter to an agent or publisher, highlighting anything which is undermining your chances and making recommendations as to how you can strengthen your submission before sending it out.
What you Get
A 2-3 page report on your first three chapters (max 10,000 words), highlighting ways of tightening and improving them further. I’ll also make annotations on your MS in more detail, picking out places where you risk losing the agent or publisher’s interest. I’ll provide detailed feedback on your 1-2 page synopsis and make suggestions as to how it can be improved and ensure that your query letter is as strong as possible. I’ll also include some general feedback on approaching agents and how the submission process works. Unfortunately, I can’t introduce you to agents or guarantee they’ll ask to see the rest of your novel, but I aim to give you the best possible chance for your work to stand out.
What it Costs
This package costs £250, with the fee payable on submission. I’ll aim to get the report back to you in 3-4 weeks. This will be dependent on my own writing deadlines, but I’ll advise you of my current turnaround times before you submit.
One-to-one Zoom
There is an optional extra of a 40 minute Zoom session with me, after you’ve had the chance to read and digest my report, where I can take you through my suggestions in more detail and you’ll have the chance to ask questions about the submission process. This costs £50.
Next Step
If you’re interested in either of these packages, please email me via the button here, providing the following details:
1) A brief outline of the novel you are writing/have written.
2) A little bit about yourself, which of these packages you are interested in and any specific questions you have.
3) Please do not include any samples of your novel/synopsis at this stage.
I’ll then get back to you and let you know if I can accept your submission and give you an idea of the turnaround times I’m currently looking at. Please note that I can only take on a certain number of critiques at any time, and depending on my writing deadlines, there may be a waiting list in place. If that’s the case, I’ll keep you updated and do feel free to try elsewhere if the wait is too long.
I’ll also provide full details of the submission process. Please note that all manuscripts should be submitted as Word Documents typed in Times New Roman or Arial and be double-line spaced.
I look forward to hearing from you and helping you with your writing journey!
