THE STORY CRITIQUE
ESTABLISHED 2023
the ultimate editing package
actionable feedback on your story's plot, pacing, worldbuilding/setting,
character development, & more
personalized tips for enhancing your prose, dialogue, themes, & storytelling
directional advice & coaching to help you learn & grow—not just catch typos
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Authors don't just need someone to point out grammatical errors or tell them what's wrong with their story. We need someone to come alongside us, every step of the way, to help us craft a compelling story that's true to our vision, highlight our strengths, and give us the feedback and guidance we need to overcome our weaknesses.
Enter The Story Critique.
I created this editing program to bridge the gap between Draft 1 and the publish button or query letter. Whether you're seeking traditional publication or looking to self-publish, The Story Critique meets you right where you're at to encourage and guide you in writing a Genuinely Good story. The Story Critique combines developmental edits (the big picture stuff) and line edits (the smaller details like sentence structure) with reader feedback and author coaching, so this editing style is perfect for any stage of your story—rough draft or perfectly polished. Rather than nitpick, I target the aspects of your story you're struggling with or feel uncertain about, and I focus on bringing out more of you in your writing and what makes your story unique.
What kind of stories do you edit?
I accept any length story (i.e., short story, novella, novel, really big novel) in a variety of genres. I have the most experience with romance, especially historical and fantasy, but I love to work on mysteries, suspense, thrillers, literary fiction, sci-fi, and more! The only genres I won't work on are horror, paranormal, and erotica. I'm open to any age group above middle-grade—so, YA, NA, and adult. I can and have edited children's books; they're just not my forte. Even editors have strengths and weaknesses!
writing a short story or novella?
Then you might like Story Notes!
This is a condensed version of The Story Critique for the author on the go. If you have a tight deadline or you've got a short, simple story, this may be just what you need to get a lot of feedback in a small amount of time. Think of it like the CliffsNotes of editing.
The editing style and the quality of the feedback is still the same as The Story Critique. The only difference is that Story Notes only includes in-document edits, i.e., comments and edits made directly on your manuscript. There is no separate pages-long critique, but there is still actionable, targeted feedback and unlimited questions!
Story Notes are only available for books under 40k words.
Is this going to break the bank?
Not at all! My rates are $0.006 per word for The Story Critique and $0.004 for Story Notes. I'll do the math for you—that's $450 for a critique of a 75,000-word book and $100 for Story Notes on a 25,000-word book. But the best part is that if you can't afford these rates, I'm willing to work with you and your budget! I know firsthand how expensive it can be to have your book edited or to self-publish or, in this economy, to just exist. So I'll do whatever I can to make this process smooth and stress-free, especially financially.
introducing...the prose critique
I've noticed more and more prose falling by the wayside. You can find resources on plots and character arcs galore, but you're more or less left to your own devices when it comes to creating quality prose. And it's true, a lot of readers these days don't care for flowery exposition...but there's more to prose than pretty words. I think we can all agree that how something is written affects how it's read.
So if you're interested in bringing your writing to life, finding your personal style, and crafting sentences that linger in readers' minds after they've closed your book...this is for you.
Unlike The Story Critique, The Prose Critique hones in on a small portion of your story. You send in an excerpt from any project that you think best captures your writing style, and another excerpt that you feel needs the most work. Each excerpt should be between 1k and 3k words, although there's no set rule, since what matters is that I get a good idea of the scene and your prose. With this program, I offer developmental-style feedback on your writing and coach you with personal, actionable advice on getting your prose to where you want it to be.
I recommend working on your prose before you start a new project or move onto the next stage of your current one. This way, you can gain the knowledge and skills you need to improve and grow on your own and apply what you learn as you write your story!
The Prose Critique is a flat rate of $30 for up to 5k words.
what clients have to say
stories I've edited