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| Tips & Advice Share your tips, tricks and advice. |
07-20-2008, 08:21 PM
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#1
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out in the bush, Queensland, Australia, far from the madding crowd
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,910
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How would you go about having your novel reviewed?
If you had a completed draft consisting of 100K words, of which not one word had ever previously seen by anyone, how/where/from whom would you seek an all-encompassing review?
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Originally Posted by Wildcard 
I view with distaste the excretions polluting this site, suffering when I read another by-product of the boredom of one with access to a computer and the internet. As I read I feel I am being defecated on, and cling to an idea that one day I may find solace in the words of one who takes pride in their work.
Last edited by The Backward OX : 07-21-2008 at 05:32 PM.
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07-20-2008, 08:32 PM
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#2
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Addict
Join Date: Jul 2008
Gender: Female
Posts: 180
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In my case, I'm lucky enough to have a close friend who writes (and reads) a lot in my genres. I usually give her the first view of my work and ask for suggestions. We're close enough we can be honest without hurting one another's feelings, while at the same time, I know her well enough to respect her opinion and at least consider any suggestions. (It also helps that she's got a good eye for grammatical mistakes; by the time she returns my manuscript to me, it's marked up like crazy.)
My husband also gets a look at my work, but he has less experience critiquing and usually just contributes a "good" or "bad" to the discussion. There are also online critiquing groups of course, but you can't post a full manuscript on these places.
An author once recommended to me the idea of having a professional service assess my work. Apparently that's big where she comes from in the UK, but I don't think it's done as much in the US. Anyway, I looked into it once, but it was gonna cost me a fortune. Plus, there was no guarentee it was going to help... In the end, I came to rely on people I trust, who know the subject.
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Capricious Quills:
A resource for writers of fantasy and paranormal romance.
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07-21-2008, 06:28 AM
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#3
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When I've done redrafting my first opus my SO gets first look. He will proof-read as well. He will give me notes. We will argue about them. I will end up agreeing that I am being defensive and that most of his comments are absolutely correct. I will then do another draft. After that I will send it to the agent I am trying to replace mine with. Mine believes life is too short to read novels.
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07-21-2008, 07:47 AM
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#4
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Addict
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 107
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My friends online who write/read A LOT.
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07-21-2008, 10:11 AM
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#5
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Prolific Writer
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 224
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I'm certainly no expert but would be glad to give it a look - NOT for grammar or editorial stuff but to give you an opinion of how it works. Send me a private message and I'll give you my email address.
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Bad Predictions
"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year."
- The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957
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07-21-2008, 11:42 AM
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#6
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Profound Writer
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: big sky country
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,295
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send it to mammamaia
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Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum europe vincendarum
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07-21-2008, 01:30 PM
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#7
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Profound Writer
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,265
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Without paying for such a service, I doubt if you can get a decent review.
What about this:
Have six copies printed out in book form from a POD service like Lulu. It doesn't cost very much and your manuscript will look like a real book.
Next, comes the difficult part. You want to present your 'book' to six people who are readers, on top of that they need to be sensible and not relatives or close friends of yours. Nor people that don't like you.
In other words, independent people with good reading skills, avid readers. And don't pay them, threaten them, cajole them, crawl to them.
Don't ask them for an explanatory essay afterwards either, just go and see them in due course and speak to them. With a bit of luck, you will learn something from the sensible ones.
Alternatively, if you've done enough editing, send sample material to literary agents – they are the experts, and their opinions are free – even if they consist of rejection letters. If you get more than, say, 200 of these, write another 100,000 words on another subject, perhaps in the first person, and try again.
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07-21-2008, 02:41 PM
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#8
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Profound Writer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,118
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I paid an editor/publisher/turned writer to read and edit the first chapter, it was the best money I've ever spent, Ox.
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07-21-2008, 04:17 PM
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#9
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: South-east UK
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,700
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Depends if you want a review or an appraisal, they're different things.
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07-21-2008, 05:26 PM
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#10
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out in the bush, Queensland, Australia, far from the madding crowd
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,910
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike C
Depends if you want a review or an appraisal, they're different things.
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Sorry, my OP was misleading.
Definitely 'review', as in 'critique'.
__________________
Originally Posted by Wildcard
I view with distaste the excretions polluting this site, suffering when I read another by-product of the boredom of one with access to a computer and the internet. As I read I feel I am being defecated on, and cling to an idea that one day I may find solace in the words of one who takes pride in their work.
Last edited by The Backward OX : 07-21-2008 at 05:31 PM.
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07-21-2008, 05:27 PM
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#11
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out in the bush, Queensland, Australia, far from the madding crowd
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,910
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryG
Without paying for such a service, I doubt if you can get a decent review.
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Harry, see my reply to Mike.
__________________
Originally Posted by Wildcard
I view with distaste the excretions polluting this site, suffering when I read another by-product of the boredom of one with access to a computer and the internet. As I read I feel I am being defecated on, and cling to an idea that one day I may find solace in the words of one who takes pride in their work.
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07-21-2008, 05:29 PM
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#12
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out in the bush, Queensland, Australia, far from the madding crowd
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,910
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alanmt
send it to mammamaia
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That is an interesting possibility.
__________________
Originally Posted by Wildcard
I view with distaste the excretions polluting this site, suffering when I read another by-product of the boredom of one with access to a computer and the internet. As I read I feel I am being defecated on, and cling to an idea that one day I may find solace in the words of one who takes pride in their work.
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07-21-2008, 06:21 PM
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#13
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Location, Location
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,371
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Find a critique group or critique circle.
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07-21-2008, 07:21 PM
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#14
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out in the bush, Queensland, Australia, far from the madding crowd
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,910
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I take it you mean something a tad more upmarket than this site? Any suggestions?
__________________
Originally Posted by Wildcard
I view with distaste the excretions polluting this site, suffering when I read another by-product of the boredom of one with access to a computer and the internet. As I read I feel I am being defecated on, and cling to an idea that one day I may find solace in the words of one who takes pride in their work.
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07-22-2008, 12:21 AM
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#15
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: South-east UK
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,700
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Do you have anyone whose opinion you trust? Can you afford a professional appraisal?
Many of the pro writers I know have amassed 2 or 3 beta readers; they're hard to come by but worth their weight, apparently.
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