Critique Service

1. What Do I Get?

What you get with the Authorlink Critique Service:

• A professional read and written critique of up to 60 manuscript pages and a brief outline.
• Fee: $125 per set of 60 pages.
• Sign me up!

2. What Is the Authorlink Critique Service?

The written editorial critique is done by a writing professional who will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your story. The critique is based upon ten criteria, including plot, theme, pacing, voice, writing style, internal and external conflict, characterization, dialogue, format and grammar.

Each critique is individual and focuses only upon your specific work. The critic's comments are for your eyes only. We never send them to anyone else. The critic's remarks will be e-mailed to you, and page edits or recommendations will be "tracked" in the word processor so that you can easily see the suggested changes. If clarification is needed, the critic is allowed to offer you one round of additional questions related specifically to the critique. In addition, you will receive the 5- to 10-page written analysis by e-mail.

Your partial manuscript must be submitted in digital form as a Microsoft Word or Word Perfect document (no other formats please!) to our online system. It's easy. From the signup form simply browse for the 60-page file on your computer, double click and hit UPLOAD. The system will confirm when done. Please do not try to send more than 60 pages at a time. The system has an automatic page limit and excess pages will not be received. After your account has been established and receipt of the first critique confirmed, you can log in to MY ACCOUNT and add additional 60-page increments anytime. Added segments can be from the same manuscript or a different work.

The critic will NOT do a line-by-line edit, but may in some cases make suggestions or minor edits such as grammar or typos. The person will, however, evaluate your work on the points mentioned earlier.

The service is offered only to residents of the United States who write in English.

The Critique is an online service. Correspondence and critical remarks will be done via e-mail and e-mail attachments or the automatic system. Absolutely no hard copy unless specifically instructed to do so by a staff member. Please note that any hardcopy materials received will NOT be returned to the author, but rather recycled approximately 30 days after the critique is e-mailed.

Please note that Authorlink.com serves as a facilitator for its FULL MEMBERS, not as a traditional literary agency. We help writers find editors and agents through our Book/Film/TV Pitches and the Writers' Registry. Authorlink Literary Group is a separate division and works only on referrals from published authors or other editors or agents. See more details on the Pitches and Registry memberships.

3. How Do I Sign Up for the Authorlink Critique Service?

Easy Online Sign-Up

1. Open your account online. If you are an existing Authorlink member, you will be asked to log in. If not, we will ask you some information needed to create your account. PLEASE NOTE: You must have an e-mail address to work with our system.
2. Upload your short synopsis and 60 pages (up to 15,000 words) by following the upload instructions on the sign upform. It is not necessary to fill in the resume portion of the online form for the Critique service. Pick the category which best suits your work. Complete and submit your application. You do not have to mail any materials. The credit card you provide will be automatically charged for the service.
3. Print two copies of the form (one for us, if paying by money order or check, and one for you).
4. If paying by check or money order, mail your payment to Authorlink, 755 Laguna, Irving, TX 75039-3218. Be sure to include a copy of your submission form, as noted above.

Here's How We Work

• You will receive an automatic confirmation message that we have received your online application and materials for critiquing.
• When your credit card is approved or your payment is received, we will send an e-mail confirmation, and you will be assigned to one of our professional critics.
• Please allow two to three weeks for the finished critique to be e-mailed to you.

We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. Submit as many works as you'd like through your online account.

Critique Submission Guidelines and Mechanical Specifications

1. Suggested Length Requirements and Eligibility

You are not required to follow length requirements for our manuscript but we strongly recommend you do. We also recommend that fictional works be complete at the time of the critique, though this is not a requirement. For nonfiction works, you may submit a brief outline and the first 60 pages of a manuscript, or a book proposal of up to 60 pages, including the elements mentioned below for a proposal. Please create a single file (Microsoft Word or WordPerfect) for your document.

Recommended Categories and Lengths:

• Finished fiction in any listed genre. We highly recommend that the fiction work be completed at the time of submission for review. Minimum finished length: 60,000 words.
• Finished nonfiction. Minimum finished length: 50,000 words.
• Nonfiction-in-progress. A formal book proposal of up to 60 pages should be submitted. (See Formal Book Proposal requirement below.)
• Novellas. 40,000-50,000 words.
• Children's/Young Adult. Length ranges from a few hundred words to a minimum of 5,000-6,000 words for young adult. (If very short, limit your excerpt to 50-100 words.)
• Biography/Memoir. Minimum length: 60,000 words. (Formal Book Proposal not required.)

Note: Poetry and short stories are not accepted for critique at this time. Pornography is also ineligible.

A Formal Nonfiction Book Proposal can be submitted for critique if the nonfiction project is not completed. Include these elements in the proposal you submit online:

• 1-2 page author resume.
• 1-3 page market analysis (audience, similar books and how yours differs).
• Chapter by chapter outline in paragraph form (usually about 5-6 pages).
• Table of contents.
• Sample chapter(s). Note: the entire proposal must not exceed 15,000 words.
• Note: It is also necessary to submit a shorter synopsis and resume online with your new account information, in addition to the book proposal. See the application form for details.

2. Formatting Your Material for Submission

• Recommended font: 12-point Times New Roman or Courier
• Always double-space your manuscript. The outline can be single-spaced.
• Include a title page with your complete contact information, date, and estimated length of the work.
• Use one-inch margins on all sides: top, bottom, left and right.
• Number your pages sequentially. (Do not begin a new chapter with the number one.) Include your last name and a keyword in the upper right corner.
• Keep the original manuscript for your records and submit the copy of your work online. Never send an original. Always keep a copy! We are not a repository for manuscripts!

3. Submitting Your Material Is Easy!

To order a critique for your manuscript, follow these easy steps:

1. Open your account online. If you are an existing Authorlink member, you will be asked to log in. If not, we will ask you some information needed to create your account. PLEASE NOTE: You must have an e-mail address to work with our system.
2. Upload your short synopsis and 60 pages (up to 15,000 words) by following the upload instructions on the sign upform. It is not necessary to fill in the resume portion of the online form for the Critique service. Pick the category which best suits your work. Complete and submit your application. You do not have to mail any materials. The credit card you provide will be automatically charged for the service.
3. Print two copies of the form (one for us, if paying by money order or check, and one for you).
4. If paying by check or money order, mail your payment to Authorlink, 755 Laguna, Irving, TX 75039-3218. Be sure to include a copy of your submission form, as noted above.

4. Preparing Your File Formats for Mailed Materials:

• Create your manuscript in either Microsoft Word or Word Perfect either for PC or MAC. Do NOT send in PDF format.
• Do NOT compress the data before pasting the files into the form.
• No paper manuscripts, please! No Internet submissions, except for the information required in the "Sign In" and "Create New Account" process.

5. PLEASE DO NOT MAIL MATERIALS UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO DO SO. (Please read)

DO NOT E-MAIL MATERIALS OR QUERIES! INSTEAD FILL OUT THE CRITIQUE FORM. PLEASE DO NOT SEND REGISTERED MAIL. IT WILL SLOW DOWN YOUR SUBMISSION.

6. Submission Checklist

1. Submit online account information and all material as provided for in the submission form. Get an on-screen confirmation.
2. Print a copy of your application for your records.
3. If mailing your payment, please include an extra copy of your confirmation notice (absolutely required for processing). Mail to Authorlink, 755 Laguna, Irving, TX 75039-3218. US dollars only. If check or money order is drawn on a foreign bank (located outside the USA) you MUST add $25 to the fee for bank processing. No submission will be processed without the correct fee.

NOTE: WE DO NOT RETURN ANY MAILED MANUSCRIPTS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. MATERIALS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE RECYCLED. A COPY OF YOUR EDITED PARTIAL MANUSCRIPT WILL BE SENT TO YOU BY THE CRITIC VIA E-MAIL ATTACHMENT.

Be sure you proof-read your online submission BEFORE sending.

7. Limits of Liability

Authorlink is not a literary agency and does not sell manuscripts. We make every effort to operate on the highest professional standards, however, total liability is limited to the dollar amount of the contract. We do not accept liability for direct or indirect loss or damage of any nature, including, but not limited to, typographical errors or copyright infringements. By applying for the service, the author and/or agent attests that he or she owns legal rights to the material and indemnifies Authorlink from all legal liability.

8. Refunds, Renewals, Cancellations, Revisions, Additions

NONREFUNDABLE: Submission of an application form is a commitment for your manuscript to be critiqued, and is non-refundable.

REVISION: Modifications made by you after you have submitted your manuscript for critique will require a prepaid fee of $50. Online submission information cannot be modified once submitted.

We reserve the right to refuse any submission.

9. Manuscript Critique Fees (for outline and up to 60 pages): $125

10. For Revisions Only

If you are making a change to your submission, we require a $50 fee per round of revisions. If paying online, your credit card will be immediately charged. If paying by check or money order, we must receive this fee in our offices before your revisions will be processed. You can submit revisions that are not part of the normal renewal process by signing in to your Personal Account menu and following the easy instructions. We'll match your online revision form to your payment when it is processed or it arrives and notify you when the changes have been received.

11. Corresponding With Authorlink

When you correspond with Authorlink by e-mail or regular mail, be SURE to include your real name, your pen name, title of the work, and your reference number, if one has been assigned. This will help us serve you faster. Thanks.

MAILED PAYMENTS SHOULD BE PAYBLE TO AUTHORLINK, AND MAILED TO AUTHORLINK CRITIQUE, 755 LAGUNA, IRVING, TX 75039-3218. If you need assistance filling out the online form, please e-mail: admin@authorlink.com

Poetry is not accepted for critique at this time.

Sign me up!