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My Posts on Writing Craft
Links You Might Like
Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Largest professional organization for kidlit with a searchable author/illustrator list
Celebrate Science
Melissa Stewart's fabulous blog focused on teaching about nonfiction kidlit.
Nonfiction Monday
A round up of recent nonfiction.
Kid Lit Frenzy
Alyson Beecher's great reviews and challenges.
Authors by State
Kim Norman's state-by-state listing.
STEMTuesday
Monthly themed lists of middle grade STEM Books, lesson plans, writing craft and author interviews.
Manuscript Critiques
I Critique
- Nonfiction picturebooks
- Fiction picturebooks
- Nonfiction chapter books
- Nonfiction middle grade
Format
- In an email, send a 1-2 sentence summary or pitch, your vision for future drafts, 3 specific craft-based questions, and where you feel like this project is in the writing process.
- Limit submission to 10 full pages (note, for middle grade, this usually means submitting either the proposal or the first chapter). For format guidelines, use "From Keyboard to Printed Page" from SCBWI.
- Please submit as a MS Word document (or comparable) to sipsey21 (at) gmail (dot) com.
You Receive
- Comments written on the manuscript. This does not usually include extensive line-editing, rather it provides examples or highlights areas that we may want to discuss further.
- Questions to help you think more deeply about the project.
- A 20-minute follow-up Skype or phone conversation.
Fees & Timeline
- Flat fee: $75.00.
- Turn around time is typically 1-3 weeks
Testimonials
"Heather is amazing at dissecting a manuscript and pointing out why the pieces aren't fitting or serving the "big idea."
"I'm blown away by her feedback. And very thankful for the time and thoughtfulness she invested in the critique."
"In the decades I've been writing, I'm sure I've had hundreds of critiques--many of them spot-on, helpful and generous--but yours stands apart as the best I've ever received. "
Tay Berryhill