Critiques

Purchase a critique to get your work submission-ready! You’ll receive a detailed critique with line edits, comments, and overall feedback.

Pricing:

  • Query letter critique: $30
  • First manuscript page critique: $30
  • Picture book manuscript critique (up to 1500 words): $80
  • Synopsis critique: $80
  • 10-page manuscript critique: $100
  • Longer manuscript critiques: $175 per 50 pages or fraction thereof
  • Coaching call: $85 for up to 45 minutes

Please note:

  • Each critique includes one pass with both overall structural feedback and line-level comments.
  • “Manuscript” refers to a properly formatted manuscript using 12 point font, 1-inch margins, and double-spacing.
  • Query letters and synopsis may be single-spaced. Verse may also be single-spaced with double-spacing between stanzas.

Try a Coaching Call!

Sometimes you need feedback that doesn’t fit into a traditional critique – enter the coaching call! You submit up to 10 pages of material in advance to help me understand what you’re trying to work through in your story. (Depending on your specific issue, the material you submit may include a query letter, a synopsis, manuscript pages, pitches, an outline, or something else entirely!) Then we chat live via Zoom to hash it out. A coaching call can help you work out a knotty plot problem, identify the core of your story, figure out where to go with a tough edit, refine your pitch, or develop a plan for submission to agents and editors. Pricing: $85 for up to 45 minutes

Testimonials:

“I can’t recommend Kathy’s critiques highly enough.  She always has such keen insight into what I’m trying to do and then offers suggestions and solutions that make my own ideas for the book stronger and clearer.  She has taught me so much about my strengths as a writer and how to play into them to make my books better.”—Tobie Easton, award-winning author of the Mer Chronicles series

“I’ve worked with a number of well-regarded editors over the years, but none as good as Kathy. She immediately got the vision for my book and guided me on issues big and small to bring that vision onto the page. Her feedback was insightful, precise, and practical. With her edits in hand, I had confidence that my manuscript and my query letter were ready to put out into the world. All that, and she’s a warm, encouraging, and positive person. We need more Kathy MacMillans in the world!” — William T., middle-grade author

“Kathy MacMillan gives fantastic, thorough and thoughtful feedback. Her experience in the industry, as well as her attention to craft, mean that her comments address practical, over-arching concerns while not forsaking the importance of fine details. She is one of my most trusted readers, and I feel confident in my work after working with her. Highly recommended.” – Meg Eden, author of Post-High School Reality Quest

“Kathy has given me critiques on a number of my works. I find her advice to be both insightful and intuitive. As an author herself, she is great at fine-tuning character and plot arcs. I trust Kathy to give me honest and smart feedback.” – Deborah Schaumberg, author of The Tombs

“Kathy provided insightful and detailed feedback on my middle grade novel manuscript. With meticulous style, she pinpointed inconsistencies and suggested key improvements to tighten pacing and raise stakes. Kathy’s constructive critiques are encouraging and grounded, and challenge me to work harder. She is a gifted editor!” – Kate Ferrall, SCBWI Published and Listed member

“Kathy was a huge help to me!  When I first reached out to her, she gave me a reasonable expectation of how long it would take to complete a review of my query, synopsis, and manuscript.  She completed everything on time (earlier actually!), and she did so much more than just my critiques.  She guided me along the way, recommending character changes, plot changes, books for me to read, even guided me on my Twitter pitch.  It was the best money I ever spent on my writing.  My book was completely transformed and went from really just a collection of good stories to an actual book. Thanks so much to Kathy!!” – Katie Mullen, middle grade author

“Kathy critiqued a draft of my query letter, and her feedback was wonderfully precise and thoughtful. She provided me with great suggestions that were extremely helpful to me as a writer. I highly recommend her!” – Bronwyn C., writer from Maryland

“Kathy critiqued my manuscript, query letter, and synopsis in preparation for submission to agencies. Her comments were incredibly thorough and insightful. She addressed the whole gamut of my work including grammar, plot and description suggestions, plus items to include for submission. Post edits I feel much more confident about my work and presentation as a professional author. I highly recommend her services!” – Lena D., middle grade author

Payment details:

  • For fees up to $100: Upfront payment required.
  • For fees of $101 and above, a 50% deposit will be required upfront, with the balance due upon receipt of completed critique.
  • Payments types accepted: Venmo, PayPal, or credit card payments online via Square.

Turnaround time:

Turnaround time will vary depending on my other projects and deadlines, but is generally 5-6 weeks for shorter projects, 8-10 weeks for longer projects. When you fill out the form below to arrange your critique, I will respond with an honest estimate of turnaround time based on the length of your critique and the other projects on my plate at the time. If you are looking for a shorter turnaround time, you may wish to consider a coaching call, which can usually be arranged within 2-3 weeks.

Book a critique:

Fill out the form below to get started!