Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelSullivan
For the record, I'm not a fan of these types of organizations. I see them as making money off of someone's dreams and unless they have a list of very successful published books that they contributed to, I'm not sure they are qualified to have any opinion better than that of a "joe on the street."
I would recommend going to sites like goodreads and find readers of books similar to yours and approach them for being a beta reader. You'll send them a copy of their book in exchange for feedback. Also you can find online writing critique groups so geographic boundaries aren't an issue.
My point is...getting feedback from others is important, but I prefer it to be done in ways that don't put money into the pockets of someone who "may" (and I'm not saying this company is) be little more than a way to fleece people with a dream.
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The problem I have with sites like goodreads (etc.) is that it is effectively random, and I don't see it as necessarily any better or more reliable than the feedback I can get from people here that I do know. The feedback that I have had is good, but it doesn't tell me whether it's ready for "prime time" as you put it, because such reviewers are not in the business of formal analysis. Online critique groups are certainly an option, because at least you are speaking with fellow writers, but it's not one that I feel all that comfortable with - I might feel differently if I was working my way through the start of my writing rather than trying to evaluate a completed manuscript.
I certainly had my reservations about a formal appraisal service, but from what research I was able to do this company seem like they are the real deal. The offer from this company is "evaluation by a senior editor, looking at such areas as style, story flow, character development, general interest and commercial viability".
If I could find someone to give such a detailed review without paying them then obviously that would be great, but it's a big ask when you're talking about a 165000 word manuscript.
