A good critique is more than a list of errors and problems. It also spots the strengths of your style and voice. It helps the next piece you're going to write as much as it helps the current one, because it makes you better as a writer. I love being able to point out something specific and say, "This is great. Do more stuff like this."

I work with mainstream and literary fiction, as well as many sorts of genre fiction, including thrillers, mysteries, young adult novels, and science fiction. I also work with memoir and other kinds of narrative non-fiction.

There are several ways an editor can critique your work. What you need depends on how far along your manuscript is in the creative process and what your strengths and weaknesses are as a writer. This variability means that rates are difficult to assess without seeing the manuscript. Send a sample of your work for a free edit and estimate and I'll be able to give you a much better idea.

Primarily I charge per word. Not everyone thinks in word counts; see the sidebar for a quick way to convert from number of words to number of pages.

Here's what I can do:

Copyedit your manuscript — This is a line-by-line edit. I'll check grammar, syntax, and spelling. I'll find passive sentence structures, places where your language is obscure or abstract or your metaphors are mixed, and moments when you violate the point-of-view you're working in. I'll find the kinds of language you do well and help you develop that.

What it costs: — Copyediting runs from 2¢ to 4¢ per word, depending on how many errors there are. Light copyediting, for instance, is nine errors or fewer per page, and is the most common kind.

What you can expect from me: — A thorough line edit of your manuscript.

Give a broad evaluation — While copyediting is done through a microscope, this kind of critique looks at the large things. How well do you maintain dramatic tension? Are any scenes missing? Are any extraneous? I'll tell you what I think the potential is for your work, and how to realize that potential. This kind of edit can sometimes come early in the writing process. It's much different than copyediting, and takes both analysis and inspiration to do well.

What it costs: — A broad evaluation runs about a penny a word, but that may be more or less depending on your manuscript.

What you can expect from me: — A thoughtful reading of your work. My broad critiques tend to run 1,500 to 3,000 words, or roughly 6-12 pages.

Give a substantive critique — A critique of this depth works to reshape the manuscript so that it solves the problems and promotes the successes identified in a broad evaluation. It may involve reorganization or consolidation of scenes or characters, or it may involve writing scenes that are not there but should be.

What it costs: — 2¢ to 5¢ per word.

What you can expect from me: — At the least, a critique of thirty to forty pages. There may be more depending on how heavy the editing and whether or not the manuscript is at a good stage for line-by-line work.