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P.N. Elrod is Critiquing!

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Chekurtab

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I want to report that I got my critique over the weekend. Not even a brick in a face, so I'm double happy. Thanks for the words of encouragement, everybody.
 

gdossetto

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I think this thread has died. Still waiting on my critique.
 

Australian River

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I submitted mine May 16th. She said it would be 4 to 5 weeks. I am still waiting. when I check her FB for updates it seems she's still doing April submissions, so it will be a while.

She's also been ill which doesn't help.
 

Gillhoughly

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I'm seeing the same thing, that she's been sick and that slowed her down. She's mentioned that several times on her FB page.

She posted an update today, though.

FUZZY FUND CRITIQUE UPDATE: I have caught up on all submissions sent prior to April 17th. The next batch came on on April 21st, so I'll start getting those out.

IF YOU SENT ANYTHING IN PRIOR TO APRIL 21 AND HAVEN'T GOTTEN YOUR CRITIQUE YET, contact me at my mystikmerchantrobes email address that's on the vampwriter website.

A few submissions got stuck in the spam filter (I check it now), never arrived, or the writers were bounced out of line when they sent a query using their original entry rather than in a separate mail.

Long wait for you, Australian River! :(


https://www.facebook.com/p.n.elrod/posts/10152198539946434
 

bearilou

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I've been sort of tracking this and calculating how long the wait times are so far.

At last report by someone here and counting back to when they submitted, I'm looking at about 11-12 weeks before I get mine, submitted at the end of May.

This is not a complaint. I know she's working just as hard as she can and I'm more than willing to be patient to hear back from her, however long it takes. I'm still excited to be hearing from her when she gets to mine.
 

MythMonger

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She delivered my brick in the face with gusto! Well worth the wait, though, and just in time for my next draft.
 

Bing Z

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I sent my excerpt on 4/21 and got the brick in the face from her today. Nothing really harsh. Sharp opinions from a professional angle. It's exactly what I'd wanted. It's worth more than double the (adjusted) asking price.
 

Thrillerlover

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Has anyone paid for Ms. Elrod's copyediting services? From what I've seen here on the boards, her critiquing skills are widely respected. But I'm wondering if anyone has employed her talents to help make a final MS shiny.
 

Gillhoughly

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I hear she's picky. She won't take a job now if the book isn't ready, and the other day she posted on Facebook that her rates doubled from a penny a word to .02 a word. It's still cheap, though. At least you know she won't lie back and think of the check if the book's not ready. Lots of editors put the check first, not the writer.

This blog about turning down a job is on her FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/pn-elrod/when-to-not-hire-an-editor/522521014473173
 

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Has anyone paid for Ms. Elrod's copyediting services? From what I've seen here on the boards, her critiquing skills are widely respected. But I'm wondering if anyone has employed her talents to help make a final MS shiny.

She has a solid reputation in trade publishing as an editor and as an author.
 

tiddlywinks

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Oy. Guess my wait is going to be a looooong while since I submitted mine for critique back in late June. But, I knew that going in. Thus the motivation to finally stop lurking and start contributing on the AW boards to get stellar advice from other writers :) (Don't slap the newbie brown-noser). I'm still debating whether or not I should send off the openings for my other two books or just keep it at the one. Waffle, waffle, waffle.
 

bearilou

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I hear she's picky. She won't take a job now if the book isn't ready, and the other day she posted on Facebook that her rates doubled from a penny a word to .02 a word. It's still cheap, though. At least you know she won't lie back and think of the check if the book's not ready. Lots of editors put the check first, not the writer.

This blog about turning down a job is on her FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/pn-elrod/when-to-not-hire-an-editor/522521014473173

I guess we need a facebook in order to see it?
 

Gillhoughly

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I checked--it's still there. I had to reboot my computer and then FB came back from wherever it had gone.

It's a post about a writer whose work wasn't ready to edit and she only figured it out after she took on the job.

The book wasn't ready. It was not ready to pay an editor to go over it, much less self-publish so the general public could read it. At this point in its development it was like having carpet installed on a house's bare foundation, with no walls and no roof.

I know the author is proud of that book, and he/she put a lot of work into it. She/he did something awesome just finishing a 75K-word book. Few aspiring writers are able to stick with such project. Writing is hard work!

But the book had problems. I could not in good conscience take more money for it. I charged the person for my work up to that point (a penny a word, which is dirt cheap for editing) and put in 8 pages of detailed feedback on the book, writing in general, and ways to get better at it. I sent an invoice along with the files with the corrections so far. The writer paid the invoice, but I've heard nothing more from the person.

I feel badly about it. First I made the poor writer wait for months on end while I cleared my schedule, then when I finally got to it I sent the whole thing back with unsolicited comments and a bill.

But the book just was NOT ready for publication. It wouldn't have made it out of one of my workshops alive. I'm not known for holding back on critiques, but I don't shred something just to be mean; I'm only ever going to be honest and offer alternatives and suggestions on how to fix it.

Which means it's gonna be painful. No writer enjoys hearing what's wrong with their labor of love.

However, if they want to be better that their craft, they put on their game face.

When they get over being mad, they take a second look to see if the critique raised some valid points.

That covers it for me. I hate getting honest critiques, but I know they're necessary, like drilling the rotten stuff out a cavity. At least the dentist gives you drugs to kill the pain! ;)
 

millymollymo

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Another "early June" submitter lurking here, working on other projects to pass the time. I've had feedback from other sources, but this will be the first of this level! I'm looking forward to it. (Yeah Yeah, call me crazy.) Also glad that the pennies will help with the vet bills.
 

Australian River

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I wasn't getting an full requests with the opening of my MC so I sent it to Ms. Elrod. I felt like I couldn't write anything else until I had picked up an agent for said MC.

I waited and waited for Ms. Elrod to give me feedback and her deadline has come and gone...only that's a good thing because it spurred me to start writing again instead of hanging around, and in the 2 months I've been waiting I almost finished a MG MC :)
 
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gdossetto

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Start of week 11 to wait. Not the end of the world but significantly longer than her acknowledgement email said.
 

CrastersBabies

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Forgot this thread was here! Had lurked and then saw it again under "new posts." Got some great feedback. Lots of positive things. Some really amazing micro critique as well--especially having to do with combat and action scene-craft. This coming at a time when I was seriously doubting my story and my writing. (Haven't written much since my mother passed in March.)

Good critique always gives me more revision tools to keep in mind as I edit. Love when that happens!

I hope Fluffy is doing well now.
 
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Gillhoughly

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Apparently she's still at it. Posted this the other day.

https://www.facebook.com/p.n.elrod/posts/10152255655126434

FUZZY FUND CRITIQUE UPDATE: I've just now closed out critiques for stories sent prior to April 26 and am about to start on submissions for April 27 onward.

Unfortunately, some writers wrote for update information on their submissions using their original submission mail's reply feature-- and this sent their sub to the back of the line! I can't shift it back because my email won't allow it. I don't always remember to put in a date, either--I've a LOT of stuff on my plate.

I put in a warning about this on the website and it's now in the auto-reply letter writers get when they send something in.

The gist is: if you want to keep your place in line, send a SEPARATE email with the date of your submission and the title.

I expected a dozen or so subs and got flooded with over 200.

If you got a "thank you for your submission" auto reply it means your submission is in line and I'll get to it in its turn. It's not lost and your critique isn't lost. I keep track of the ones sent out. If I don't hear back from you -- as in a donation to Fuzzy's Fund didn't come in -- I'll try contacting you again.

One good thing on this is that out of all the crits I've done so far there's only been one deadbeat. He's not replied in 3 months, so I guess he just wasn't ready for a full on brick in the face treatment. As one of my friends rightly says, "This is not a job for wimps." By not donating he not only wasted my time and effort, he took time away from other, more serious writers -- *and* dissed my dog!

Again, I apologize for being so slow, but believe me, publishers are a lot slower. If they say their turnaround time is 2 months, triple it, and add another month or two. In the meantime, be working on your next project. It'll keep you from climbing the walls.
 

gdossetto

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Glad to know mine will be read by the end of the year...maybe. :)
 

Godyth

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Glad to know mine will be read by the end of the year...maybe. :)

Exactly my thoughts. I submitted at the beginning of June, so maybe this will be a Christmas/winter Solstice gift? Doesn't cost anything to wait, meanwhile, I'll keep writing. Plenty to do....
 

Cathy C

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^^^This is really the best advice! Keep on writing and don't worry about when it arrives. :)

I'm so glad you got back to writing, Australian River! I was concerned when you said this:

I felt like I couldn't write anything else until I had picked up an agent for said MC.

That's an unrealistic goal and it could absolutely kill your career. You have to keep writing if writing is what you want to do---whether or not you have an agent, or a publisher or readers. Keep writing because you can't get better until you've written story after story and honed your craft. :Hug2:
 
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