Someone in my writing group told me about this, and I've been meaning to submit but haven't yet. Getting a piece ready now!
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P.N. Elrod is Critiquing!
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She has quite a list of "do not sends" though...I thought my novel was pretty tame but one part was on that list. Make sure you check her website's submission guidelines thoroughly.
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Consider the difference between a brick and a cinder block.
If mine were to continue limping back to the station... I'd probably already taught the reader that chances are they'd get mugged on top of the rest of their Very Bad Day... and then maybe we'd spend the whole trip looking over our shoulders and jumping at backfires and arrive at the station seriously Jasonized.
I'll have to see if I can scrape up a spare ten bucks. She has a trick of sucking you in even if the type of story isn't your thing (has done that to me a few times!) and figure a person can't help but learn something from having that applied, kinda like a judicious whipping.
Submitted my 2.5k yesterday and now I'm both nervous and excited. I've always struggled with my beginning more than the rest of the story, so this is seriously the best opportunity I can imagine!!
Delay
Hi Guys!
Just thought I'd tell you I emailed her my submission on the 27th of March, emailed her on the 5th of April and she emailed me back with the following.
"There's a very long queue and I'm only able to do 1-2 a day. At this time I have to do revisions on a novel due to Tor and so the wait is just getting longer. I will revise my website to reflect the additional delay.
PNE"
Just in case anyone was curious about delays. I am yet to receive mine yet, so it could be a while folks!
Hi Guys!
Just thought I'd tell you I emailed her my submission on the 27th of March, emailed her on the 5th of April and she emailed me back with the following.
"There's a very long queue and I'm only able to do 1-2 a day. At this time I have to do revisions on a novel due to Tor and so the wait is just getting longer. I will revise my website to reflect the additional delay.
PNE"
Just in case anyone was curious about delays. I am yet to receive mine yet, so it could be a while folks!
As of her facebook posting yesterday, she is done with the steampunk revisions and has sent the sucker off to her editor...
Oh, that sounds like a fun book! I'll have to watch for the P. N. Elrod steampunk.
And from my favorite SF/F publisher, too!
And from my favorite SF/F publisher, too!
Hmmmm I guess I won't be submitting since a kid in my story gets killed off in the first chapter, and several animals and humans are also killed or seriously injured along the way.
I enjoyed reading her criteria, etc., on her page though she definately gave me some points to think about.
I enjoyed reading her criteria, etc., on her page though she definately gave me some points to think about.
I'm really sorry to ask, but, can you please tell me the difference between Urban Fantasy and Literary Fiction? Please and thank you!
I want to send my work, but since I'm not sure what it's classified as, just yet, I'm hesitant and just don't want to send her something she expressly does not want to critique.
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There's a pretty wide gulf in your question. We could spend a long time trying to discuss this.
Easiest thing: go and search for "urban fantasy books" and "literary fiction books" on Amazon. Look at the results. You'll quickly get an idea of what goes where.
Easiest thing: go and search for "urban fantasy books" and "literary fiction books" on Amazon. Look at the results. You'll quickly get an idea of what goes where.
Thanks, Snoozing Kitty!
I did just that, and submitted it as an Urban Fantasy.
Hi! I wondered if anyone who submitted after 27th March has received their feedback from Ms Elrod already?
I just realised that her email could've been shunted under the Promotions tab in Gmail, which I never check! I'm most worried that she sent me her feedback already and she's been awaiting payment, that would be so awkward...
I just realised that her email could've been shunted under the Promotions tab in Gmail, which I never check! I'm most worried that she sent me her feedback already and she's been awaiting payment, that would be so awkward...
Thanks! I read that she's doing the critiques in the order she received them. So I figured that if someone who submitted after me has received feedback already, then I can maybe send a follow-up email ;-)
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Useful to know, thanks Sheadakota! Now I know that I'm way back in the queue still ;-)
I got really excited that mine is probably near the front of the queue (27 March), so I reread what I'd submitted, and... it's bad. I was quite pleased with it a month ago, how does my writing keep turning to ash?
I've withdrawn my place in the queue, so that's one less person to wait behind ;-)
I've withdrawn my place in the queue, so that's one less person to wait behind ;-)
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I hope you change your mind. Really. Pretty much every author I know considers what they wrote a few weeks ago to be crap. You may be right that it's ash, but that's just YOUR judgment. It's worth your time, and the amazingly low price, to get the insight P.N. can provide. Don't fear it or consider it a waste of time "until it's ready." There's never a time when writing is "ready". I would go back and edit everything I've ever written--including those already on the shelf in the store. It's only a matter of practicality that prevents authors from doing so. Take a deep breath and let the editor work, and accept the advice with the knowledge that it's for the betterment of the book. Write back and revoke the revocation. Take back your place in line and get back to work.
Take a deep breath and let the editor work, and accept the advice with the knowledge that it's for the betterment of the book. Write back and revoke the revocation. Take back your place in line and get back to work.
Aw, Cathy! That is amazingly kind of you to say. I'm wibbling a bit here in the corner.
I actually have pretty thick skin and don't think I'd have minded the text being ripped to pieces. But it felt disrespectful to send something that I wasn't pleased with myself to a pro author for critique? It would be a waste of her time...
I've revised my chapter 1, and I think I'm going to post to the YA section of SYW to get some feedback from AWers. And then I'll revise it again and send it to Ms Elrod
Thanks again for your encouraging words!
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Aw, Cathy! That is amazingly kind of you to say. I'm wibbling a bit here in the corner.
I actually have pretty thick skin and don't think I'd have minded the text being ripped to pieces. But it felt disrespectful to send something that I wasn't pleased with myself to a pro author for critique? It would be a waste of her time...
I've revised my chapter 1, and I think I'm going to post to the YA section of SYW to get some feedback from AWers. And then I'll revise it again and send it to Ms Elrod
Thanks again for your encouraging words!
I do understand the desire to have the text be the best it can be. But a pro editor's role is to see what the author is blind to, both good and bad. I'd hate to have you edit OUT some gem writing. Your punctuation, spelling, grammar and syntax in your posts is fine. Let the chapter stand as it is. Give yourself a chance. It's not disrespectful. Honest.
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