Thursday, November 13, 2008

Manuscript critiquing - help with your children's book

I offer a manuscript critiquing service for people who have written children's books and want to get feedback. And it's fascinating to see the variety of work that people are creating, and interesting to see where the manuscripts come from. I'd say the majority, but a slim margin, come from the United States, but I've had several from the UK, and a few from the Brighton area.

As this is something I enjoy, and it's nicely flexible, I'd like to spread the word about this service. Does anyone have any suggestions about websites where I might list it? I've got a dedicated page on my website. Or does anyone have other suggestions for ways I might spread the word?

Here are some very kind testimonials people have given who have used the service:

"Laura Atkins is a superb editor! She not only has a knack for discovering the underlying flaws in a story, but is extremely helpful in creating plausible remedies to fix those flaws. She also is very detailed in her critiques and can discover minor but important mistakes that other editors miss. Her critiques are always performed in a constructive manner so her clients can not only fix errors but can also recognize the unique strengths of their own storytelling. I recommend Laura highly and will definitely use her services in my next writing project."
—Sandra Padmanabhan, Ph.D.

"Laura's feedback has been invaluable. Her comments are thoughtful and concise, and I have been able to move forward with my story with a renewed sense of excitement. She's a fantastic person to work with, with an amazing amount of enthusiasm for my project."
—Rachael Errington, Artist Insite website developer

"Since meeting Laura I've taken not only my novel more seriously, but my overall craft. She has the uncanny knack of picking up on the weak points of your text that you hoped no one would notice, as well as the faults you didn't. However, she's equally aware of your strengths and the strengths of your story. Laura's brought new dimensions to my work I wouldn't have previously thought possible, with a professionalism and attention to detail that's helped build my confidence both in the work and as a writer."
—Andy Dickenson, Production Journalist, ITV Meridian