Are you working on a manuscript for submission or a competition entry?

Concerned about your objectivity ?

Publishers today expect manuscripts to be polished, almost print-ready. Their own editors will work with you once a manuscript is accepted, but in order to GET it accepted, it has to be better than good.

Publishers are receiving so many submissions that they don't have time to take a rough draft and bring it on - they want a polished manuscript. Don't expect them to find your glimmer of genius in amongst the clangers, or battle through boring narration in pursuit of a brilliant plot.

Get it to the best possible level before you submit - you only get one chance, so make it the best you can.

As an extension of our workshops, but open to any writer who feels they need it, Inkwell has launched a Professional Critiquing Service in association with the following authors. Just click on their names to find out more about them.

See below to find out how to avail of the service.

Inkwell act as scouts for leading Irish agents and publishers and our aim is to help you get published. If any of our critiquing authors feel that your work is ready for submission and has potential we will discuss this with you privately. There is no charge for our recommendation of your work to an agent of publisher. Recommendation does not guarantee publication or representation, but it does ensure that your work is read and processed as quickly as possible. If your work is more suited to a publisher/agent whom we do not have a relationship with, we would strongly recommend getting your query letter and synopsis up to scratch before submission (see below).

The Critiquing Authors 

 Tracy Culleton won the RTE Open House/Poolbeg Write a Best Seller Competition and is the Best Selling author of three novels including ‘Looking Good’.

Her expertise is in women's fiction, including:

With a background in teaching and having been put through her paces critiquing the work of the Pure Fiction Weekend participants, Tracy is a skilled and capable reader who can identify problem areas and will give you solid tips to improve.

Tracy also specialises in writers block (and shifting it!) and has an excellent
Editing Checklist at her website www.fiction-writers-mentor.com

Email:  tracy@tracyculleton.com

Tracy is the ideal first port of call for a new writer

Patricia O'Reilly is the widely respected author of the Best Selling ‘Writing for Success’, the essential guide to the Irish Publishing industry.

Her fiction, which is widely translated includes ‘Time & Destiny’, a fantasised biography of Irish designer, Eileen Gray; ‘Felicity’s Wedding’ and ‘Once upon a Summer’.

Her non-fiction titles are ‘Working Mothers’, ‘Earning your Living from Home’, ‘Writing for the Market’ and ‘Dying with Love’

Patricia's specialises in:

Patricia's service is ideal for the more experienced writer

Email: patricia@patriciaoreilly.net

More information about Patricia's service is available at: http://www.patriciaoreilly.net

Ferdia MacAnna, is a playwright and novelist whose novels include ‘The Last of the High Kings’ which was released as a movie in 1996 staring Gabriel Bryne, a heartwarming comedy of friendship, family and first love.

Ferdia's memoir ‘The Last of the Bald Heads’ met great critical acclaim.

In 1991 he joined RTÉ as a producer/director and worked on programmes including 'Cursaí', 'Upwardly Mobile' and 'Fair City'.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, he was better known as Rocky de Valera, lead singer with The Gravediggers and later The Rhythm Kings.

Ferdia had taught screen writing at UCD so is an excellent tutor.

Ferdia specialises in:

Ferdia is also available to mentor new writers

Email:   ferdia.macanna@gmail.com to discuss either critiquing or mentoring

(Mentoring is a private arrangement so no details here!)

If you're writing literary fiction, Helen Falconer has recently joined our panel.

Both her books feature teenage protagonists, so her expertise extends to Young Adult and cross over books.

Helen worked as a journalist and book reviewer on the Guardian in London before moving to Mayo and becoming a full-time writer. Her two novels ‘Primrose Hill’ and ‘Sky HIgh’ are published by Faber.

She has been teaching creative writing classes since 2005, focusing exclusively on the rewriting process. Her special interest is in literary fiction, but she believes that new writers of all genres are subject to common errors that are easily corrected.

Contact Helen by email: helen@killalabay.net

 ***

Noelle Harrison is the best selling author of four novels, Beatrice, A Small Part Of Me, I Remember and The Adulteress.

She has critiqued both fiction and plays, but would be particularly suitable for popular literary fiction

She has extensive experience in teaching creative writing from both beginners to advanced level. 

Noelle’s special focus is on

• structuring your novel
• combining elements of the page turner within a literary framework
• character development
• creating the mood of your novel through language and place
• accessing your own voice as a writer
• strengthening writing practice
• looking at long term objectives

Check out Noelle on her website - www.noelleharrison.com - which you can contact her through, or email her directly on ncb@eircom.net

  ***

All the authors will be pleased to discuss their thoughts with you - an ideal to clear up any points that are tricky to grasp. All authors can be contacted directly (see above) to discuss your needs, but with each critique they aim to:

• Give specific indications of your manuscript's faults, and suggestions for fixing them. They may give examples of how you could solve a problem but this is to give you ideas - they will expect you to use them as a launch pad to your own, better ideas.
   
• Comment on things like pacing, dialogue, plot, characterization etc
   
• The authors will point out spelling mistakes, typos and grammar mistakes as they see them, but that’s not the point of this exercise. If you want a proofreading edit, this is a different service. Contact Vanessa at Inkwell to discuss info@inkewellwriters.ie. A proofreading edit is absolutely the last thing done before submission, so re-write first. 
   
• If you are consistently making a mistake the authors will point out the first two or three incidents and suggest that you need to check this in the rest of your work. 
   
• The authors will be honest but sensitive, and be as gentle as possible. This service is designed to be positive and constructive and to move you a step closer to publication.
   
• To get the full value from the service, it is important to get the manuscript as polished as possible before submission to any of the authors.
  
• If your chosen author feels that your work has potential and is ready for submission to an agent or publisher with whom we have a relationship, we will be pleased to recommend it and will discuss this with you privately. 

Service Available:

• Critique by e.mail only €65.00 per 3000 words.
   
• Critique by e.mail with telephone call: €75.00 per 3000 words
   
• Critique with a telephone call (you contact them at a mutually convenient time) is very useful as you can ask questions, clarify points, and ideas can be brainstormed between the critiquer and the writer. The phone call will last up to 20 minutes per 3000 words.

Payment: Can be made with a credit card through Pay Pal or by cheque direct to the author.

When contacting the authors ensure that you put Inkwell in the subject heading/email or they might charge you more! It is possible to find cheaper alternatives to this Critiquing Service, but Inkwell always strives to deliver a top quality product and we believe that published authors with a proven track record can offer the best advice. Our authors are familiar with the Irish market and are all experienced teachers who will help you move your manuscript towards publication.

Longer Manuscripts:

All the authors are happy to critique more than 3000 words of your manuscript, and will discuss the fee for this service with you privately.

We strongly suggest that you opt for an initial critique of 3000 words in order to test out the service, to see if you like the authors style and see for yourself the quality of critique. Often the same mistakes are made throughout a novel, and can be spotted in the first 3,000 words. You can then apply the authors comments and suggestions to the rest of the novel.

To avail of the Inkwell Critique Service, contact Vanessa by email info@inkwellwriters.ie or contact your preferred author.