Critiquing of creative non-fiction
Having a piece of writing critiqued before submission can be a very helpful part of the writing process. Often as writers we are writing alone, in a vacuum, and, whilst our words are very dear to us – and make perfect sense to us – sometimes input from a detached but empathetic other can be extremely useful in highlighting aspects that perhaps aren’t as clear as we think, or that need to be expanded upon or even (surely not!) cut or at the least re-worded.
Critiquing someone else’s work is a skill and needs to encompass various professional aspects of writing analysis and, just as importantly, a genuine desire to be of assistance to the writer, understanding that they are trusting the critiquer with their work, which will have taken them a large amount of time and effort, and possibly angst, to produce. And that this may be the first time that they have written a piece for other people’s eyes.
I provided a similar service (which included proofreading) to a small group of nature writers, and received positive comments including the following:
“Thanks so much for your professional eyes and help with this piece. I’ve corrected all the bits you’ve highlighted…” (CD, April 2023).
“Thanks so much for your proofreading and feedback; it’s really appreciated. I’m trying to hone the craft of writing and make it tighter so your comments have been great… I’ve changed many of the bits relating to your notes but wondered if you would be so kind as to have a look through again in case I’ve missed anything… Thanks so much for highlighting where my writing could be tighter and including words to give it more depth…” (CD, March 2023).
My service
Over the years that I have been working as an academic proofreader, I have gained vast experience of reading a large variety of different writing styles on numerous topics. Although academic proofreaders often (but not always) do not need to have a background in the subjects that they read, my ability to be alert to the subtleties of the English language means that, even without having specialist subject knowledge, I am able to identify areas where the text might not ‘flow’ or make sense, and draw the writer’s attention to this so that they can make the required amendments. Building upon this skill and now that I am writing creatively on a regular basis and have also gained experience of editing other writers’ work, I have decided to expand my proofreading service to include critiquing creative non-fiction. I hope that the experience I have gained – through researching and writing my own articles, through participation in online and in-person writing courses and workshops where careful listening and commenting are required, through reading my work aloud online and at events, and through receiving feedback from other writers – will enable me to provide an honest, empathetic yet incisive service.
To start with, I am accepting pieces up to 10,000 words in length and would need to know the topic and see the work before agreeing to critique it – as it may be that some subjects need to be critiqued by someone with the relevant background, just as with proofreading technical subjects such as Law and Mathematics, for example.
As an aside, it feels important to explain that there can be confusion around the differences between proofreading, editing and critiquing. Basically, critiquing highlights the main strengths and weaknesses of the piece and suggests how/where improvements can be made, without actually correcting spelling/grammar/punctuation (proofreading) or making the improvements for the writer (editing). Also, ‘critique’ does not mean ‘criticise’: the critiquer’s job is to provide constructive feedback to the writer, not savage what they have written. There will be well-written parts in a piece and parts that can be improved – a good critiquer will highlight both, praising the writer for an inspired simile, perhaps, whilst questioning whether there is a clear link between two sentences.
My report will be provided in a 1-2 page, single-spaced Word document which will focus on aspects such as flow, language use, what I feel is great about the piece and what I think might be missing. I can also make comments on the original text, if required. But please note that this is not a proofreading service, so there will be no tracked changes applied to the writer’s original Word document – although I will mention if there are issues with spelling, grammar or punctuation. If, however, proofreading is required as well as critiquing, this option can be added to the provided service at an additional cost to be discussed on application.
Work can usually be critiqued and returned within a week, but the timescale will be agreed on submission. I am happy to respond to email queries about my report and/or discuss a suitable way forward if a re-write and re-read of the piece is required.
Rates
£25 minimum fee for work under 1,700 words
£15 per 1,000 words from between 1,700 and 10,000 words