CRITIQUE SERVICES

"Do the best you can until you know better.
Then when you know better, do better."

- Maya Angelou

Thanks for stopping by to learn more about my critique services. If you've made it here, CONGRATS! That means you wrote something and are on your way to polishing it up and perhaps sharing it with the world. Critiques have been essential to my growth as a writer and artist and have allowed me to see my work in a new light.

As a teacher, I enjoy helping others grow and develop in their craft and giving thoughtful and meaningful feedback can do wonders to our development. Thank you for trusting me with your precious work. I feel privileged that I can be a part of your creative journey.

Please see a list of my services below along with the CRITIQUE PURCHASING MENU.
If you don't see a good fit below, please contact me with specific requests.

PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE

Need some fresh eyes on your picture book manuscript?
For $60 I will critique fiction and nonfiction picture book manuscripts up to 1000 words (please email me if your text is longer). Using Track Changes in Microsoft Word, I will leave you inline comments that focus on areas such as but not limited to:

Plot
Structure
Voice
Heart
Pacing
Character Development
Language and Lyricism.
Illustrative Potential

BONUS! For $85, your critique will also include a bonus one page developmental summary highlighting areas of strength and areas for improvement along with suggestions for comparative titles and if applicable, resources that may be helpful in your revision process.

To purchase a PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE or a BONUS PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE, select it from the CRITIQUE PURCHASING MENU below. Add the select item to your cart and checkout. Upon confirmation of receipt of payment, please email a Microsoft Word document with your complete manuscript to amanda@amandadavisart.com with PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE or BONUS PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE in the subject line. OPTIONAL: In your email, please note any specific areas of concern you would like feedback on.
Turn around time is 2-3 weeks depending on the length of manuscript.

QUERY LETTER CRITIQUE

Ready to query? Hooray! I like to think of query letters like cover letters when applying to a job. It's your first impression. It's you're chance to sell your work (and yourself) to an agent and editor. You need to be concise, knowledgeable, professional, and most importantly, you need to hook them out of the gate.
For $25 I will critique your query for spelling, grammar, and content; making sure your letter is engaging, and contains all the necessary ingredients to make an irresistible query recipe.

To purchase a QUERY LETTER CRITIQUE, select it from the CRITIQUE PURCHASING MENU below. Add the select item to your cart and checkout. Upon confirmation of receipt of payment, please email a Microsoft Word document with your query letter to amanda@amandadavisart.com with QUERY LETTER CRITIQUE in the subject line.
OPTIONAL: In your email, please note any specific areas of concern you would like feedback on.
Turn around time is 3 days.

PITCH CRITIQUES

Are you thinking of entering an online picture book pitch contest? Fabulous! Pitch contests are an excellent way to get your pitch looked at by agents and editors who may otherwise be closed to submissions. Crafting a killer pitch is also a great exercise in boiling down the heart of your story. Before landing an agent, I participated in many Twitter pitch events such as, #PBPitch and #PitMad and garnered likes from several agents and editors along the way. .
For $10 per pitch, I will help you punch up your pitch with the proper word count while making sure to include the key elements of your story in a manner that will hook the industry pros!

To purchase a PITCH CRITIQUE, select it from the CRITIQUE PURCHASING MENU below. Add the select item to your cart and checkout. Make sure to select the appropriate quantity for your number of pitches (ex. 5 pitches; quantity equals 5). Upon confirmation of receipt of payment, please email a Microsoft Word document with your pitches to amanda@amandadavisart.com with PITCH CRITIQUE in the subject line. OPTIONAL: In your email, please note any specific areas of concern you would like feedback on.
Turn around time is 3 days (or quicker depending on number of pitches submitted).

PORTFOLIO CRITIQUE

Are you an author-illustrator looking for feedback on your illustrations? I'd love to help! As an art educator, I have over eleven years of experience giving quality feedback to artists to help improve their craft. Both color and black and white illustrations are welcome.

For $10 per image, you will receive your marked up illustrations with comments and suggestions along with a short summary of written feedback..Your Portfolio Critique may include feedback in the following areas:

Composition
Color Palette
Artistic Style
Point of View
Consistency of characters
Age-Appropriate Content for the desired market (picture book, middle grade, editorial, etc.)

To purchase a PORTFOLIO CRITIQUE, select it from the CRITIQUE PURCHASING MENU below. Add the select item to your cart and checkout. Make sure to select the appropriate quantity for your number of images (ex. 5 images; quantity equals 5). Upon confirmation of receipt of payment, please email a PDF of your images (no larger than 10 MB) to amanda@amandadavisart.com with PORTFOLIO CRITIQUE in the subject line. If you are unsure of how to save your images as a PDF, please email to inquire.
OPTIONAL: In your email, please note any specific areas of concern you would like feedback on.
Turn around time is 2-3 weeks depending on number of images.

PICTURE BOOK DUMMY CRITIQUE

Do you have a completed picture book dummy that your itching to have reviewed?
For $85, I will critique a 32-page PDF of a fiction or nonfiction picture book dummy. if you don't have a completed dummy, please see above for details on critiquing individual illustrations.

You will receive your marked up PDF with comments and suggestions along with a short summary of written feedback. In addition to the focus areas listed above for Portfolio Critiques, Picture Book Dummy Critiques may also include feedback in the following areas:

Pacing/Page Turns
Relationship of text and image
Layout of text
Marketibiity

To purchase a PICTURE BOOK DUMMY CRITIQUE, select it from the CRITIQUE PURCHASING MENU below. Add the select item to your cart and checkout. Upon confirmation of receipt of payment, please email a PDF of your dummy (no larger than 10 MB) to amanda@amandadavisart.com with PICTURE BOOK DUMMY CRITIQUE in the subject line. If you are unsure of how to save your images as a PDF, please email to inquire.
OPTIONAL: In your email, please note any specific areas of concern you would like feedback on.
Turn around time is 2-3 weeks.

** If you are interested in another round of feedback after you've revised, please get in touch for discounted prices.

TESTIMONIALS

"Amanda's critiques include helpful suggestions, encouragement, and advice for manuscripts, illustrations, or picture book dummies. She offers comparative titles and writing resources in the current picture book market that are spot on. Amanda understands the fortitude it takes to become published and is eager to share her own experiences. She provides timely feedback and has helped me shape my stories into submission-ready manuscripts. I'm grateful our paths crossed a few years back and consider her a friend and a mentor with my own writing journey."
  - Lisa Furness, author-illustrator

"I obtained Amanda’s services for a query letter critique and I couldn’t have been happier with her feedback.
Amanda was professional and skilled in her approach. She provided me with detailed options and suggestions and answered all my questions. I was so happy with the final result. Amanda was such a pleasure to deal with and she truly went above and beyond. I highly recommend her services."   - Rosanna Montanaro, author

CRITIQUE PURCHASING MENU

Picture Book Manuscript Critique

$60.00

Buy

BONUS Picture Book Manuscript Critique

$85.00

Your BONUS CRITIQUE will include a one-page developmental summary highlighting areas of strength and areas for improvement. The BONUS CRITIQUE will also include an audio recording of your manuscript being read aloud to help you identify problem areas in the text, along with suggestions for comparative titles and if applicable, resources that may be helpful in your revision process.

Buy

Query Letter Critique

$35.00

Included in your purchase is a one-page Query Critique BONUS SHEET!

Buy

Pitch Critique

$10.00

Buy

Picture Book Dummy Critique

$85.00

Buy