Manuscript Critique

Ben Barnhart—Book-length fiction (short stories, novels, YA/MG) and nonfiction

Please query at [email protected] for availability and timeline before signing up. 

Open to: Book-length fiction (short stories and novels); nonfiction; YA and middle-grade fiction

Limit: Please check on projects more than 100,000 words

What You’ll Submit: Your completed or partially completed manuscript, a description & summary of the manuscript, and a brief (no more than 1 page) statement outlining your revision goals. 

What You’ll Get: A line-edited manuscript, along with an editorial letter (2-page minimum for works up to 10,000 words; 5-page minimum for works up to 100,000 words). Line edits will focus on strengthening the manuscript on a sentence level. The editorial letter will outline strengths and weaknesses of the current manuscript, offer specific suggestions for a revision strategy, and recommend a publishing strategy for the revised work. This critique also includes a conversation (up to 1 hour) regarding the work, to be held in-person or over the phone.

Ben believes that the goal of an edit is to shape the existing potential of a writer’s work. This is achieved in close collaboration with the author, and may involve an initial conversation about the manuscript in order to clarify the writer’s vision for the work. Each writing project is unique, and so too is the revision process. Ben believes that working closely with the writer will lead to the strongest, most accomplished manuscript possible.

Pricing: Loft manuscript critique consists of a flat base price, plus a per word fee. You can enter your word count below and the system will calculate your price. 

• $250 (base price) + 2 cents/word

Turnaround:

• Up to 10,000 words: 1 week
• Up to 50,000 words: 3 weeks
• Up to 100,000 words: 6 weeks