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However, I also saw on the webpage that they give advice on a submission package as well (it costs £199). What do others think?. Do You think it could be worthwhile?.
With yet more sad experiences from the middle 1990's.
I tried one or two of these people, and my honest advice is DON'T TOUCH WITH A BARGE POLE.
I'm well aware that the new advice is to get your book copychecked.
You need to be very, VERY careful how you tread with these people who offer these services. They love to say on their brilliantly presented and well written web-sites, that they KNOW exactly what publishers want.
THEY DO NOT. It is their own personal opinion, that they will use, and that will always be . . . "Your work is not fit for publication !"
We can say that for ourselves for free, and we should learn to edit our own work for free, too.
I did try CORNERSTONES for about £30 of advice, but they couldn't like a word. They probably wouldn't be able to understand this e-mail, either !
They will not write with red pen over your work to show what really must be done, and the advice is DESTRUCTIVE never CONSTRUCTIVE.
All assessors love nothing more than to write half a page telling you your OWN PLOT. The reports are sparsely written, that last only three pages. That's not much for your money.
These assessors are only trying to control the literary market. They will have writers, who are their friends, and they will only want them to get published.
You can get advice from USA on WRITERS BEWARE. This has web pages on dealing with these kind of people, and I've learnt that the owner of this site - Victoria Strauss knows of many UK authors that have nothing but bad experiences from all literary assessors.
Many of these people have since been published . . .
I wish you the best - and you could still try to find help in this area - but as I say . . .
BE CAREFUL. You could be unfairly crushed.
Are critiques worth the money? It depends what you are looking for and how well off you are.
Whatever you do don't expect them to make your book into a best seller. They won't. The best they will do is highlight areas for improvement
which you may or may not agree with.
I've also used Hilary Johnson, years ago, and WM for their £50 package - both very good. It would be a mistake to imagine these people are scoundrels or charlatans because they do not provide you with a formula that will get your work into print. Such formulae come in How-to books, but they are never foolproof in any case. And that is the point. I believe that authors have the wherewithal within them and it needs to be coaxed out. Literary critiques can only work with what you provide them with: if it isn't worth much in the first place, it's very hard to tell the author how to turn it into something an editor will jump at. The huge value of such critiques is that they tell you where you are going wrong - something that agents and editors haven't got time to do from their slushpiles.
In the end she didn't sign me up, but she liked my writing enough to send me a long email with suggestions for improvement, some of which helped me to see what I needed to do.
I've heard Hilary Johnson is good, but £500 is a lot to find - you'd have to be pretty sure your book was nearing completion to invest that much.
Everybody is different - what I did was look around a few writing forums and then ask a few people who offered critique services to do a little critique of a few chapters - for a few quid- most will do this if they don't walk away - then simply go with the person that 'gets you' - not very scientific but worked for me. It's hard to get an honest opinion from anyone you know and you also need to be able to take constructive feedback. Yes it's only an opinion but it helps.
How stupid am I, therefor, for having been shown the way, and then let other things take over my time and get in the way. I've reorganised my book from end to end and am enthusiastic about it, but I haven't yet done the big re-edit.
I need to listen to Stephen King, when he says (paraphrased): if you find you are (very) good at something, why on earth would you want to do something else?
Toothlight and Datco are right when they say a critic's view is only one person's opinion, but you can have a pretty good idea as to whether what they say holds water. Cornerstones have a reputation for using good people who know their stuff and have been around the block in the industry. That's why I would use them again if I ever get as far as a sequel. After all, who else could I turn to if I want a second opinion on my plot, etc?
Sorry about my rant at Cornerstones, but these literary assessors are like agents - they will decide on who is good enough and who isn't !
I'm also going to comment on THE LITERARY CONSULTANCY. It was in 1995, and had an awful reader who thought my typeface was the best handwriting she'd ever seen. Then I sent her another submission, mentioning the typeface, and she STILL wrote back with "TYPE YOUR WORK".
Also, she refused to tell me what was wrong with my work, telling me I'd be better off using a writing group at the local library. SHODDY. VERY SHODDY.
Nice Becky Swift apologized to me after those experiences ! ! !
Amazingly, that awful reader turned out to be a top British actress - that I don't like the look of - and she doesn't work there anymore. But that actress should know what typeface looks like, from all her scripts ! ! ! ! ! !
Both these assessing places will keep telling us they know the market very, very well - NOT EVEN THE PUBLISHERS KNOW WHAT BOOKS WILL SELL.
Lots of top books bomb and get pulped. They were suppossed to be the best writing available.
And does "the best writing in the country" really entertain and sell books.
NO. Many mediocre writing has sold many books in the past, what the literary assessors would hate.
I agree with CASEY's post.
Assessors will mostly tell you that you can't write, or advise on self-publishing. We simply cannot afford £500 on a manuscript, and then find out that the person who reads it, would never like our work, even if it was "better written". Just read on another site : MONEY FLOWS TOWARDS THE WRITER - NOT AWAY FROM IT.
It boils down to - get someone CHEAP to read your work, if you want an assessment. Like a writing group teacher. However, we must learn to write our books properly ourselves, and be able to recognise where they need work. We shouldn't need to keep asking these assessors everytime we write anything. That's not really what they are for. I believe they are better used for one specific MAJOR problem, that you keep having with your writing.
Please just don't listen to one or two people's happy experiences on this matter. If you read another sites - especially from America, it says on WRITERS BEWARE that many British writers (that includes me) have had BAD experiences in the past. I don't think this site heartly recommends these people. This advice comes from a top traditional published author, who runs the site.
I've had nothing but bad luck with these assessing people, and I'm still wary of them. You'd think that after paying £500 you'd get published with Penguin, Faber and Faber, Random House yet you still have to self-publish, or end up with a small independent press ! ! !
My experiences date from 1995, maybe these assessors have had to regretfully learn to be nice to the general public . . .
Sorry . . . But the name of - HILARY JOHNSON just sends shivers down my spine. Was she a tutor at a writing college ?
Had a bad experience of some-one with that name. After the shambles of Cornerstones, I wrote a letter to her asking for help, but I said I needed a kind and sensitive review. She wrote a terse letter back, refusing to give me help, with a refunded cheque . . .
"I will not work with an author who takes that attitude !" was her vile reply.
These people should know the problems that face newbie writers everyday, and treat our well-meaning rants and raves with grace and tolerance ! ! !
So, it just shows that you WON'T always get your "kind and gentle" read of your work you want.
PLEASE . . . PLEASE . . . BEWARE OF PAYING FOR A CRITIQUE . . .
MANY WRITERS HAVE FALLEN FOR THEIR CHARMS AND HAVE BEEN BADLY BITTEN.
If by asking for a kind and sensitive review, you are saying that you want a good one, when in their view your work (or anyone's) is not up to scratch, they are under no obligation to bend their opinions to suit yours. It is just possible that they didn't see any merit in your work, and they can't give you false hope and say it's good if it's not. What, exactly, did you say to her that she made that reply? No point telling us her exact words if you don't give us yours too, to set the context.
It doesn't matter if you £500, or £5000 - you are buying a critiquing assessment, not a guarantee of publication.
If you are convinced, as you seem to be, that they have unfairly marked you down, publish anyway. Vindicate yourself. Ten years on, we all have that choice.
Yes, my work at that time was not up to scratch, I'll admit that. But what I do not expect is to end up paying two lots of 75 pounds at TLC, for shoddy unprofessional treatment, and finding I still needed to get cheaper better help elsewhere . . . in the form of a how-to-write book.
These literary assessors all know that we are there because our writing has failed, and will probably have no reasonable chance in being published by the traditional print method. They also know people will send them rubbish - but that's no excuse for bad behaviour.
They fail to remember that if we are badly treated, then we can rant and rave about them on these forums. Which I have. Isn't the Internet wonderful ?
One reviewer said on another site : Why pay, for if the traditional print publisher is interested your general story, they will assess your work, and guide you FOR FREE ? !
WELL SAID.
What I read today on other sites, is exactly the same as how I was treated all those years ago. We have on this thread read a comment on how some-one stopped writing for a year, because of a totally bad review- they were badly crushed. But they got published in the end.
Yes, it is down to the work sent in, but really these assessors should be able to see how your mind works, and why you have written in the way you have. AND THEY JUST CAN'T. Neither can agents.
Today, if we believe our work is good enough, we can just get published by AMAZON KINDLE, so why should we need to feather the nests of these assessors ?
Sorry, but I do feel that these people were picking on me, personally. We writers are sensitive people, and need treating with respect. We regard our books as our babies - we feed and nurture them for two years, and this is how we get treated ? Agents are no better.
I want to treat agents and assessors as professional people, but it's a shame they can't treat us writers as professionals as well - even if we send in rubbish. They should keep their nasty opinions to themselves.
I wrote a kindly letter to Ms. Johnson. I just mentioned I'd had alot of bother with assessors, and I didn't need anymore bad experiences, and she gave me that reply.
You need to know that I gave my writing to a wonderful on-line group -
THE FRUSTRATED WRITERS SOCIETY (great name, packed up due to owners premature death ) ran by my fellow men, loved my ability, and were so much more professional, straight away.
I then gave the recommendation, by an ex-university don at the group, to a female agent. She thought that I'd faked it, and said it was still as badly written as my work usually was.
See what I mean? There are people out there that will never like your work, no matter what you send in. You must believe that.
Sadly, I'm yet to be published, but that's down to my choices.
PLEASE STILL BE WARY.
You say: "these assessors should be able to see how your mind works, and why you have written in the way you have. AND THEY JUST CAN'T. Neither can agents." I think if you've written in a particular (presumably unusual) way and the reason why you've done so isn't obvious from the text itself, then it's not a failure of the reader, but of the writer. No reader is going to stick with something that seems to be unusual purely for the sake of it. When I pick up a novel I'm not remotely interested in the way the author's mind works; I just want a good story, well told.
In fairness, you do seem to have a bad run of luck with several consultancy services, but I wonder if some of the problems could have been avoided. For instance, you mention an assessor mistook your typeface for very neat handwriting - but nobody should be making a submission in anything other than a very boring font, like 12pt Times New Roman, which could never be confused with somebody's handwriting. I'm hardly an expert, but that was one of the very first things I found out about the process of sending work out.
You're 100% right in saying that writers should be wary of paying for critiques or assessments of any kind. Any would-be author considering shelling out several hundred pounds should get in touch with the critiquing service and satisfy themselves that what's on offer actually meets his or her requirements. People should never send something off expecting it to be 'fixed' or made into a best-seller. These services can give guidance and advice, but all they can ever do is help you to ensure your book stands the best possible chance of being taken seriously by an agent or publisher. Many people can get their work to more or less the same point without outside assistance, but they need to be realistic about their own abilities.
I agree totally with your last paragraph. I believe that we think these assesssors will re-write our books for us, and turn them into instant bestsellers. Yet, they will provide just the very basic help. That is what I'm worried about. I think we don't need a critique, but a kind of writing mentor to help us.
TLC provide a mentoring service, but that costs £2,000 and its only for top authors. Yet we'd all love a cosy writing teacher to help us through our problems.
I think a critique for only £90 is pretty good value, and if you can get on with an assessor, then you'd better go for that option.
We must remember if we pay just £50 or £5000 we must always get a true professional result. We are paying them, after all. Though, if these assessors were to give us help to turn our work into instant best-sellers, then they would charge close to £5000 ! ! !
Happy to hear that Hilary is a great professional. It may not be the same woman. My Hilary just wouldn't give me a basic critique, at all.
Yes, I often hear that if people can't understand your writing, then the writer is at fault. The writer IS mostly at fault, yet I refer to something quite different . . .
My readers were "reading between the lines" and making up their own stories as they went along - judging by their stupid comments.
Don't get me fully started on my problems with these readers' vision problems. They appear either half-blind or illiterate !
I used back in the 90s - a BROTHER LW20 word processor, which was a glorified typewriter with a disc drive and larger screen. It used a single use typewriter ribbon, that put down VERY CLEAR black type - one or two agreed with me. Yet others hated this " hard to read " type ! ! !
At TLC, the reader saw the clear 12 point type and said, "This is handwritten !"
How can you believe that ? But, that's what I got back then !
BEST WISHES ALL ON YOUR WRITING ADVICE . . .
'You need to know that I gave my writing to a wonderful on-line group -
THE FRUSTRATED WRITERS SOCIETY (great name, packed up due to owners premature death ) ran by my fellow men, loved my ability, and were so much more professional, straight away.'
Does this mean you had a problem with the assessors being women? Please do clarify that point!
Given that you think their advice was, as you say, stupid, why worry about it?
'Don't get me fully started on my problems with these readers' vision problems. They appear either half-blind or illiterate !' You do go in for the sweeping statement! I am sure they could not be in the jobs they were paid to do if they were either.
Your experiences have left you bitter and disillusioned; that's not a healthy way to go on. It's far better that you forget about the past and move forward. Put this behind you, and write what you want, the way you want, for your own pleasure.
If you or I gave any sample of our work to twenty different people, we'd get twenty different responses. It's up to us what we then do with those responses, which are, after all, opinions, based upon what the reader sees or wants to see.
It is not possible to find an assessor (paid or otherwise) who will like or understand every type of writing. Toothlight has found this; but he did achieve a better result with a different agency. As he rightly points out, there is a financial risk to be taken; you need to balance the cost against any future earnings - and you need to be realistic about that.
I see you're a strong woman, that's great. I mean no disrespect to you.
It was just I've had so many, many bad experiences with the traditional route to publishing - that makes me use the sweeping statement - that it firmly poisoned my mind against the industry, and this made me believe that if I was to achieve success (wish I deserve) then I'd have to deal with men.
In fact, the few only positive experiences I every had were with men.
I know you find if hard to believe about my comments about these people being half-blind, anybody would. I just shouldn't have had them.
It is a great joke, and a strange reality, that accountants say they are bad with maths. That goes a little way to explain my strange experiences.
For the past years, I did put my bad experiences into the back of my mind, and have left writing, well alone.
But, today, I do have one or two writing projects on the go - that are totally different to the ones in the past. I may even try to self-publish an old children's idea, I once had.
Best wishes.
As Danfango said, Hilary Johnson's approach was the ONLY professional way if she felt she couldn't help you and, without meaning to be brutal, if she had half an inkling of the sentiments you're describing in this thread, she would know that her advice would fall on deaf ears. Nobody can guarantee you publication, but they can give you constructive advice. If you refuse to hear that advice for what it is, and go in with the idea that if a consultancy doesn't get you published immediately, its services are worthless, you have unreasonable expectations of them and the publishing industry as a whole.
The quote I've highlighted below sums it up. No professional service is picking on you personally, but there is an expectation that those paying for the service need honest, frank, advice, not mollycoddling. Surely you can see something wrong with the idea that "it's a shame they can't treat us writers as professionals as well - even if we send in rubbish". Professionals don't send agents rubbish, and agents have no duty to protect anyone else's feelings.
Apologies if this all sounds harsh, but I'm not trying to put you down, just help you see the publishing and consultancy businesses with 20/20 vision.
I do agree with what you are all saying, except we do expect alot more from these assessors, and they just don't give that help.
You can write a book in a thousand different ways. People loved the devious, clever plotting of Dame Agatha Christie - that was how her mind worked. She wrote rather like a man - not really how other woman of her time wrote at all. That is a brilliant example of what I mean by how a writer's mind works.
It's got nothing to do with poor quality writing at all. It is down to how the reader reacts to the writing. I write simply and directly to the reader, yet these people stupidly fail to READ the actual words on the page. I know my words on this page are strong - that's good writing ! ! !
Here's a silly example of this misunderstanding - say you write brillantly about an apple. Yet for some reason, the reader thinks you're writing about an orange, and then says you fail to describe an orange at all well - when you were writing about an apple, all along. It is also to do with "reading between the lines" and making your own stories up, as you read
along ! ! !
I wanted Hilary because I expected a professional review and proper help. She stated quite firmly on her advertising leaflet that "But I must warn you my readers may not take your work in the spirit that you intend".
So, that was why I asked for it to be sensitively read - otherwise, I'd just a the usual unprofessional personal narrow-minded attitudes I was getting from these people. Today, it seems that they have all got their acts together, and seem to be providing better help and advice.
I appears I was dealing with them when they were in their infancy . . .
I have just remembered what unprofessional drivel, I heard from CORNERSTONES back in those terrible, terrible 1990's.
"WE ONLY WANT BOOKS ABOUT LOVE. WHAT ELSE IS THERE ?"
Followed swiftly by . . .
"WE DON'T WANT THEMES AND MESSAGES IN CHILDREN'S BOOKS . . . AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT THEM IN ADULT BOOKS EITHER !"
So, since that is the rot I got from these "professionals" then why should I advise you to deal with such people ?
When I spoke to a publishing editor, he admitted to me that he'd had a run-in with one of these literary assessors. They'd slagged off a favourite writer of his, saying that they couldn't write at all.
Couple all my experiences with what I read about these people on other web-sites . . . which I don't think you all have done so . . . and I couldn't recommend them to you all, based on my personal experiences.
I now hope you have a fuller picture of the situation.
I'm delighted about AMAZON and this better self-publishing era, and I may use them. But, we've discussing about paying for our work to be assessed, and it makes you wonder if these assessors will soon go out of business if AMAZON takes off, given the constant stupid attitudes of
"other people".
Your perception of your own writing is skewed. You think your writing is great, and your criticism of these consultancies has no foundation beyond them disagreeing with that assessment.
To paraphrase the par below, your belief is that your writing is not poor, that it is simple and direct, and that these people whose job it is to read, assess and improve manuscripts are somehow stupid and fail to recognise good writing when they see it. If you know best, what is it you want from them? This is a more polite way of saying, to all potential customers, that your authorial intentions or skills might not be as evident as you think. You know what you're trying to say, but the words on the page do not necessarily convey that as well as you think to readers. This is something all writers have to realise and come to terms with in order to improve their writing. If you can't do this, no consultancy will be able to help you, and using them is only going to raise your blood pressure. If you know best, don't use them and move on, safe in the knowledge that your book is already perfect.
But - I forget myself, I am a mere woman, unworthy to give an opinion on such lofty matters which only a man could possibly understand.
“I don’t care if a reader hates one of my stories, just as long as he finishes the book.”Roald Dahl, WD
Yes, yes, yes, people, I know what you are trying to tell me, but I really, REALLY think you fail to understand what I'm trying to tell you.
Sorry, that I come across as "A MAN" that is trying to slap women down. This comes from the fact that women seem to dominate the publishing industry. Their books are just about themselves having problems in other countries etc. Male writers are forced to change their names to female ones on the book cover to get them to sell. That's not right !
Look, I realise with every post I put something in that you all jump on, as being wrong, and are not listening to what I have to say.
I'm a person who has been there and done that since 1990's.
If you want a critique asking "Is my work any good ?"
And the answer is "No" WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION AND HELP, then . . .
PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT USE THESE PEOPLE.
I paid £75 and got told "You'd be better going elsewhere to learn what is wrong with your writing".
Well, isn't that the point of these assessment people ?
If you aren't going to be told exactly what is wrong with your own work, and how to fix things, just to be told - "It's rubbish. Stop writing" . . .
THEN - WHAT'S THE POINT ?
Of course, they are going to tell you your work is no good, that is their job. ITS A TYPE OF CON, people. One assessor told me "you know your work is no good - you wouldn't have sent it to me if you thought it was any good." Oohhh . . . and I got an apology from the head of the assessment place for that rudeness.
These assessors are writers themselves, also trying hard to get published, and maybe failing. My online writers group LOVED the same writing, that I'd previously sent to the nasty and rude female assessor. The online group assessor on that occasion was a retired male university don !
Not even the publishers know what will sell. Otherwise, why all the books getting pulped after a couple of weeks ? Even the top authors get slated for writing rubbish. But their rubbish has made the publisher waste thousands of pounds, just because it was their latest.
There's lots of "good quality" in writing. There's alot of money in lightweight pap, that's fun to read. Maybe these assessors only want to read the very best LITERARY FICTION from us. No-one would be considered good enough for that. You just can't fully trust these people to be on your wavelength.
YES . . . Happy Author, well said. After we learn to write, we should just write from within, and just believe in ourselves.
I will take CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, but these assessors appear to have given me nothing but DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM - that I couldn't learn anything from. That is why I can't recommend them.
This is the ONLY forum, and group of people on the whole internet that have JUMPED on the bandwagon sticking up for these people.
PLEASE, PLEASE visit other web-sites.
Victoria Strauss at WRITERS BEWARE says "I'd had lots of complaints about literary assessors, especially from Britain !"
Sorry, SORRY, S O R R Y . . . but literary professionals are just NOT that.
I cannot give you specific comments on them, as they could be considered libellous if I can't provide proof.
But I will give you one brilliant example. One 90's morning, a female editor of a top children's publisher came into the office, more crackers than usual. After reading the most illiterate letter, she thought it the best writing in ages. She reached for the cheque book, and wrote out a cheque for £5,000. They couldn't use the children's book, when it arrived.
The new male editor told me that story, and he was glad when that lady left to have a baby. And that's not intended to be a dig either, ladies. Just reporting the facts.
Another time, I clearly wrote in one time-travelling chapter about RIVER NILE, ANCIENT EGYPT, PYRAMIDS. And then mentioned about HIPPOS and CROCODILE.
So, why did I get feed-back that I wrote about a day out at the local BRITISH ZOO !
Maybe because I mentioned about the animals . . . yet, it is clear that the reader must have thought "Time travel is rubbish. I don't want Ancient Egypt. So, it must be some sort of literary device !"
Well, I TOLD THEM CLEAR ENOUGH IN A LETTER ABOUT THE BOOK.
There is just so much I can say about my work being clear and simple and direct to the reader. My on-line writers group - run by men - told me my writing was great. They could make a darn sight more sense out of it, then any of the assessors and other people before. I must have been sending my work to one bad person after another. WHAT BAD LUCK - as you all have pointed out.
Victoria Strauss says how we should approach literary assessors, and that advice is strange because I just can't see British assessors wanting to send you sample assessments out for you to see just how they are going to react to your work. Good idea . . . but I'm not sure !
She also says to make sure you know who you are dealing with first. Good advice, but then I wouldn't have known just how bad they were - so even these bad experiences were a good learning time.
Now, please could you all research on other web-sites, what people are saying about Literary Assessors, because this thread is giving a too biased approach.
I hope you can understand me, and no hard feelings from someone who is only here to help.
The publishing industry is huge world over there are more would be writers and authors than the industry knows what to do with; so whittling those down who are going to be a dead cert soon becomes very easy. after all it is about making money the same as any other industry.
if you feel that these people personally give you a bad service then don't use them. to give advice to others from one bad experience is one thing; but to shoot the whole critique and reading services down is something of a personal vendetta.
If you feel your writing is that bad that you need to keep paying for critiques year after year then I would take up another hobby and use your writing as a personal way of expressing yourself.
Could somebody please give me a link to this WM critique? I'm not sure the one I've found online is the same as what you're talking about. Thanks.
It sounds to me like you've critiqued your own work and you are expecting the same results from a paid critique - which you are not getting, there's probably a good reason for that.
I'm going to emphasise a point that's been made several times; If you think your work is that good why pay for a critique? Self publish and let the world decide?
I'm sorry that you've had such a rough time with 'assessors', obviously most upsetting, but you seem unwilling to take on board that the problem might be of your own making, and that you need to give serious consideration to the possibility that your writing is crap. Others have hinted at this, but been too polite to say it
Crap writing is, as often as not, a major factor in negative assessments, and while crap can sometimes be offset if delivered with humour and flair, your sometimes barely coherent rants fail to demonstrate either of those talents.
This assessment is free-of-charge.
I think it would benefit you to take a long, hard, realistic appraisal of your work.
And while you're at it consider your attitude towards the ladies, because it's more than bordering on the offensive.
That is no opinion of mine, but harsh truth I read.
Exactly, Johnny . . . why pay for a critique now we have the wonderful CREATESPACE ? And don't forget - in Britain we also have
FEED A READ. COM . . . that's what I'm trying to tell you all . . . leave these dreadful assessors alone.
Maybe these people are great for helping agents and publishers with advice. Maybe then they'd have to look good. Maybe they aren't really for us unpublished writers.
When we write, we soon get those dreadful rejection slips, don't we ?
So, back in 1995 I contacted TLC - The Literary Consultancy, that had just started up. I need to say the assessor I got doesn't work there anymore.
How can you say the assessor behaved in a professional manner, when she failed to recognise my typescript - and thought it was hand-written !
Maybe, the jet black type may have looked grey in comparsion to other manuscripts, typed on other machines - that weren't like my professional BROTHER LW20. Maybe that percieved greyness - looked like handwriting, but really it was much too neat, and everyone agreed with me - IT WAS BLACK.
Becky Swift, the nice head of the group, checked the assessment.
Now, here may be why I get things mis-read so . . .
Becky's advertising leaflet stated, "Please indicate wheter or not you'd like your manuscript annointed with pencil".
I typed on my letter - "You may annoint my manuscript with pencil."
Becky mis-read this. It was an innocent mistake on her part. I do see her logic. She wrongly decided to lump me in with all the other newbies- that cannot check their work correctly. You must believe me, while my typing here, may contain mistakes, I act in a professional manner. I check and re-check over and over my work. That's probably why I get so angry.
Becky thought I'd missed the "not" out of my sentence, and that's why she'd accepted that fact that my work never had the masses of annointing, that I wanted and paid for.
She could have said, "Well, you should have checked your letter" when I'd complained - if I hadn't wanted annointing being done.
I simply never received advice like - "Show, don't tell" or about passive tense. I'd have been alot happier with these people, if they had. And I had to learn about those babies, elsewhere - FOR FREE.
I can't help being sceptical about the Frustrated Writers Society and the value of the feedback you were getting from them. The name alone is a red flag! If they've consistently told you your writing is fabulous while everybody outside the group says it needs improvement, you have to consider the possibility that the group is more about mutual back-slapping and moral support than actually improving your writing. I've seen several of these types of groups, online and in real life, and while they're great for the ego they do absolutely nothing for one's writing ability.
You need to move on, seriously.
Holding on to a grudge after so many years is not healthy.
I think alot of you are just putting on these assessors on pedestals, because you are all desperate to be told advice, that will turn your work into instant bestsellers.
Judging by alot of comments, you all are simply not READING my advice thoroughly, because you don't want to hear anything bad about them and other literary professionals.
I think you can read my writing style in a kind and sensitive way - even when I sound like I'm preaching a little way too much. That is not opinion, but from fact. My experience . . . well, you all asked about these people, and I've given chapter and verse on how I was treated.
Sorry, it's ended up like a rant about the 1990s. I'm trying to get over
them !
Sorry, you're not happy with my wonderful FRUSTRATED WRITER'S SOCIETY.
But when they packed up, they had 3 books accepted at MAJOR publishers, and used a retired MAJOR agent.
My assessment there - £50 for as many novels, ALL YEAR - was carried out by a retired University Don. He should know.
You can read from my text, that I am NOT offensive to the ladies, Snail Male !
You can expect me to think like this, after the all-male BRILLIANT PROFESSIONAL assessments in comparsion with the awful female ones.
Again, I'm very happy with the comments made by the ladies on this forum. It is the best forum on writing, that I've seen.
You may like to know, that the manuscript that was approved by my on-line society, was also praised by a publishing man from another set-up.
He recommended it was a good short story - that could win a prize for originality - not a children's short novel, that was only for one or two publishers - that I'd first targeted.
And this 'lady' on the forum isn't bothered whether you are happy with her comments or not.
She is very much less happy with the way you are talking about women in general.
More details here: https://www.writers-online.co.uk/Home-Study/Full-Manuscript-Critique/ and you can try it out for £49 for up to 9,000 words: https://www.writers-online.co.uk/Home-Study/Critique-Service/39/Mini_Critique/