Donna Boock
Critique Services for Children’s Writers
You've Finished Your Children's Story!
Your children love it. Your significant other loves it, and hopes its completion means something better than Toasted O’s for dinner for the fourth time this week. Your parents? They love it so much it almost makes up for majoring in English instead of medical school. Even Great Aunt Sylvia loves it, and she doesn’t love much of anything. Well, besides her eight cats and peanut brittle.
You Need An Impartial Reader!
While they may be opinionated, your friends and family likely aren’t your best critics. Before you send your manuscript off for the world to see, you need honest, impartial feedback. What is working? What could be improved? Whether you plan to submit to agents or editors or self-publish, having your work independently critiqued will ensure you put forth the most polished version of your book possible. You need someone with experience in today’s children’s book industry. Someone with battle scars who has lived to tell the tale and come out better for the battle.
You need a Fairy Plot Mother, and I’m applying for the position!
If there’s one thing I love, it is pulling out my magic words wand and poring over a manuscript to make the bippidi-bobbadi-bestity best it can possibly be!
How I Earned My Fairy Plot Mother Wand...
I began writing children's stories eighteen years ago, and quickly joined a peer critique group. Learning how to give and receive critiques strengthened my stories and fueled me to write more. I began taking professional workshops at the Highlights Foundation, online writing courses and attending Society for Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) conferences. Soon, I started volunteering for SCBWI, eventually serving as the Regional Advisor for the Eastern Pennsylvania SCBWI where I worked hand in hand with authors, illustrators, agents and editors to bring conferences, workshops and retreats to our members. I submerged myself in the children's book publishing industry. The result has been several stories and crafts published with Highlights for Children and People's Education, as well as the current publication of picture book Moo-La-La-Ti-Da!, three children's chapter books, Kinzie's Got Talent, Earth to Kinzie, and Kinzie and the P. U. Zoo, and the forthcoming series Claw & Order: Fairy Goose Unit, The Pignapping (October 2023) and lots more to come!
What Do Clients Say About Your Service?
"Donna Boock understood my book and its strengths and weaknesses. She gave me a detailed critique, and when I made the changes she suggested, it strengthened the story and its impact. She's got a magical eye for what a story needs."
—Darcy Pattison, author of A LITTLE BIT OF DINOSAUR, and BE STRONG
"Donna is brilliant in her insight into the author's intention behind creating his or her work. She is exceptionally gifted in tapping into what the author envisions for their work and helps them articulate it with deliberate skill; pruning where necessary, polishing when needed." —Dennis Mathew, author of BELLO THE CELLO, and HOW GRIZZLY FOUND GRATITUDE
“I’ve worked with Donna for many years. She always manages to find the plot holes and missteps and a sparkly pile of glitter to fill in the manuscript. As a writer of fantasy and urban fantasy, I’m always looking for non partial readers to capable of evaluating for magical fun. Donna Boock waves her wand and my manuscripts are better for it.”
—KB Anne, author of WIDE AWAKE: THE GODDESS CHRONICLES SERIES, and THE SILVER FAE SERIES
What is the Investment?
$99 - Picture Book Critique
I’ll read your whole fiction or nonfiction manuscript (up to 1000 words) and provide feedback to address:
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Story Opening
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Main Character(s)
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Strengths
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Opportunities for Improvement (Let's make it SPARKLE!)
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Ending
$149 - Picture Book Critique Plus
I’ll do the above (for picture book manuscripts up to 1000 words) PLUS
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Follow-up read-through of the manuscript after you have revised it (once) including comments
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A 30-minute Zoom to discuss the manuscript, edits, or other questions you have regarding this manuscript or writing in general
$149 - Chapter Book First Ten Pages Critique
I’ll read your First Ten Pages of your children’s novel (Double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins) and provide feedback to address:
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Story Opening
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Main Character(s)
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Strengths
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Opportunities for Improvement (opportunities to make it SPARKLE!)
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Chapter Ending (if applicable)
$199 - Chapter Book Critique Plus
I’ll do the above (for the first 10 pages of your children's chapter book) PLUS
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Follow-up read-through of the manuscript after you have revised it (once) including comments
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A 30-minute Zoom to discuss the manuscript, edits, or other questions you have regarding this manuscript or writing in general
$49 - Query Letter Critique
Your query letter is an agent's/editor's first impression of you and your manuscript. It's your chance to prove your foot fits their glass slipper. I’ll read your query letter and make suggestions to help you create an true attention grabber!
Ready to Work Together? Here's how to start!
Please click this link to email me to be scheduled.
In the body of the email, please include your full name, contact information, what service(s) you would like to choose and a brief description of your project including the full word count. I'll reply with a date I can complete your request by, and if you agree, you can reply with your attached manuscript (double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman or similar font, 1-inch margins) as an MS Word document.
You'll receive an invoice, payable through Square, when your manuscript has been received.
Additional Questions?
I'd be happy to answer any additional questions you might have that I haven't addressed here. Please send me an email and allow 2 business days for reply.
*Critique services are not meant to replace professional editing services.
Professional editing including copy & line editing and proofreading are highly suggested before publishing.