“…Eileen emphasized the crucial elements needed in our first paragraphs and first pages to draw interest from agents and editors. Through her editing, critiquing and teachings, I went on to develop an awesome opening for my debut novel that gained high praise from Publisher’s Weekly and Children’s Literature Review.” (read full testimonial)
—Crystal Allen, Published Chapter Book Author
Submit Your First 5 pages
So you’ve written or at least started a chapter book, middle grade or young adult novel and you want to see if you are headed in the right direction. Perhaps you’ve vetted your work with your critique group or with family and friends and would now like a professional opinion before you move forward.
I’m sure you’ve heard many times how your first paragraph, your first page, must capture your reader’s attention and if you can’t get past an editor or agent, the chance is slim that your story will reach your target audience.
Get Started
You can submit, by email, the first 5 pages of your:
- Chapter book
- Middle grade novel
- Young adult novel
For picture books, see Picture Book Critiques.
This option allows you to test out your first pages to see if they spark interest. Might an editor or agent be intrigued enough to ask for the rest of the manuscript? In addition, you and I will talk about your evolving plot or story line and the style, tone, and sound of your writing in relation to your target audience.
Critiques for this option are done by phone. Send your first 5‑pages via the submission form. Once I receive everything, I will confirm by email with a due date for your critique. In additions, if you have any specific concerns about your manuscript (your concept or execution of that concept), feel free to include in the comments section.
