AUSTIN'S FIRST 250 WORDS CRITIQUE

The first 250 words in your book are the most important you’ll ever write.

Let me repeat that, a bit differently.

You need to have a killer opening.

It doesn’t matter if there’s a cool battle scene in chapter 5, or if the hero gets the girl in chapter 8, or if there’s a M. Night Shyamalan twist at the end, if your first few paragraphs don’t grab the reader’s attention, it’s likely the rest of the novel will never get read.

Your first 250 words define the rest of your work.

They show what you’re made of. They’re a glimmer of your writing prowess – a juicy lump of bait to lure your reader into the story. They’re a mosaic of your voice, your style, your ability to turn a sentence and your knack at spinning a yarn. Within those first few words, your reader will decide whether they like your story or not. And should you submit your work to a literary agent, your manuscript will be accepted, or rejected, because of them.

A lot hinges on your first 250 words. So, how do you know they’re any good?

You may have gone over your opening a dozen times. It may seem perfect. Or it may still feel a bit off. Often, it takes new eyes to see the big picture – the view from 3000 feet up. The best way to know if your writing is up to snuff is to have it read by a fellow writer, especially by one who’s seen a thing or two, and who can point out what’s right – or wrong.

Austin’s First 250 Word Critique is just that, a 3000 foot flyover of your writing. A fresh perspective that sees to the heart of what’s going on.

What to expect:

The critique consists of 3 elements.

I’ll talk about any trouble I see with one of the following: point of view, show don’t tell, pacing, and voice.
I’ll point out obvious mistakes with grammar, punctuation, and formatting.
I’ll voice my general feel for the writing. Where the writing is strong, where it is weak. What I liked and disliked.

All of this will be summarized in a paragraph or two. The quality of writing dictates the feedback. Some manuscripts may receive a lot. Others, very little. Either way, what you learn from this short edit can be used throughout the rest of your manuscript to strengthen your story.

Be mindful that this is only a critique. Don’t expect a line-by-line edit. I won’t rewrite your story. It’s up to you to accept or reject my criticisms, based on your vision for your work. You won’t get back a polished manuscript. I will give you helpful tools and great feedback. The heavy lifting is for you.

Starting today, and for a limited time, I’m offering Austin’s First 250 Word Critique for free.

Yes, you read that right. Free.

Good feedback is invaluable. So why not charge for it? First, I understand how important constructive criticism is, and not everyone can pay hundreds of dollars to an editor to receive it. When I first started writing, I longed for input – to know if my writing had what it took to stand on its own. Now that I’ve learned a few things, I want to help others who are in the same position I was. While I don’t have time to help everyone, I want to help those I can. Let’s get your writing on point so your story can become everything it deserves to be!

How to submit:

Submissions Currently Closed

Email me 4 things:

Your name (real, pen or psuedoname).
Your email address.
Your genre of work.
If you have Microsoft Word (I prefer to do my edits in Word. Google Docs is ok too. I won’t edit any other formats).

If it looks like something I’m interested in, I’ll email you back.

So, by now your probably wondering, who is this Austin guy and does he have any writing cred?

I am a writer. Born to be one. Will probably die at the keyboard. I’ve written three novels and am working on a fourth. While I have not landed an agent, I’ve received lots of interest (fingers crossed for the future). I graduated magna cum laude from Eastern Washington University with a degree in English Creative Writing. I interned at the university’s literary journal, Willow Springs, and received the opportunity to edit Molly Gile’s book All the Wrong Places. I have an eclectic taste in literature and am familiar with both classic and contemporary fiction across a broad spectrum of genres. Outside of school, I have studied writing extensively through online resources, books, writing groups, and conferences. I live and breathe the art of writing and truly love what I do. For more information about me, visit my about page. Or send an email, I’d be happy to respond.