QUALIFICATIONS:
Marisa Montes has been a member of SCBWI and has been writing children's books since 1987. Formerly an attorney, she worked for ten years as a legal writer and editor at a publisher of law books. As a legal editor, she learned to spot strengths and weakness in organization, grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, and clarity, accuracy, and precision of expression. She has won six First Place Awards in writing competitions and has over ten years of critiquing experience. Her versatility has allowed her to write and edit law books, computer books, and children's books. The genres of her children's books include picture books (rhyming, prose, and folklore), middle grade and young adult mystery, suspense, horror, fantasy, humor, and realistic fiction.
CRITIQUE PROCESS:
All manuscripts must be accompanied by the appropriate fees and a postage-paid return envelope (SASE) to avoid delays.
If your manuscript shows potential as a publishable work, you will receive a written report about its strengths and weaknesses and suggestions for revision. If it appears your work is not publishable in its present form, you will receive a letter to that effect with an explanation. The letter will also offer editorial help as a means to improve your work rather than to sell your manuscript.
Please note:
THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES THAT THE CRITIQUE OFFERED WILL HELP SELL YOUR MANUSCRIPT. It can only help guide you toward a PUBLISHABLE work.
Your reply and edited manuscript will be returned to you within 3 to 4 weeks on picture books and 6 to 8 weeks on longer works.
FORMAT FOR SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT:
All manuscripts must be typed in at least 12-point type, double-spaced, with standard margins (at least one-inch all around). Type on one side of the page only, and do not bind the pages in any way. Indicate the number of words to the nearest hundred on the first page of the manuscript.
Do NOT send illustrations or dummy books.
If you're interested in a critique, please click here to obtain listing on my schedule.
FEES:
PICTURE BOOKS &
SHORT FICTION
(up to 10 pages):
$50 per manuscript up to 4 pages or 1,000 words.
Add $5 for each additional page.
(A standard page equals 250 words.)
NOVELS &
LONGER FICTION
(up to 300 pages):
• $75 per manuscript, plus:
• $2.50 per page for pages 11 to 200;
• $3.50 per page for pages 201 to 300.
Only completed manuscripts will be accepted for evaluation.
Revisions will be read at a 10% reduced fee.
Minimum fee: $45 for short fiction; $70 for longer fiction.
Fees valid through 1/01/03