What are Criminal Critiques?
Criminal Critiques is the CWA’s critique service for aspiring crime fiction writers, to help you polish your writing and prepare your manuscript for submission to agents and publishers, or for competitions such as the Emerging Author Dagger and short story competitions, too.
The critiques are carried out by our own published authors and other members who bring a wealth of writing, editing and manuscript assessment experience to the task. We understand that the competition to achieve a publishing deal is fierce and that it can really help to get a professional view on what works, what doesn’t and what to do about it.
As an organisation we’re committed to the crime genre, and we know what makes a thrilling crime novel.
Your work will be read by one of our experienced members, who will provide you with detailed feedback that will help you hone your writing. (We provide editing services through our partner Fiction Feedback, too – see below.) We not only highlight strengths, we also identify weaknesses and suggest how to address them in a constructive and practical way.
I just wanted to say how helpful I found this assessment. I found it useful to have someone objective read the whole manuscript and it gave me some new ideas about how to approach the novel. This is a great service and I have recommended it to several other writers I know.Jackie
How does it work?
- First, visit our shop and purchase your critique.
- Drag and drop your sample into the box provided. Samples must be in a Word doc (.doc, .dox, or .rtf).
- Please address questions to secretary@thecwa.co.uk.
Many thanks for the swift return on my novel. Please pass on my sincere thanks to the reviewer. It is truly wonderful to have an independent, yet well informed, opinion on my writing. I will take all advice on board in my next draft.Rob
How much does it cost?
Prices are shown including VAT. Sadly we have to charge this whether or not you live in the UK.
| Level | Manuscript length | Cost | Time required | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Manuscript Critique | Up to 100,000 words
and up to 1,500 word synopsis (Each additional 1,000 words charged at £10 +VAT) |
£600 | 5 weeks | A detailed critique
(minimum 4 pages) |
| Mini/Short Story Critique | Up to 4,500 words
– Can be a novel opening |
£130 | 3 weeks | Mini critique of 500 words minimum |
Mini Criminal Critique
We offer mini critiques year-round. However, they’re often taken up in the run-up to the Debut Dagger deadline for would-be entrants and prove very popular!
Thanks so much for this quick turnaround. I’m sure this review will be very helpful. I’m looking forward to getting to work and digging into these suggestions for improvement. Thank you for offering this service, it’s a great way to help aspiring authors.Jane
Many thanks for my very helpful reader’s report and for turning it around so quickly.Laura
Please send your work for Criminal Critique or any queries to secretary@thecwa.co.uk
Criminal editing
Need more in-depth help? Closer guidance? A full structural editing report perhaps, or maybe your MS is ready for copyediting? We are now working with professional editing partners Fiction Feedback to offer you additional support.
Join the CWA
Become part of a thriving community of successful crime writers with invaluable support, expertise and marketing opportunities for all our members.
