Chapter One Critique

First chapters are critically important—this is where you’ll lock down or lose readers.

There’s nothing worse than getting 50,000 words into your manuscript only to find out that you made a terrible mistake and went the wrong way in chapter one. Don’t do that to yourself.

Get useful feedback immediately on your book concept, hook, audience, organization/pacing, voice, and writing habits (good and bad).

Head off any problems before your whole mms needs an editing facelift.

You’ll receive markup of your chapter, plus a report outlining:

Strengths of the work
Any problems of concept, structure, content, style, organization/pacing, and voice
Suggestions to create a blockbuster hook for your genre

The critique does NOT include:

Correcting spelling, punctuation, grammar, or syntax
Fixing errors in sentence structure or language use
Fact checking

All submissions must be accompanied by a synopsis (for fiction or memoir) or table of contents and chapter summaries (for nonfiction).

Starting prices for a Chapter One Critique are $375 for the first 25 pages (up to 6,250 words)… which may in fact include more than one chapter.

Are you ready to get started?

If you are interested in discussing a chapter one critique with Alexandra, complete the form below.

Name

What is your working title?

What is your book about?

What genre is your book?

Who is your target audience? Be specific. How old are they, what do they do professionally, what are their reading interests, what are their expectations for your book?

Have you written or published any previous books? If so, what books? What genre(s)?

Have you had this book professionally edited? What kind of work was done?

What do you want your readers to do, say, feel, or remember?

What's your favorite book in your genre, and why? Name a best-selling book or author in this genre that you admire, if different from your favorite.

Do you have a synopsis, outline, or draft Table of Contents? (Required for the critique.)

Yes No

How long is your mms currently (word count)?

Any additional information you wish to share? (Optional.)

Photo credit: Your first chapter contains the seeds for the rest of your book. What are you planting? CC image “Break Away” courtesy of Charlie Wales. Some rights reserved.