Nonfiction critiqueProofreading & Copy Editing

Developmental critique of a self-help or nonfiction book

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  • Revisions within the package are free.
  • If you do not respond within 3 days of delivery, the work is accepted automatically.
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The money is reserved when you pay and released only once you accept the work.

Developmental critique of a self-help or nonfiction book

Example result

Example for the Standard package

Manuscript critique: opening chapters of a small-town mystery

Overall impression

The voice is the strongest thing here: warm, a little wry, with a clear sense of the harbour town. The mystery itself starts too late. The body is found on page 19; until then we have two chapters of setup that are pleasant but low on tension.

Plot and structure

  • Chapter 1 introduces Nell's bookshop, her cat, her ex-husband and the festival committee. Four threads at once, none with a question attached.
  • The lighthouse keeper's death would work far better as the end of chapter 1, not the middle of chapter 3.
  • The festival deadline is a good ticking clock. Mention it early and keep returning to it.

Characters and dialogue

Nell is likeable, but mostly passive in the opening: things happen near her rather than because of her. Give her one small choice in chapter 1 that has consequences later.

Dialogue is natural, but characters often explain what both already know:

"As you know, Nell, the lighthouse has been closed since the storm three years ago."

Suggested: "Still closed?" Nell nodded at the lighthouse. "Three years, and they still haven't fixed the door."

Style and language

  • Strong sensory details: "the smell of tar and lemon soap" sets the scene in six words.
  • Overuse of "just" (41 times) and "suddenly" (12 times) softens tension.
  • Several long paragraphs of backstory in chapter 2 (pp. 11–13) stop the scene; spread them across later chapters.

What works

  • The cat, Admiral, is a charming running joke without stealing scenes
  • The town feels lived in; secondary characters are distinct from first appearance
  • Nell's humour fits the genre perfectly

Revision plan

  1. Move the discovery of the body to the end of chapter 1; cut or compress what comes before
  2. Give Nell a decision in chapter 1 (e.g., she lends the keeper a book that is later found with him)
  3. Remove "as you know" exchanges; let the reader infer
  4. Search and trim "just" and "suddenly" by at least half
  5. Move backstory from chapter 2 into short flashes later in the book
  6. Plant the festival deadline in the first two pages

Client: first-time novelist. Text: chapters 1–3 of The Lantern Keeper, a cozy mystery, 4,800 words. Author's question: "Does the opening hook readers, and is my detective likeable?"

The client and all details are made up.

About this service

We give a developmental critique of your self-help, business, memoir-driven or popular nonfiction book. We check whether the book's promise is clear on the first pages, whether the chapters build in a logical order toward that promise, and whether each chapter gives the reader examples, evidence and something to do. Claims that need a source are flagged, and repetition across chapters is pointed out with quotes.

What is included

  • What you getA written critique: overall impression, strengths, problems with quotes from your pages and a step-by-step revision plan. Premium adds line edits of the opening.
  • The book's promiseClear to the reader from the start
  • Chapter structureOrder, overlap and gaps
  • Examples and evidenceStories and data that support each point
  • Actionable takeawaysWhat the reader can do after each chapter
  • Revision planClear steps for the next draft

How it works

  1. 1
    BriefYou send the pages, synopsis and concerns
  2. 2
    Reading and critiqueWe read closely and write up the analysis
  3. 3
    DeliveryYou get the critique and revision plan

What we need from you

The text or excerpt pasted into the brief, a short synopsis if it is an excerpt, your target readers and what worries you most. Documents can also be attached as PDF, Word or Excel files.

We will ask you:

  • Who is the reader and what problem does the book solve?
  • Can you paste the table of contents?
  • Which books is yours similar to?
  • What worries you most?

Compare packages

BasicExcerpt up to 2,000 words$20StandardUp to 5,000 words$39PremiumUp to 10,000 words with line edits$75
Deadline2 days3 days5 days
Revisions123
Text lengthup to 2,000 wordsup to 5,000 wordsup to 10,000 words
Revision planYesYesYes
Line editsNoNofirst 1,500 words
OrderOrderOrder

Payment protection

You pay when you order, but the money is released only for accepted work.

  • Fixed priceThe package price does not change after you pay.
  • The money is reservedWhen you pay, the amount is only reserved. It is released to the service once you accept the work.
  • Checked before deliveryEvery result goes through a quality check before it reaches you, and you see it on the order page before accepting it.
  • Free revisionsAsk for changes within your brief as many times as the package allows.
  • Acceptance after 3 daysIf within 3 days of delivery you neither accept the work nor ask for changes, it is accepted automatically. If you write in the order chat after delivery, the order waits; once we answer, we may start the 3 days again and will say so in the chat.
  • Redo or a full refundIf the result does not match your brief and the revisions did not fix it, or the work takes more than twice its deadline, write in the order chat: we will redo the work or refund the payment in full.
How it works →

Questions and answers

Do you fact-check the book?

No, but we flag claims and statistics that need a source, so you can check them.

Will you rewrite my chapters?

No. The critique shows what to change and why; the writing stays yours. Premium adds line edits of the opening.

Is my manuscript kept private?

Yes. Your text is used only for your order.

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