Writing Services « Paulette Bates Alden

Thank you for your interest in my writing services. In addition to teaching courses and workshops, I critique manuscripts and work individually with people on their writing. I'm interested in literary fiction and memoir, and I limit my business to short stories, novels, personal essays, memoir pieces and book-length memoirs. I don't deal with genre writing such as science fiction, fantasy, or mysteries; children's books; or family histories.

I enjoy seeing an original, individual sensibility shine forth in a piece of writing and try to encourage people along those lines. If you think you'd like to work with me, let's talk.

Manuscript Critiquing

You might wonder what I mean by the word “critiquing.” I think of it as providing “critical feedback.” Not critical in a negative way, but in an analytical way. I try to see what the writer wants to do in the work, i.e., what the terms and intentions are, and then I try to see where the work is succeeding or failing. I try to see the gestalt of the work, the “forest” in addition to the trees. I look at things like structure, pacing, openings and endings, scenes, voice, and characterization, and I bring a lot of technical experience to those areas. I provide a sense of an experienced, educated reader of literary works. I don't do line editing, though I do read with pen in hand and mark any punctuation or usage problems, and any typos I see. I read carefully line by line, while trying to hold the whole in my head and address the overall work. The following describes a fairly typical process for manuscript critiquing. Each situation, piece of writing, and writer is unique, but this will give you a general sense:

Initial contact
- Please contact me by e-mail or by phone (1-612-920-1896) and tell me what you'd like in terms of my services and what your writing background and experience are. And I'm sure you'll have questions for me.
- If we seem a potential fit, I'll review a sample of your writing, e.g. 10-15 pages. This initial look will give me an idea of whether I’m the right person for you, the level of your writing, and what you might need in terms of editing help.
- We'll communicate again, and if we decide to proceed, we'll map out a plan and a time line, and I'll give you a rough estimate of the projected cost.
Manuscript review
- The way I work is to read the manuscript through once, more or less as a consumer, to see what is there, to see what my initial reaction as a cold reader is, and to begin to formulate ideas. In a second critical pass, I make margin and end chapter notes.
Written critique
- Then I’ll write a comprehensive commentary addressing the issues that have come up, and making suggestions for revision.
Follow-up conference
- After I’ve critiqued your work, I’ll mail you my critique along with your manuscript, and then we can have a follow-up conversation, either by phone or e-mail, in which we talk over anything about the work or the critique that you’d like to discuss.

There is no charge for the initial screening process.
There is a $70 minimum charge for any manuscript critiquing.
The rate for reading, critiquing, and discussion of manuscript is $70 per hour.
The amount of time I spend on any given project varies according to the stage of the writing and the needs of the writer.
I give a rough estimate at the end of the initial screening. If you decide to proceed, one half of that amount is due on retainer. Upon receipt of the written critique, the balance is due.
Any incidental costs (phone calls, copy costs, postage) are first cleared with you and then billed to you. Please include a SASE with your manuscript

Here are some examples of fees. Obviously, these fees would vary according to the needs of the manuscript and the writer, and the amount of time spent on any given project.

Up to a 20 page short story: $180.00
A 250 page memoir: $750.00.
A 400 page novel: $1400.00

The examples above are given for illustrative purposes only. Individual projects may require different amounts of time, depending on the issues, stage of the work, whether it needs extensive line editing, level of the writer, etc.

Individual Consultation

Sometimes a person seeks my help in order to work on a specific project which is not ready for actual critiquing. Sometimes I can provide direction, suggestions, and structure. I’m not a writing coach, but perhaps I can refer you to one. I do work occasionally with writers or projects that interest me and where I feel I have something to offer. I prefer to work with writers who have done a good deal of writing rather than beginners.

Individual Consultation Process:

Please contact me by e-mail (or phone at 612-920-1896) to tell me what you'd like.
If we seem a potential fit, we’ll work out the details together.

Rates for Individual Consultation are $70.00 an hour.

From a Published Short Story Writer:

"Paulette has critiqued many of my short stories, and her incisive input has been invaluable in helping me to re-think and re-shape my work so that many of the stories have now been published, most recently in Crab Orchard Review. In addition to her page notes and typed summary of the major issues to consider, she also provides me with supplemental lessons and model stories on areas I need to learn more about, such as point of view. These, too, have fueled my growth as a writer and shortened the learning curve. I have recommended her to other writing friends and they have uniformly been very excited about the results of their collaborations."

From a short story writer and college professor:

“When I began working with Paulette two years ago, I had already published a few stories in literary journals, but I needed a critical, informed reader to help me revise and refine my stories. I had worked with four people who offer critiques (one being quite well known for previously being a fiction editor at a renowned journal), but I was always disappointed with the result. In a fit of desperation, I sent the same story to three readers (one of whom was Paulette). The other two readers offered the types of observations I had grown accustomed to, mostly affirmations and minor suggestions. I had been there before. These kinds of critiques neither helped me refine my craft nor helped me get published. Then Paulette's critique came, and my search was over. She had the insight to identify the problem in my approach for this particular story. She called attention to the point of view, gave me a hand-out she had composed on the uses of third-person limited point of view, suggested some stories for me to read, and she did it all while still affirming my commitment to writing. She sent me back to the story with a new level of awareness about my own process of writing.

Now, I send Paulette a story when I think the story is finished, when I think the story will never be finished, when I'm proud of the story, when I'm confounded by the story, or when I simply need an honest, informed opinion about my writing. She treats every story individually, sometimes calling attention to minute details, sometimes calling attention to structural concerns, sometimes asking questions about my basic approach, such as the point of view I've chosen. In every critique, I find both a confirmation of what I've sensed is wrong with a story (but had no courage to change), and a new insight I hadn't come to on my own. Both types of comments give me the direction and confidence to go back to the computer to finish, polish, or reconstruct the story. With her help, I have published stories in The Notre Dame Review, The Nebraska Review, and The Other Side. It has gotten to the point that I never send a story out to a journal before I have first let Paulette offer guidance and advice.

One thing I appreciate about Paulette is that she is both a writer and a teacher. As a writer, she knows the long, arduous process of bringing a story to completeness. She respects that process, and her comments reflect this knowledge and respect. As a teacher, she is able to provide observations and guidance about every level of the craft: structure, detail, character, voice, etc. And finally, as a published writer, she provides an awareness of the capricious nature of editors. I have taken classes with writers who cannot teach the craft because they work very intuitively. And I have worked with editors who do not respect and know the process of writing. Paulette offers a balance that is rare and wonderful.”

From a novelist and NEA grant winner:

“A decade ago, I took a writing course from Paulette. It quickly became
apparent to me that she is both an exceptionally acute reader of
manuscripts and someone who is unusually generous in sharing her deep
knowledge of how to write well. When I recently decided to revise a
novel that seemed too complicated and inaccessible to readers, it felt
natural--and smart--for me to turn to Paulette for her suggestions.

Paulette again showed her uncanny instinct for zeroing in on problem
areas in my work. More than that, she gave me a sense of how to approach
restructuring the book so that its story would have more direction and
power. Perhaps most importantly, there was absolutely nothing
destructive in the process. Though Paulette was candid in addressing any
weaknesses in my manuscript, she offered her suggestions in a manner that
increased my confidence that I am really writer enough to get this book
right. In addition, she offered practical ideas on how to prepare for
tackling the actual revision and suggested a rough timetable for
completing it.

As I’ve worked on my revision, I’ve felt focused and optimistic. I’m very
grateful for Paulette’s part in this. Without question, she's helped get
me on track.”

From a poet working on a book-length memoir:

“Dear Paulette,
You are a gold mine! I'm so thrilled and inspired by your response to the
new stuff. I was whooping aloud reading your e-mail. It's so rewarding to
have a reader who gets anything you try, both the hits and the misses, and
who's got solutions in mind! I feel myself in real conversation with you
about what I've written.
I've just re-read our entire correspondence and I'm in awe that your
original suggestions are the answers to many of my questions nearly a year
later. You seem to know where I'm going well before I figure it out.”

From a short story writer and MFA graduate whose first book of stories has just been accepted for publication:

“Thank you for your fantastic comments. They are extremely useful, confirming in some places what I’d suspected, raising important questions for me to consider in other sections. I very much appreciate your thoroughness. I’ve had a few other editors and no one so far gives me the scope and depth that you do. Thank you. Thank you! I’ll be sending something along again soon.”

From a writer who published her first book, a memoir, at age 80 and who
is currently working on her second book:

"Paulette Alden's critiquing my work is one of my greatest blessings. I
like best of all her honesty. She knows when to be tough and I never doubt her judgment. She is always indubitably right. She brings out the best in me."

From a Short Story Writer:

"Thank you so much for your careful reading of my manuscript. Wow! It's great because so much of what you found were issues that I knew were problematic, yet I really had no idea where to go next and you've given me concrete ideas for how to fix these problems. I'm very excited to get back to this story and rework it."