Fearless Manuscript Critiques

For over fifteen years I have been writing full critiques of fiction and nonfiction projects for a wide variety of authors, both published and unpublished. As a six-title author, editor, and independent publisher, I have far more practical experience in the contemporary book field than most writing school editors or English professors who provide critiques. I have edited books published by such major houses as Simon & Schuster, Viking, Doubleday, Crown, Warner, J.P. Tarcher, and John Wiley & Sons. I have regular contacts with a number of literary agents and publishers, so I can make direct referrals of printworthy manuscripts when I find them. I also advise on alternative publishing approaches and help authors make practical connections.

A full critique of your manuscript will provide you with both literary and marketing advice, and point you in the most fruitful direction for the improvement of your work and its eventual publication. Because I work by myself (no projects are handed off to junior associates) my clientele is necessarily limited. If you’re interested in having your work critiqued soon, please drop me a line at Critiques@fearlessbooks.com before sending a manuscript and payment so that I can schedule your project.

Following is more information about my experience, perspectives, and rate schedule. For a quick, economical critique of a project presentation (cover letter, query, short writing sample) that you may be preparing for agents or publishers, see the Fearless “Fast Assessment” service.

I have worked as a full-time, self-employed writer and editor for the past twenty years. I am the author of A Little Book of Forgiveness (Viking hardcover, 1994) and The Book of Practical Faith (Henry Holt hardcover, 1995), which I republished as paperbacks under my own imprint of Fearless Books in 1999. Forgiveness became available as a Fearless hardcover, with an accompanying audio CD, in the fall of 2004. Faith is now available in a 3rd edition paperback.

In 1997 I founded Fearless in order to publish The Complete Story of the Course: The History, the People, and the Controversies Behind “A Course in Miracles.” In June 2008, a substantial revision of this book will be released by Celestial Arts/TenSpeed, entitled Understanding A Course in Miracles: The History, Message, and Legacy of a Spiritual Path for Today. My first novel, Love After Life, was released under the Fearless Books imprint in 2000, and my fifth title, News of a New Human Nature, in the fall of 2002. In the summer of 2004 I released my first volume of poetry, Instructions of the Spirit. (See the Books page for more information on these titles.) I have also been publishing a wide variety of writing on this website since 1998.

I have also worked as a freelance editor and book collaborator, completing two books with psychiatrist Tom Rusk, M.D.: Instead of Therapy: Help Yourself Change and Change the Help You’re Getting (Hay House, 1991) and The Power of Ethical Persuasion (Viking hardcover, 1993; Penguin paperback, 1994). I was the ghostwriter for a 1994 Warner title, and have edited full-length books published by Bantam, Simon & Schuster, Doubleday, John Wiley, and Tarcher/Putnam, among others.

Serving as a contributing editor for the national magazine Yoga Journal from 1989 to 1999 and writing for many other periodicals since 1985, I have specialized in the “journalism of consciousness,” covering psychological and spiritual subject matter in 75+ published articles. I have written feature and editorial journalism and short fiction for a variety of major print media, including Mother Jones, Self, Omni, the Columbia Journalism Review, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the East Bay Express of Berkeley, CA. My work has been reprinted several times in the Utne Reader and in Reader’s Digest. Some of the best of these articles are now available for purchase and immediate download in PDF format as Sense & Spirituality Reports.

My poetry has appeared in the Berkeley Poetry Review, Yellow Silk: Journal of Erotic Arts, The Sun, the San Francisco Chronicle (online), the 1991 anthology Changing Light: The Eternal Cycle of Night and Day, edited by J. Ruth Gendler (HarperCollins), Cosmo Doogood’s Urban Almanac 2006 (published by Eric Utne) , and Blue Peninsula edited by Madge McKeithen (Farrar Straus Giroux, May 2006).

A detailed listing of my major literary credentials is available in PDF or Word format, by sending a request to Resume@fearlessbooks.com.

Over the last decade I’ve critiqued scores of novels, nonfiction books, poetry, and book proposals for several literary agencies and publishers, as well as serving my own clients. I have intensively edited major fiction and nonfiction projects, as well as coaching authors in the process of completing or revising manuscripts.

As someone who makes a living in the exceptionally challenging fields of freelance writing and independent publishing, I keep a steady eye on magazine and book markets. I maintain contacts with a number of agents and editors in both book publishing and periodical journalism. I provide my critique clients with referrals when I think their material is ready for publication.

My practical orientation is founded on a philosophy of writing as a means of self-development. Therefore, I will sometimes offer advice about approaches to introspection and self-reflection that can lead to long-term writing improvements. Because I’ve always loved personal correspondence as a literary form in its own right, I enjoy the opportunity to offer other writers a private assessment of their work. You can be assured of my meticulous attention and a thoughtful analysis. I’m interested just as much in why you are writing as in your publishing potential, and I hope to provide you with some insights into your writing experience that will have lasting value. The current realities of the literary marketplace are generally harsh, so I try to help writers develop or maintain a healthy sense of purpose that is independent of a fickle and often unfair market. (See my online essay “Keeping Your Soul Work Alive”.)

As an independent publisher, I can also advise on the alternative routes to publication, including self-publication, Web publishing, electronic formats and print-on-demand venues. See the Fearless Publishing Guide for more information.

I will respond to your material as soon as possible; at the present time, I am sending critiques within four weeks of receiving manuscripts. In rare cases, I may decide that I am not the right person to critique something. If so, your check and manuscript will be promptly returned with a brief note of explanation. Although you may call with questions prior to submitting your manuscript, I prefer to read all material "cold," that is, before we have any personal contact.

Godspeed and good fortune on all your literary undertakings. I’ll be interested to see what you’re writing these days.

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Basic Rates and Conditions for Literary Critiques

$1800.00 is my standard fee for critiquing a book-length manuscript (150+ pages or 35,000-100,000 words). Manuscripts of more than 100,000 words are subject to a $200 surcharge. All manuscripts should be accompanied by a synopsis (for fiction) or table of contents and chapter summaries (for nonfiction) of the entire project. It’s also helpful to have a brief biographical description of you, including your age, education, writing experience, and a statement about your short-term and long-term writing goals.

Payment must accompany all manuscripts, and can be made online for electronic submissions. You will receive a written critique of at least 1500 words, stating my professional opinion of your material’s strong points, weaknesses, marketing potential, and overall impact. I often include sample editing and additional comments directly on Word manuscript files. If I feel that your work may be interesting to an agent or editor I know, I will inform you before I make a referral.

$1250.00 is my standard fee for reading and critiquing complete or partial manuscripts of 150 pages or less, such as short stories, poetry collections, nonfiction articles, book chapters and so on. The written critique will be about 1000 words. Payment must accompany manuscript.

$900.00 is my standard fee for a “Fast Assessment”of a project presentation (cover letter, query, and short sample) intended for agents and editors. For more details, see the Fast Assessment page.

$500.00 is my standard fee for reading and critiquing one to five poems (or 100 lines maximum) or providing a general assessment of a collection. Marketing advice is likely to be minimal, due to the nature of the market. Payment must accompany manuscript.

I will accept electronic files in Word format. Please inquire first about submission method to Critiques@fearlessbooks.com.

PLEASE NOTE THAT RESERVATIONS ARE NOW BEING TAKEN FOR ASSESSMENTS & CRITIQUES. If you would like to reserve a start date for the next available Fast Assessment or Critique, write Critiques@fearlessbooks.com for the current schedule and reservation information.

“When I first contacted D. Patrick Miller, I knew my book was a winner — but something wasn’t quite right. I’d had many readers give me feedback and had gone as far as I knew how, but still there was a problem; I just didn't know what it was. Though reticent to contact a ‘book doctor,’ when two friends who do not know each other suggested I contact Fearless, I decided to give it a go. And, that, as the poem says, has made all the difference. We started with a Fast Assessment. Immediately, Patrick felt as I did, that the book was a winner but needed restructuring. His ideas so aligned with what I knew inside that I sent him the entire book. Patrick’s suggestions completely took the book from not-quite-right to better-than-you’d-ever-imagine. They worked like magic. He edited out extraneous, unnecessary detail, telling me honestly why — making me smile, because I knew he was right. His ideas made the book and its proposal. And may I add that t#5A3401he he goes way beyond the call of duty? The man is gold. His inspired ‘hits’ and ‘hunches’ have launched AARON'S CROSSING (his title suggestion, by the way) on a path of great success.” — Linda Alice Dewey, author of AARON'S CROSSING: A True Ghost Story (originally self-published on the advice of Fearless Literary; later sold to Hampton Roads Publishing (2006) with the recommendation of Fearless Literary.)