Paid Critiques
For an additional fee of $35.00 (over and above Conference Registration Fees) you may opt to purchase critiques of your manuscript and/or synopsis and a fifteen-thirty minute critique session with the reviewer of your choice.
All submissions should follow standard manuscript formatting unless otherwise noted (Courier or Times New Roman font, 12 point font size, double spaced with 1-inch margins). You will be contacted and provided with instruction regarding your reviewer's preferred method of delivery. Submission must be received by the reviewer's deadline.
The Conference Appointment Coordinator, Casey Miller, will schedule your critique appointment. You will receive the date/time/location of your appointment in your registration packet you receive at the conference.
Adding a Paid Critique to your choice of additional options will be part of the Conference Registration process. Payment will be submitted along with Conference Registration Fees.
PLEASE NOTE: The Paid Critique service, includes only ONE critique of the work submitted. Critiques of revised pages ARE NOT included and SHOULD NOT be requested from your reviewer.
Reviewers Available
Please read each reviewer's guidelines as they vary per submission length and entry deadline. On the Conference Registration Form, you will be asked to indicate a first and second choice, in the event your first choice is unavailable. Critiquers only have a limited number of slots available. Selection is done on a first come basis, so be sure to register early.
Genre(s): Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romantic Suspense, Speculative Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult
Submit Via: Email
Status: open
Web Site: http://charactertherapist.com
Bio: Jeannie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who runs The Character Therapist, an online service for fictional characters where writers can receive her professional insight to improve characterization with psychology. She specializes in editing manuscripts with any psychological or therapeutic component. She has been a finalist twice in the ACFW Genesis Contest, and she writes monthly columns for Christian Fiction Online Magazine and Choose Now Ministries.
What to Send: Up to 30 pages, including a synopsis
Any genre - especially those dealing with psychological components (addictions/mental disorders/therapy sessions, etc.) to edit for authenticity/accuracy/feasibility by a licensed mental health clinician.
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult
Submit Via: Email
Status: open
Web Site: www.VannettaChapman.com
Bio: Vannetta Chapman has published over one hundred articles in Christian family magazines, receiving more than two dozen awards from Romance Writers of America chapter groups. Her first novel, A Simple Amish Christmas, quickly became a CBD bestseller. Her second novel, Falling to Pieces, is a Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, inspirational single title finalist. Chapman currently writes Amish mysteries for Zondervan and a 2012 Carol Award winner for best mystery, Amish romances for Harvest House and Amish novellas for Abingdon. With a MA in English, she taught at the high school and collegiate level for 15 years. She recently retired to write full time and lives in the Texas hill country with her husband.
What to Send: Synopsis, author bio and first 10 pages of manuscript
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense
Submit Via: Email
Status: open
Web Site: www.susanpagedavis.com
Bio: Susan Page Davis is the author of 40 novels in the romance, historical, mystery, and suspense genres. She's a past winner of the Carol Award and the Inspirational Readers' Choice Award in historical romance. Her books have been selections of the Crossings Book Club and Faithpoint Book Club, and three have been chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times Book Reviews. Her books include the Ladies' Shooting Club series, Prairie Dreams series, Mainely Mysteries, and Texas Trails series.
What to Send: Up to 15 pages of manuscript and a one-page synopsis of the entire book. Please indicate the genre, projected length of the book, and publisher targeted, if any.
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
Submit Via: Hard Copy
Status: open
Web Site: http://www.jennybjones.com
Bio: Four-time Carol Award winner Jenny B. Jones writes Christian Fiction with equal parts wit, sass, and untamed hilarity. When she's not writing, she's living it up as a high school teacher in Arkansas. Since she has very little free time, she believes in spending her spare hours in meaningful, intellectual pursuits, such as watching E!, binge Twittering, and writing her name in the dust on her furniture. She is the author of romantic comedies for women such as Save the Date as well as books for teens, like her September release There You'll Find Me.
What to Send: First 15 pages and a short synopsis (approx one page)
Genre(s): Historical Romance, Women's Fiction
Submit Via: Email
Status: open
Web Site: www.maureenlang.com
Bio: Maureen Lang has been writing stories since the age of ten, when she figured out how to write the stories she feels like reading. Since then she’s become the award-winning author of over a dozen novels, most of them published with Tyndale House. All of her novels include a romance, and though she’s written books with both contemporary and historical settings, she prefers historicals. Prior to publication Maureen was the recipient of RWA’s Golden Heart and ACFW’s Genesis, and since publication has won FHL’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest and a Holt Medallion, and finaled in such contests as the Christy, Rita and Carol Awards. On a more personal note, Maureen has been involved in the disability community for many years, ever since her son’s diagnosis of Fragile X Syndrome which is a genetic form of mental retardation. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, children and loveable Labrador Retriever.
What to Send: First Chapters and a synopsis, not to exceed 35 pages total (including synopsis)
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction
Submit Via: Email
Status: open
Web Site: www.Susan Meissner.com
Bio: Susan Meissner is a multi-published, award-winning novelist who loves to help writers write unforgettable stories. She has earned three starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, been awarded the ECPA book of the Year for fiction and is a Christy and RWA nominee. When she is not working on a new novel, she is directing the small groups ministries at The Church at Rancho Bernardo. She also enjoys teaching workshops on writing, spending time with her family, music, reading great books, and traveling. She lives in southern California with her pastor husband and their four grown children.
What to Send: Word document, double spaced - brief summary of plot (no longer than one page, double spaced) and the first 2,000 words, double spaced
Genre(s): Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Young Adult
Submit Via: Email
Status: open
Web Site: http://www.nicoleodell.com
Bio: Nicole O’Dell, author of 21 books since 2007, founder of Choose NOW Ministries and host of Choose NOW Radio: Parent Talk and Teen Talk, and a national Christian event speaker, is dedicated to speaking messages of hope to women, families, teens, and parents. The mother of six, including pre-school triplets, Nicole is the author of YA fiction, like her popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the Diamond Estates Series, and non-fiction for teens including Girl Talk, a Q&A resource based on the popular advice column she writes with her two daughters, all emphasize the importance of making good choices. Hot Buttons, O’Dell’s non-fiction series for parents, pre-empts peer pressure by helping parents tackle tough issues and was recently endorsed by Focus on the Family. Visit www.nicoleodell.com for access to her bustling blog network and other resources.
What to Send: One chapter or a synopsis and 15 pages, or 15 pages of a proposal
Will critique nonfiction if requested
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Genre(s): Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Submit Via: Email
Status: open
Web Site: www.allisonpittman.com
Bio: Allison Pittman is the author of eight novels including the Christy finalist For Time and Eternity and the Carol Award winning Stealing Home. At home in San Antonio, she is the vice-president of her local ACFW chapter (Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers) as well as the co-president of another large, multi-genre writing group where she gives weekly critique and mentors a dozen other novelists. She edits and critiques for The Christian Communicator, specializing in fiction proposals, and has presented at several Christian writing conferences and ACFW chapter meetings. She is a busy mother of three teen-age boys, the wife of the world’s greatest guy, and the companion of the world’s most neurotic dog, Stella. She has a heart for writers, especially those striving to glorify God in their stories.
What to Send: Synopsis (no longer than 1 single-spaced page), and up to 50 pages.
Genre(s): Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Submit Via: Email
Status: open
Web Site: www.deborahraney.com
Bio: Deborah Raney dreamed of writing a book since the summer she read Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books and discovered that a Kansas farm girl could, indeed, grow up to be a writer. After a happy twenty-year detour as a stay-at-home mom, Deb penned her first novel, A Vow to Cherish, which won a Silver Angel Award and inspired the acclaimed World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Since then, her books have won the RITA Award, HOLT Medallion, ACFW Carol Award, National Readers' Choice Award, as well as twice being finalists for the Christy Award. Deb teaches at writers' conferences across the country. She and her husband, Ken Raney, love small-town life in their native Kansas––the setting for many of Deb's novels. They have four children and four precious grandchildren who all live much too far away.
What to Send: Word file or Pages file if on Mac, as an attachment. Total of up to 25 pages. Synopsis or proposal may be included, but critique will only be on actual pages of the chapter
Will consider historicals
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance
Submit Via: Email
Status: open
Web Site: http://www.marthawrogers.com
Bio: Martha's book credits include a four book historical series, Winds Across the Prairie, published in 2010 and 2011, a new four book series, Seasons of the Heart, is scheduled for 2011 and 2012. Martha has contributed devotionals to several anthologies including Blissfully Blended, Devotionals for Step-Moms from Barbour. She also contributed to novellas, Sugar and Grits, and River Walk Christmas. She is the President of the Woodlands Chapter of ACFW, WOTS in Houston. Martha has been a member of ACFW since the beginning and has served as a volunteer writing Verse of the Week for a number of years.
What to Send: Synopsis and first chapter up to 15 pages
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense, Women's Fiction
Submit Via: Email
Status: open
Web Site: http://www.carrieturansky.com
Bio: Carrie Turansky is the award-winning author of ten novels and novellas. She writes contemporary and historical romance for Barbour and Love Inspired. Her latest releases are A Man To Trust, Surrendered Hearts, and Christmas Mail-Order Brides, which won a 2011 Carol Award. She has been a member of ACFW since 2000 and has critiqued and edited for other writers for several years. She enjoys helping aspiring authors and always points outs strengths as well as weaknesses when she critiques. Her goal is to encourage and pass on tools and tips to make your writing the best it can be.
What to Send: First chapter up to 15 pages, plus 1 page synopsis and short bio
Genre(s): Young Adult
Submit Via: Email
Status: open
Web Site: http://www.jillwilliamson.com
Bio: Jill Williamson's first novel, By Darkness Hid, won the Christy Award. She loves working with teenagers and gives writing workshops at libraries, schools, camps, and churches. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two children.
What to Send: Synopsis and 1 chapter
Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy
Genre(s): Historical Romance
Submit Via: Email
Status: open
Web Site: www.karenwitemeyer.com
Bio: Two-time RITA® Finalist and winner of the coveted HOLT Medallion and ACFW Carol Award, CBA bestselling author, Karen Witemeyer, writes historical romance fiction for Bethany House, believing that the world needs more happily-ever-afters.
She is an avid cross-stitcher, shower singer, and bakes a mean apple cobbler.
Karen makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children.
What to Send: First three chapters, but not to exceed 30 pages
You must be 18 years old to attend conference without a parent/guardian present with you at all times.
Participation of an individual presenter, agent, editor, or publisher in the ACFW conference does not constitute endorsement by ACFW. Conference attendees are advised to use due diligence and take personal responsibility when choosing industry professionals with whom to schedule appointments or enter into agreement.