Critique Service

When you’re deep into a draft, it's not always clear what still needs work - or what's already working.

Fiction on the Web offers a critique service led by our editorial team. Whether you're revising a piece or seeking guidance before submitting, our goal is to help strong ideas become stronger on the page. Our editors provide constructive guidance rooted in what we look for when publishing great stories.


How it works

We offer three ways to receive feedback:
  • Standard critique (our core editorial feedback)
  • Optional add-ons for more in-depth or tailored guidance
  • Premium critique package, which includes all of the above at a discounted rate

What you’ll receive

Each standard critique includes:
  • Highlights of strengths and areas for improvement
  • Comments on plot, character, pacing, tone, and style
  • Light line-editing and sentence-level notes
  • A general story analysis
  • A scorecard evaluating craft elements

Critiques are typically 3-4 pages in length and are returned within 30 days.

Pricing

  • $45 USD for stories up to 3,500 words
  • $55 USD for stories up to 6,000 words
  • $70 USD for stories up to 8,000 words
Payment is made securely via Stripe when submitting your story.

Add-ons

For writers seeking additional feedback and guidance, we offer the following optional enhancements:

Live editorial call - $30
  • A 30-minute Zoom or phone conversation with your editor to discuss your critique and next steps.

In-depth line edits
  • $20 (up to 3,500 words)
  • $30 (up to 6,000 words)
  • $40 (up to 8,000 words)
  • Detailed, sentence-level edits directly on your manuscript.

Literary magazine recommendations - $15
  • A curated list of journals where your piece may be a strong fit, organized by tier and editorial style.

Priority review (1–2 weeks) - $10
  • Receive your critique on an expedited timeline.

Premium critique package

For a more comprehensive experience, we offer a premium package that includes:
  • Editorial critique
  • In-depth line edits
  • Live editorial call
  • Literary magazine recommendations

This package is offered at a discounted bundled rate ($15-20 off individual pricing):
  • $95 (up to 3,500 words)
  • $115 (up to 6,000 words)
  • $135 (up to 8,000 words)

Ready to submit?

To request a critique or learn more, please fill out this form. We look forward to reading your work!

Testimonials

  • "Prompt, detailed, always encouraging when critical. I especially like the rating of a story on key aspects. The only magazine I know of that provides this service."
  • "Very well worth the money. I've paid more for a less detailed critique."
  • "It was thorough and enlightening. It put the wind back in my sails!"
  • "This critique surprised me on things I never considered on my own. It made me realize issues that I had no idea were there."
  • "While the feedback itself was quite detail-oriented and constructive, it was the score chart that really uplifted my spirits."
  • "I now use this service regularly. The editor I work with pushes me to deepen my characters and clarify my plot. My stories get much better under her guidance, and yet they remain my stories."
  • "I loved the fact that feedback was both positive and shared a detailed list of suggested improvements. The feedback opened my eyes to new directions the story can take."
  • "Thank you for your thoughtfulness and excellent suggestions! I liked the rating system, too."
  • "I received more feedback than expected. Much appreciated."
  • "This was a very thorough review. As someone who also regularly writes critiques of short stories, I was very impressed by the hard work that went into this. I'm excited to revise my story!"
  • "Thank you for all of your help on my story. It was accepted for publication today. You really helped me clarify my message and my characters."
  • "Intelligent, incisive, encouraging feedback."
  • "My biggest fear in submitting for critique is that the critique will be overwhelming or super negative. Here, the critique was balanced and even leaned towards the positive, while still guiding me very clearly. The tone was kind. The ideas were very helpful and showed me a way forward."
  • "Thank you very much for your last critique on my story 'Smoking The Opposition'. I posted it on my writing site and it made 'Today's Top Rated' for three days running. Your crit has helped me to no end; it was a great learning curve."
  • "I would like to thank you for your crit on 'Always The Bad Guy'. Two magazines took interest in it and I finally let it go to Crimespree Magazine. Over the moon!"
  • "I've paid a lot more for a lot less, I can tell you. I'll be happy to recommend you to anyone looking for a crit."
  • "Your comments are really useful and the format works well. As this is the first story I've ever written, your critique has given me confidence to have a go at more."
  • "It has been great to have someone look at my story and give me some ideas about how I can improve it. I will take on board all your changes."
  • "Your critique has pinpointed the areas that I need to work on and given me a new outlook on the whole story, which has sparked ideas for improvements. I will definitely use your service again on any other stories that I write in the future."
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