Paid Professional Critiques

Event Landing Page

Professional Critique Event – Get Expert Feedback on Your Work

Looking to strengthen your manuscript and stand out in the submission pile? 

Our Paid Professional Critique Event offers you the rare opportunity to receive personalized feedback from industry professionals—including agents, editors, and publishing insiders.

What You Can Submit:

• A query letter + picture book manuscript,
• OR a query letter + the first 10 pages of a middle grade novel, young adult novel, chapter book, or graphic novel pitch.
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Critique Options:

• Written-Only Critique: Receive thorough, personalized notes on your submission. $45
• Written Critique + 10-Minute Zoom Call: Get written feedback plus a one-on-one Zoom conversation with your critiquer for deeper insight and guidance. $75

Please Note:

Not all faculty critique every category. Be sure to read the faculty bios on the event landing page to confirm who is accepting PB, MG, YA, and/or GN submissions.

Space is limited, and critiques will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

This is your chance to get professional eyes on your work and take the next step in your writing journey.

Registration open from June 11th-July 15th (You must upload your submission by July 15th! Zoom meeting will be scheduled before August 31st.)

Kat Brzozowski is critiquing PB, MG, YA.

Kat Brzozowski is a senior editor at Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Childrens Publishing Group, where she has worked since 2016 after seven years at St. Martin’s Press. She has edited a wide range of titles, including the New York Times-bestselling picture I Love You More Than You’l Lever Know by Leslie Odom Jr. and Nicolette Robinson, with art by Joy Hwang Ruiz, Anna-Marie McLemore’s When the Moon was Ours and The Mirror Season, both longlisted for the National Book Award, and new Fear Street books in R.L. Stine’s best-selling series, which has sold over eighty million copies worldwide. Kat is looking to acquire young adult fiction, especially contemporary, realistic YA with a strong hook. When it comes to speculative elements, she looks for projects mostly rooted in the real world. In the picture book and middle grade space, she is drawn to stories she’s never seen before that feel both timeless and timely. She loves books that focus on family, friendships, and self-discovery. Across the board, she’s drawn to authors who bring a new perspective to their readers.

Alison Weiss is critiquing PB, MG, YA, & Graphic Novels.

After more than fifteen years editing children’s and young adult books, Alison’s favorite part is still working one-on-one with authors and illustrators, helping them to realize the very best version of their projects. To her, an editor is a coach; sometimes tough, sometimes supportive, but always on your side.

While attending the University of Pennsylvania,she participated in Random House’s internship program, working at Delacorte Books for Young Readers where she knew on Day 3 that editing children’s books was all she ever wanted to do. After graduating, Alison joined Egmont USA where she helped launch the company and learned the ins-and-outs of every part of the publishing process. After six-and-a-half years, Alison joined Sky Pony Press, the children’s imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, where she launched their chapter book program, built out their fiction list, and eventually became Editorial Director, guiding the company’s children’s and YA program. And most recently, she served as acquisitions editor at Pixel+Ink, where she helped launch the company and worked on a wide range of projects told across platforms (and even had a few books optioned for film).

Alison has edited hundreds of books in her career, picture book through YA (and an occasional adult title), across genres. Her authors’ and illustrators’ books have received many accolades and awards, among them a Willliam C. Morris Award finalist, an Edgar Nominee, Agatha Award, an Anthony nomination, an ITW finalist, Whitney nominations, an IndieNext pick, Junior Library Guild selections, starred reviews, end of year lists, and state lists.

When she’s not editing, you’ll likely find her curled up reading, watching movies, stalking bookstores, or opining on all manner of topics on Twitter and sometimes Bluesky and Threads. 

Alice Jerman is critiquing MG & YA.

Alice Jerman (she/her) has worked in the publishing industry since 2011 and is currently a senior editor at Entangled Publishing. Most recently she was at HarperCollins, where she edited Victoria Aveyard, June CL Tan, and Sasha Peyton Smith. Since joining Entangled, Alice focuses on publishing her favorite genres: fantasy and romance. Alice is looking to acquire adult, YA, and New Adult, and she loves romantasy, character-driven fantasy, and epic stakes, and particularly wants diverse worlds and voices, especially queer romance and joy. Her favorite tropes are forbidden love and friends-to-lovers. Alice is a graduate of New York University, where she majored in English and minored in Creative Writing. She lives in New York City with her partner and a cat named Mr Mayor. 

(Alice will also be part of our Faculty for the Falling Leaves Masterclass Retreat Oct. 24-26th.)

Maeve MacLysaght is critiquing MG, YA, & Graphic Novels.

Maeve MacLysaght is a queer ex-classicist based in Oakland, CA. She holds a B.A in Comparative Literature from Occidental College, a publishing certificate from NYU, and an MLitt in Ancient Greek Monsters from The University of St Andrews in Scotland. The goal of her list is to increase the amount of queer and BIPOC joy in the world, and to make space for marginalized authors to rework the tropes that historically oppressed them.

She is looking for strong commercial genre concepts with beautiful prose in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and graphic novels for all age ranges. She is drawn most to stories with big, campy stakes but surprising emotional cores, lovably immoral characters, queer coded villains, and people kissing while things explode.

Maeve only accepts queries through Query Manager: https://querymanager.com/query/MacLysaght

Laura Kincaid is critiquing MG, YA, & Graphic Novels.

Laura Kincaid, Editorial Assistant A graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course, Laura is drawn to MG, YA, and graphic novels with unique voices, immersive worldbuilding, and character-driven stories regardless of genre, but has a soft spot for fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror. She is passionate about supporting diverse authors and stories, especially LGBTQ+ representation. In picture books she loves humor and uplifting themes. She also enjoys nonfiction that highlights unusual topics, untold parts of history, or the environment. Some of her favorite books include Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker, Inkmistress by Audrey Coulthurst, The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen, Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, and Bone Gap by Laura Ruby. 

Sandra Proudman is critiquing PB, MG, YA, & Graphic Novels.

Sandra Proudman is a literary associate at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency who is proud to represent a small-but-mighty group of diverse children’s authors and illustrators. When not busily immersed in all things publishing, you can find her spending time with her amazing husband and adorable toddler, catching up on all her shows, and taking care of her vegetable garden. She is also the author of the YA fantasy, Salvación (winter 2025/Wednesday Books) and the editor of the Latinx anthology Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories, (February 6, 2024/Inkyard Press). Connect with her on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @SandraProudman. 

Stefanie Molina is critiquing PB, MG, & YA.

Stefanie joined Ladderbird Literary Agency in April 2021 after spending her early career advocating for marginalized folks in publishing as a technical editor at a national laboratory, senior editor at the literary journal F(r)iction, and book coach and editor for women of color. She is one-half Mexican, one-quarter Japanese, and one-quarter Irish. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, both from the University of California at Davis. Aside from reading, she enjoys hiking, swimming, baking strange new things, and playing the piano. Her favorite place in the world is Yosemite National Park. You can find her on Twitter @agentstefanie, on Instagram @agent.stefanie, or on BlueSky @agentstefanie.bsky.social.

Daniele Hunter is critiquing PB, MG, & YA.

Daniele Hunter has a BA in English from Drew University, with concentrations in literary criticism, poetry, and creative writing. graduated from Binghamton University with a major in English and a minor in Anthropology. She’s been with McIntosh & Otis since a 2016 internship, and is thrilled to be acquiring selectively as a junior agent in the children’s department. She is a member of the AALA and their DEI committee, and co-directs their fellowship program through Literary Agents of Change.

Daniele is open to young adult, middle grade, and picture books. Her top priority is contemporary, but she’s also open to contemporary fantasy, and sparingly considers genre fantasy/speculative, suspense, romance, and historical.