Robert J. Sawyer

If you want me to critique a manuscript while I'm writer-in-residence at the Canadian Light Source, you must adhere to the following guidelines. I'm happy to critique any kind of manuscript -- fiction (all genres), nonfiction, scripts, plays, poetry, school essays, etc.

1) Book an appointment in advance with me by emailing me at: sawyer@sfwriter.com

I suggest you book soon; I've been in Saskatoon for one day now, and almost half of my appointment slots have already been filled. I offer daytime and evening appointments seven days a week -- but only at specific day/time combos that fit around my other commitments in Saskatoon. Contact me, and I'll let you know what appointment slots are available.

2) Submit your manuscript at least 72 hours in advance of your appointment.

Important:

* Your manuscript must be in RTF or Word DOC format.

* The filename must be your last name, plus the appropriate extension: SMITH.DOC, SINGH.RTF, etc. If you call it "Chapter 1.rtf," or something equally generic, I probably won't be able to tell it's yours.

* Submit no more than 5,000 words.

* Your pages need to have headers on them that include your name and the page number. I'm printing out the manuscripts, and I need these for reference.

* For the love of God, submit in proper manuscript format. There's only one right way to do it, and it's easy -- but do you really want to spend a hunk of your time with me going over it? The format is here.

3. Come to the Canadian Light Source for your appointment, and ask for me in the lobby.

If your appointment is after hours or on the weekend, the lobby may be closed, and you'll have to wait for me to come down and get you. If you need to call me (because I haven't come down when you expected me to, for instance), my office number at CLS is 657-3659.

Critiques are absolutely free; CLS is funding my residency internally and there is no cost to you for this service.