IGLA Charity Critiques

Irene Goodman’s
Critiques for Charity

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Once a month, agent Irene Goodman holds auctions for critiques of partial manuscripts.

Proceeds go to the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Hearing Health Foundation.

Are you ready to hear the truth about your work? Not what your sister or what your Great Aunt Matilda thinks, but an honest, tactful, cohesive opinion from an industry professional with 40 years of experience? As an agent, I can tell you not just how to make it better, but what I think about its salability.

I do charity auctions every month for partial manuscripts, and you could be one of the winning bidders! All proceeds go to either the Foundation Fighting Blindness or the Hearing Health Foundation. We use the Charity Buzz website, and they keep a small percentage for their service, but every penny after that benefits the foundations.

~ The perfect holiday gift for the writer in your life ~

A new auction starts the first Tuesday of each month.
The latest auction runs from December 3-17 2024!

CLICK HERE TO BID

Charity Critique FAQ

A: Yes! Click here to see an actual critique from a real auction in 2018.
A: The first three chapters or the first 50 pages, plus a complete synopsis, all double-spaced.
A: Yes. There is no passing the buck. It’s all me.
A: At least two pages, single-spaced, but usually more. Remember to include a synopsis and it will be more. I can pack a lot into two+ pages and I don’t waste words.
A: Yes and no, but mostly yes. I can give you much more feedback if I know where the story is going and how you plan to tell it. The more information, the better.
A: Because I love doing it. I have learned quite a lot in 40 years and it feels good to share that knowledge. You may be very gifted and smart, but I have picked up all kinds of things that you probably don’t know. Someone might get a bestseller out of this, but no matter what, it will make you a better writer. I actually took on one of the auction winners as a client. But I do have a more personal reason. My son has a condition called Usher Syndrome, which causes a progressive loss of both hearing and vision. That’s why I have chosen foundations that benefit these causes, but sometimes I choose other causes as well, such as Doctors Without Borders or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
A: It shouldn’t be more than a month from the date of receipt unless I get very backed up.

What previous winners have to say…

“Your review was nothing less than a life-changer on many levels.” — Mary O.

“Your review far exceeded my expectations.” — Alan Chaput

“What a great review! I have a clear sense of the many opportunities to improve my craft and story.” — Mike S.

“The way you deliver feedback is truly amazing. It was honest, tactful, and insightful. You really packed a lot into your critique. It was an invaluable experience.” — Kourtney Heintz

“This rare peek into the thoughts of an accomplished agent energized my own enthusiasm to make my story even better.” — Gary W.

Irene Goodman has been agenting for over 40 years and has grown the careers of a number of NY Times bestselling authors, including Linda Lael Miller, Sharyn McCrumb, Michael Bornstein and Debbie Bornstein Holinstat, Celeste Bradley, Susan Donovan, Boyd Morrison, and Debbie Macomber. Her agency has two foreign rights agents and a movie agent, representing a wide variety of authors. Her career began as an editorial assistant for a publisher, where she realized she wanted to be an agent when she bypassed the red tape and broke the rules by walking a check request for a desperate author through the company. She then went to work for the agent who represented Stephen King, establishing her own agency two years later. She has keynoted at several major conferences, and has contributed to major publications for writers. She has done over 200 critiques and finds it very gratifying to give back to the business she loves. “Every blockbuster author was once knocking on the door,” she says. “And that can be frustrating. This is one way to speed up that process.”



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