Irene's eBay Auction

Irene Goodman auctions critiques of partial manuscripts every month, starting on the first day of each month. All proceeds go directly to the Deafness Research Foundation, Hope for Vision, and Foundation Fighting Blindness.

"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

Here are the details:

Q:  Really? Every month?
A:  Yes, really. They will be done by me personally — no interns, no staff, no passing the buck.

Q:  When will the auction take place?
A:  Each auction will start on the first day of each month, and run for three days.

Q:  How soon can the winners expect to hear from you?
A:  Before the end of the month.

Q:  What do you mean by a “partial”?
A:  I mean the first three chapters—roughly 50 double-spaced pages, plus a synopsis of 3-10 double-spaced pages.

Q:  How long will each critique be?
A:  At least half a page, single-spaced, usually more. But I can pack a lot of feedback into half a page.

Q:  What kinds of manuscripts are you looking for?
A:  Any kind of commercial fiction or non-fiction, but especially thrillers, mysteries, romance, historical fiction, women’s fiction, young adult, and anything paranormal. For non-fiction, it can be narrative with a strong hook, or prescriptive with a strong platform.

Q:  What are your critiques like and what is your track record for finding new clients this way?
A:  My critiques pack a lot of punch. I am direct, honest, and encouraging when I can be. I’m a combination of Simon and Randy. I believe that nicey-nice doesn’t really help you. Honesty does. If you can accept well-meant feedback from someone who has built a lot of best-selling careers, then this is for you.

My track record in this regard astonishes me when I look at it. There are dozens of books that sold for sizable advances as a direct result of my feedback to the authors. When you are hungry for information that will really make a difference, not waste your time, and respect your goals, you need a real industry professional who has walked the walk.

Q:  Why these causes?
A:  Hope for Vision and Deafness Research Foundation are of crucial importance to me because my son Rob, 23, has Usher Syndrome. That’s a genetic condition that causes progressive loss of both vision and hearing. The research in this area is tremendous and there is great hope on the horizon. We can expect that there will be an effective treatment for blindness in his lifetime. Scientists at Stanford predict they will restore hearing to mice in ten years.

But when you are 23 and you are losing your sight and your hearing, you want the cure to happen NOW. All this costs a lot of money, and that’s where your dollars will be spent.

You can choose which foundation you want to benefit by clicking on one of the links that will appear on this page. The eBay pages don't go live until the auction actually begins.

What previous winners have to say...

"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.

"Irene generously shares her years of obvious expertise identifying the strengths and weaknesses of a story’s elements, providing actionable ways to maximize one’s chances with agents and publishers. Her insightful comments range from her keen attention to the actual writing—character development, writing style, detail and more, all specific to the novel’s genre—to a clear sense of the pulse of today’s publishing market. This rare peek into the thoughts of an accomplished agent energized my own enthusiasm to make my story even better.
I’m already finding great satisfaction in applying her suggestions and taking note of what’s already right with my story. A sense of pride in donating to such a worthy cause only comes after winning one of these auctions. Thank you, Irene!" -- Gary W.