Testimonials
What fellow writers are saying...
"I've been taking advantage of Grub Street's offering since the mid-90s. I've done it all - evening classes, lunch-time seminars, weekend workshops. For the past couple of years, I've been using the Grub consulting services. It's perfect for my current schedule and needs - with a demanding full-time job (like everyone has) and 2 teenage girls, I can't commit to classes at the moment. The consulting service gives in-depth feedback on a particular piece. For the past two years, I worked with Cam Terwilliger. It was an amazing experience. His comments opened my eyes to possibilities for my stories I wouldn't have seen without his tutelage. He was direct, but always gracious and encouraging. I showed several stories to Cam and even went back to have him take a look at pieces I'd revised after his first round of suggestions. Each time he had something new and profound to say. "Taking it to another level" may be a cliché, but I really feel that's what Cam helped me do with my writing."
~John Luiz
"Christina McCarroll's critiques always show that she is a close reader and an insightful critic, but the also express her enthusiasm and her willingness to enter the piece of writing and respond to it personally as well. You would need an additional superlative column to adequately gauge my appreciation of her performance. She does her work to facilitate our group in the most comfortable way, while respectfully challenging us to make it better. Couldn't ask for more, except maybe a 28 hour day."
~John Giangregorio
"Constructive advice from a professional, Beth Glass, who has been through the process and actually been published."
~Ann Falcone
"Chip provides exceptionally thought-provoking and insightful comments and critique at every level -- from structure to line comments. He is serious and passionate about the work. He is thorough and detailed. He was highly professional, we had a wonderful and productive session. It was very engaging and he maximized our time, staying on point the entire time; didn't talk about himself or get sidetracked, just focused on the work. I feel like I extracted every single minute of the time."
"Gave me five pages of feedback, which I really appreciated. It was exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for: unvarnished, critical, actionable. I feel reenergized about the project."
"Ben's consultation exceeded all of my expectations. He offered specific feedback on both a macro and micro level in a timely and energetic way. His evaluation and suggestions were targeted and exactly what I needed. In addition, his enthusiasm and support were just what I needed to propel me forward. I am so excited about working on my revision. Thank you Ben and Grub Street!"
"Beth was wonderful and I could not have asked for more from her. Her feedback was supportive and encouraging while at the same time giving me a number of things to think about and revise. She was able to show me where things needed to change without making me feel as though i had to go back to the drawing board and start over. All suggestions were manageable and helpful. I really appreciated the time that she took with this project and the care with which she handled it, as well as her timely replies and notifications. She understood how important my ms was to me and I am grateful for her encouragement within her critique."
"Alexandria's reading of my work was brilliant, really. She got it, not only the draft as it is but its potential. I truly appreciate her sensitive commentary and am already at work on implementing her suggestions."
"Jessica was fantastic. She read carefully, had good suggestions, was insightful, thorough, and was just what I hoped for at this stage (near final) of revision. She wrote a great crit, and also explained things to me when we met. I have been through an MFA program and she was as helpful an editor as any writer can hope for. Her feedback was enormously helpful."
"We met in person and went into detail into the manuscript. Nicole has the ability to pick up on small details and point out what they can become. There's a lot that happens in writing that is subconscious and Nicole was able to find some of these threads and bring them to my attention. Also, she was able to point out areas of my writing that were effective and others that weren't as effective. She was very thorough -an hour session turned into a 3 hour session. I had a lot to think about after the consultation. The entire experience was very positive."
"Rebecca Givens Rolland is strikingly smart, creative and knowledgeable, also very open-minded and kind – I feel completely safe sending experimental “questionable” work to her. Each manuscript consultation with Rebecca transforms my work (poems end up becoming thoroughly reworked, expanded, deleted and parts combined), and changes my way of thinking (relearning what works and doesn’t work in my writing, and the possibilities of poetry in general)."
~Kelly Shaw
"Alexandria is wonderful! I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity for an in-person consultation. She worked hard on my essays and helped me find the core of what I want to say. She was fun, attentive, generous, insightful, wise, and very encouraging. She didn't hold back criticism, which I appreciate. She answered all of my questions and more. I had felt utterly stuck with this one (650-word) essay and had presented her with three versions and a cry for help. She read and commented on each, identified overall strengths and weaknesses, and showed me how I can now shape the theme and make it work. I have a clear sense of next steps and can't wait to get back to the piece. Thanks, Alexandria!"
"My goal was to have my manuscript read and evaluated by a published novelist. The novelist they matched me with understood my humor and writing style and encouraged me to push it further. This was a great experience. I am so glad I did it. Thank you Grub Street."
"GrubStreet's editing services are wonderful and I would highly recommend them to anyone who is feeling like they need another set of eyes on their work before beginning submissions. I have taken one of GrubStreet's courses as well and I feel as though both have really helped me to advance my ms and prepare it for marketing."
"I am developing my writing project in a physically isolated environment. Grub Street has provided professional and critical reviews that have improved the work. Grub Street staff have been true collaborators."
"I've learned more about the practical and many specific parts of writing through manuscript consultations at Grub Street than I did through college or art residencies or anywhere else."
"My manuscript consultation was prompt and thorough, and suggested useful (and well-explained) changes to my work. The piece emerged much stronger as a result. This was well worth the money."
"I found my individual consultation to be the best single service Grub Street has to offer so far. I will definitely continue to work with this consultant."
"Each manuscript consultation with Grub Street transforms my work (poems end up becoming thoroughly reworked, expanded, deleted and parts combined), and changes my way of thinking (relearning what works and doesn’t work in my writing, and the possibilities of poetry in general)."
"I have taken several workshops, attended the annual (M&M) conference, and had a manuscript consultation. Not a bum deal among them. The instructors are writers themselves, and really know their stuff, from the writing itself to how writing "happens" and what it is to be a writer. My consultation was incredibly productive. No matter where you are as a writer, there is always more to learn at Grub, so I'll be sticking around for a while. Thank you, Grub!"
"Cheryl [Lawton Malone] was immensely helpful not only in providing concrete and constructive advice on my story, but also in guiding me through the process of submitting it to publications. She is direct and informative. I would definitely recommend her to anyone working the kinks out of a piece and seeking to take it to the next level."