For those of you looking for coverage.... reviews!

[mineymole]

I'd like to add my review of a few reader/coverage services.

Backstory:

I needed extremely fast feedback. I just found out that I'm one of ten finalists for Cinequest, and Cinequest gives you a couple of weeks to revise, improve, rewrite for the final competition.

I contacted several readers and eventually paid Julie Gray, Scott Mullen and Barb Doyon to read my script and give notes.

Scott Mullen cost $60. He gave me feedback in two days via email - embedded in the body of the email. His notes are just notes - no form. He starts with page notes - correcting spelling errors, etc., then moves on to bigger picture items. He provided 3 1/2 pages of notes and was available for brief email questions following the notes.

Barb Doyon cost $150 for expedited coverage (otherwise I would have had to wait 6-7 days). She sends notes back as a PDF attachment. She provided 7 pages of notes, however, most of the page space was taken up with simple Yes or No responses to set forms that she employs for each reviewed area of your writing. She provides little "commentary" on your writing skill, or on your ideas and offered little creative input/help in her feedback.

Julie Gray cost $200 and provided 5 pages of notes -- same day service! She uses both a simple form/logline coverage style approach at the start, but then busts out into general page notes, and then bigger picture issues. She also provides an abundance of creative input/help/ideas as to where you can go with your writing in trouble spots. I was overwhelmed (in a GOOD way) with her many ideas. Her enthusiasm is infectious. She followed up her 5 pages of notes with several emails which would add the total number of pages to around 9.

Who would I use again?

I would use both Scott and Julie again.

Scott's feedback is very helpful, quick, to the point. While I didn't agree with him on every point, I think that his read was thoughtful and he brought up many important issues for me to look at. If you need a smart read, quick, and don't want deep analysis, he is very good. PLUS -- he is very inexpensive! Well worth the $60 bucks.

I can't say enough about Julie. Really. She's amazing. Her feedback was thoughtful, right on target, creative, enthusiastic. She loves her craft and it shows. She got so involved in my story, she knew it better than me (it had been a while since I had worked on the script). She offered an abundance of ideas and directions I could go that I am swamped now with new energy. Truly, truly, truly, she is wonderful. I paid for the expedited basic notes $200 --- and honestly, I can't even imagine what the service is that she provides at $400. I think that in the future, I would use Julie to actually help me flesh out my script more in the 2nd/3rd draft stage of writing. I highly recommend her. Everyone is absolutely right about her services.

What about Barb?

Honestly, her feedback might be the right approach for some, but I didn't care for the Y/N approach to her forms with very little note expansion. She is a stickler for form which is good, but she didn't provide me with much new insight into the problem areas in my script. If you need a quick run through of your strength/weakness areas her approach might be appropriate, but I would probably not use her services again. A little to sterile for my style. That said, her normal rate is $75 which is quite reasonable.