A raffle for writers!

If you have a manuscript in your bottom drawer, or even on your desk, here’s your chance to donate to a good cause and maybe win some excellent professional advice. I’m a bit late in passing on this email from my Northland colleague Lesley Marshall, a vastly experienced book editor and manuscript assessor, but there are still two weeks to go:

As I’ve been doing for some years now, I’m offering a Christmas raffle for a critique in memory of my son, with funds to go to Te Puna Women’s Refuge.

To enter, simply send a cheque (made out to Te Puna) to me (Editline, 20 Beverley Cres, RD 9 Whangarei 0179), and I’ll put you in the draw. Alternatively, you can direct debit money into Te Puna’s account (Account: 123101 0056429 00; name: Te Puna o Te Aroha Women’s Refuge) and let me know what you’ve paid them so I know how many chances to give you. If an overseas writer wants to enter they can donate to their local refuge equivalent.

I’ll do the draw on 16 December so that gives you over a month to get your entries in. The critique is for a novel or any similar piece of work, and the winner can send it any time in the next year, either on paper or by email. The costs for entries are as follows:

One chance = $20; 3 chances $30; 6 chances $40; 10 chances $50.

I hope the refuge makes lots of money – I know they get very short of food during the festive season, though one year they used the money to create a children’s playground for the families there, and another year they bought clothes for the children. Whatever they use it for, rest assured you’re creating a lot of joy with your entries.

A heartfelt thank you from both me and the refuge.

I thoroughly recommend this as both a cause and a chance – any writer would benefit from a critique from Lesley. My colleagues and I at Write Right charge $800 for an assessment of a standard-length manuscript, so getting one from Lesley for $20 is a Very Good Deal.