For the writer who hopes to have his or her work published, having the story or article critiqued can be the edge that decides whether the work will be accepted or rejected. Critiquing is a step beyond proof-reading and copy-editing. A good critique will assess the degree to which the author's objectives have been met, and give needed and supportive suggestions to make a given work sparkle.

A writer is his or her own worst critic, often unable to move past the idea that was born in the mind, but changed form as it unfolded on the page. In other words, we tend to remember what we meant, whether our words convey it or not! I am a published author and still need the objective views of a good critique for my work. So I pass my own stories on to others for unbiased examination. However, I have the experience and creative eye to critique the work of others, and do so, both for our own clients and in local writer's groups.