We currently offer tick-box critiques for £6 per poem. We are now charging for this service because the competition has grown to the point where it isn't possible to provide free critiques with the available resources of both staff and time.

The tick-box critique will highlight your poem's main strengths and/or weaknesses, and includes space for some specific comments in addition to the standard tick boxes. It obviously doesn't offer an in-depth analysis of your work but, in conjunction with the listing results, can help you to increase your chances of winning next time. We won't wait until the end of the competition to post these critiques, but they may take up to eight weeks to arrive.

Online entrants can also request tick-box critiques @ £6, to be returned via email. Email tick-box critiques are not available to postal entrants - if you send us your entry by post, you must send an SAE in order to receive your critique.

In addition to the tick-box critique for £6, entrants may choose to receive a full (in-depth) critique of their poem for £30. These will be posted after the competition closes.

Entries with critique requests must be received by 30th September 2010. This deadline applies to Tick-box critiques and In-depth critiques.

Here's what previous years' poets have to say about our Full (In-Depth) critique service:

'Lovely to get such detailed and
helpful comments on my poems. Thanks very much.'

'Apart from editor's comments on a couple of short stories submitted to the Evening News in the 70s, I have not had any creative input, and never on my poetry. So, your appraisals have been invaluable.'

'Thanks for your personal attention, especially for your comments on titles, rhyming, archaic constraints, etc. ...This is only the second time I have entered a poetry competition I am very pleased that you have made my entries worthwhile.'

'Many thanks for the critique. As I have never previously submitted any of my work for critical appraisal, nor indeed had any feedback from informed and knowledgeable persons, this was an extremely enlightening experience! As a result, I have condensed and refined the poem in question and believe that the end product is far more cohesive and satisfying. Thank you!'

'It has been very interesting to read your objective viewpoint and I realise that often poems can mean different things depending upon the reader's own experiences.  I now realise how easily a misused word or phrase can convey something quite different.'

I'm delighted the poems went down so well with your writing group, and thank you to you all for providing such full critiques. I've only ever come across one other competition that offers such a service, and that was only a few lines, so to get such a lot of feedback is great.'

'The Plough competition and having the chance to read and meet other poets was a real kickstart, and gave me a lot more confidence and incentive to keep writing, so I really am very grateful for all your encouragement...'

'I was absolutely delighted with your thoughtful, sensitive letter, full of supportive and helpful suggestions. You've no idea how anxious I was about submitting my poems, but after your letter I feel confident enough to write more poetry, and I'll enjoy trying out your suggestions, too.'

'It was, as I said, a really pleasant surprise to get so much feedback. I hope a few more poetry competitions catch on to the idea.'

If you decide to take advantage of the In-Depth (£30) critique service, it would be very helpful to us if you could get your entry in early. As you can imagine, an influx of critique requests arriving at the end of the competition, which is our busiest time, can be quite daunting! Full critiques will be posted/emailed as soon as possible after the competition has closed.

This service is sponsored by www.worddoctors.co.uk

©The Plough Prize and the poets 2003-2010
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Last updated: May 19, 2010.