How do you all go about getting a good critical reader for a completed novel?

[Squinch]

6. I did everything I could to take the emotion out of the agent submissions.

I made a spreadsheet of agents, with the "dream agents who will never give me the time of day" at the top and working my way down. I figured I would send to those dream agents first so I never ran into the unlikely problem of talking to an agent when a more desirable one expressed interest (I'm a VERY optimistic person!) Then I just made a schedule to send out to four agents every 6 weeks.

But then this one expressed interest and I've been doing the revisions. I want to chase her reaction down to the end -either acceptance or rejection - before I move on.

Rejection is actually a good sign. In my first batch, I didn't hear a peep!

How are you doing with the 2 page synopsis? Did your writer's group give you any pointers about that? I've read that you should put lots of voice into it, and I've read that you need to take all voice out of it, and all kinds of other conflicting stuff.

The small writer's group would be ideal. Now to find two or three local writers...I think that is where your suggestion of the local colleges comes in.