Oh. My. Goodness. I just came across the blog, Rate Your Story, and I seriously had one of those moments where I said, “No way. That can’t be right.” And read it all again, just to make sure.

But yep, here’s the deal: They will rate your story. For FREE. Within 2 weeks or so of submission. How generous is that?

So, yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Who’s this “they” you speak of? Might it be the likes of the Beneficent Mr. Hall and his minions (who, let’s face it, wouldn’t know a critique from a crouton)?

Rate Your Story says: Published writers volunteer their time to read and rate your story. And also: Some judges choose to reveal their identities when critiquing a manuscript they’ve invested a lot of time in, but please don’t expect to know.

Okay, you think, these folks sound like a credible bunch of writers. But why get my work rated? I mean, geez, I have a swell critique group.

Rate Your Story says: Having an outside opinion–from someone sells work to actual publishers–may prove invaluable. Even if you have a critique group, you may wonder: are they just being nice when they say my story is awesome, lovely, sooooo great, etc.?

And now you’re wondering what’s the catch. Because, come on, time is money, right?

Rate Your Story knew you’d wonder, too: We don’t know that there is one, really. But they added this: In the spirit of full disclosure, once your story is rated, you may receive a follow-up note or link offering critique or editing services – provided by one or more of the author judges who volunteer for Rate Your Story. It’s up to you if you’d like to hire a published writer to help revise or critique your story on an in-depth basis. You won’t be spammed, promise.

Okay, so you’ll need the info on how to submit, and you’ll want to read the blog because it has tons of writing take-away tips. And then you’ll want to send your story and get it rated. You might even want to volunteer to rate stories yourself. And P.S. I give this idea a big, fat 1 (which is the best score on their scale).

(Oh! And another P.S. Thanks to Donna L. Martin who mentioned her lovely critique and Rate Your Story!)