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Hi @Thea , I’m answering your post in a new box – I’m sure that’s not the technical term – so the conversation doesn’t slip into a Den Bermuda Triangle 🙂

I’m happy with a maximum of 3k words unless it’s for a writer I have a friendship with, in which case a whole MS is absolutely fine and, indeed, a reason to celebrate. With a new or relatively inexperienced writer, I feel 3k is enough to pick up most big issues except for plot structure, and a synopsis can deal with plot though if the writer doesn’t want to send one that’s fine. Three thousand also works OK in terms of time required and reading from a screen. I can miss things on a screen that I’d pick up easily in hard copy, but in truth I don’t want to print off whole novels for people I don’t know and who might not take much or any notice of my comments! I sympathise with @Squidge .

With experienced authors, however, I’ll happily print off an MS, even a very short one, so that I can really get into the writing and think about. I printed all the stories in the Den winter challenge and was very happy to do so. (I also carefully dispose of them later, doing a mix or hand shredding and putting on the fire.)