Critique Groups: How to Find the Right One for You

As any seasoned writer will tell you, manuscript feedback is critical. The question, however, is where to turn for this so-important feedback?

Cue the critique group! A collective of writers passionate about the craft and eager to provide the support and feedback that you want. What could be better? Critique groups are especially valuable for writers who fall into one (or both) of the following categories:

• • Those who have started a manuscript but are not sure if it’s going anywhere: Once you are 15-25% into your manuscript, it’s normal for all the doubts to creep in—is this any good? Who’s going to read this? Is it worth continuing? A critique group can serve as an effective support group as well as the guiding light to get you over the self doubts that can help you power through.
  • Those who have had their aunt, best friend and everyone else they know read their work: it’s not unusual to solicit feedback from those who care about you the most. The problem is, the feedback is unlikely to be objective nor rooted in an understanding of the craft of good writing. Now it is time to get feedback from people who understand at least the essentials of good writing.

The good news is that finding critique groups is not that difficult. There are websites that provide comprehensive lists of popular groups, you can connect with groups on social media, or even with local writers. Assessing the quality of each group, however, is a whole other story. Like anything else, not all critique groups are created equal. To get the most out of one, look for the following:

• • Group members at a similar level to you: You want to make sure you are in a group with writers at your level of experience. So, if you have already been writing for a few years, a group composed of people who have never written anything in their lives might not provide the stimulating challenge you seek.
  • The presence of a group facilitator: Ideally, a critique group should have a “leader,” someone who coordinates the meetings and makes sure things run smoothly. While there is nothing wrong with a more casual group setting, don’t expect the same level of efficiency.
  • The presence of an experienced group facilitator: Even better than a simple “leader,” an experienced editor/writer is the ideal facilitator. Not only will you have generally better organized meetings, but your facilitator is likely to offer quality feedback on your work.
  • The opportunity to submit work on a regular basis: The common format of a critique group is to evaluate one or two members’ submitted work per meeting. Inform yourself (or assess) the number of times you think you will be able to submit work over the span of two, four or six months. If you conclude that you won’t be getting that much feedback, it might not be the right group for you. (Do note, however, that we cannot emphasize enough the rewards from critiquing other people’s work, so if that is something that interests you, give the group a try.)

In a nutshell, critique groups can be such a valuable component to your writing journey. In fact, at the Aaxel Author Group, we believe in the power of critique groups so much that we will be launching our very own! An experienced facilitator and quality fellow writers committed to giving you the feedback you need, all in a supportive and professional environment, are what we aim to offer. Want to be the first to know about this brand-new addition to our writing services? Sign up for our mailing list below and we’ll keep you posted!