The Pros and Cons of Having an Alpha Reader

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy 

Do you really want feedback on those first draft pages? 

At this stage in my career, both my crit groups are "first draft, in-progress" groups. They read the pages right after I write them, and sometimes, those pages are a hot mess. 

These gals are my alpha readers, giving me thoughts on rough novels I dump right from my head onto the page. Bad pages. Messy pages. Pages that don’t always make sense. It's a tough job, but they're worth their weight in chocolate for the invaluable feedback they provide me.

The merits of beta readers (people who read and offer feedback on a writers’ manuscript) are widely known, but having alpha readers, folks you trust read brand new pages, can be equally valuable.

6 Questions to Ask Before You Join a “Crit-as-You-Write” Critique Group

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Some critiques can cause more harm than good.

Lisa Cooper Ellison did a guest post on Jane Friedman’s blog warning writers about chapter-by-chapter critiques. It’s worth reading, but she essentially said that getting feedback on a few chapters of the novel at a time as you write it instead of the critiquer reading the entire novel at once was more detriment than benefit (there’s more of course, but this is the part that I’m referring to in this post).

I agree 100%. I also disagree 100%.

Yes, I know, that’s impossible, but this isn’t a yes or no issue. I’ve been in a “crit as you write” group for a couple of years now, and I love it. It’s been incredibly useful for me and has increased my productivity. But I also understand that I’m at stage in my writing where I can do this successfully, while someone just starting out, or someone with a different process, might fail in a group like this. Even a pro can struggle in this type of group if they write to satisfy the group and let it sway how the novel develops.

Are You Looking for a Critique Group or Partner?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

It's Crit Time Again! The 2020 Winter Group is now open!

Back in 2013 I started a Yahoo Group called "Janice Hardy's Critique Connection" to help writers connect with like-minded folks looking for critique groups or partners. It was designed to help people find long-term, quality writing partners, not just places you can toss up your work and get quick feedback.

It went from a one-time event to annually, and now to every six months (I open it up every January and July). It's switched to Groups.io now, but it's the same group.

If you're looking to join or create a critique group, add more to your existing group, or find a critique partner, odds are you'll find someone here.

Just to be clear, I'm not personally critiquing anything in this group. This is for writers who are looking for critique partners or critique groups for more than just "I need some eyes on this before I submit it to an agent" type critiques. I'm solely a facilitator to help people connect without having to post their email addresses online, which some folks are hesitant to do.

5 Tips for Writing Group Success

By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughton  

Part of the How They Do It Series (Contributing Author)

Thinking about joining a writing group, or starting your own? A supportive and insightful group can help you become a better writer and put you on the path to getting published. But a disorganized group can squelch your enthusiasm to write and leave you feeling confused. To stop the writing group headaches before they began, follow these crucial tips.

1. Choose (or start) a group that specializes in your genre.

One of the biggest mistakes most writing groups make is embracing every form of writing you can think of: essays, screenplays, nonfiction, poetry, romance novels, you name it.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Writing Critique Groups

By Ryan Van Cleave

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: As the saying goes, "You get out what you put into it," and that holds true for critique groups. The right approach can lead to great results, and Ryan Van Cleave visits the lecture hall today to share some tips on making the most of your critique group.

Ryan G. Van Cleave is the author of 20 books, and he runs the creative writing program at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.

Amazon | Website | Blog | Facebook | Newsletter |

Take it away Ryan...

What to Do When Your Critique Feedback Gets Ignored

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

In a critique group, advice goes both ways—we give and we receive. But once in a while, the feedback we offer goes ignored. Our “gifts” are returned unopened.

It’s irritating when you spend hours reading a manuscript, make a multitude of comments, and carefully summarize your thoughts with advice on how to fix any issues you saw, and then the writer ignores everything you said.

It’s doubly annoying when that same writer asks for your advice manuscript after manuscript, and you know you’re wasting your time giving it to them. You could just submit the same critique and they wouldn’t even notice let alone heed your advice.

8 Tips for Reviewing a Manuscript Critique

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

On July 2, I’ll be opening up Janice Hardy’s Critique Connection again for those looking for critique groups or partners. So it seemed like a good time to review how to handle a critique.

When you get that critique back, it can be easy to just ignore what you don't like and only take in the good stuff. But the “bad stuff” is what you asked for, and that feedback provides the opportunities to make your manuscript even better. Here are some things to remember when receiving a critique:

1. Take every comment seriously.

Even if it seems out of left field or flat out wrong, someone thought that based on what you wrote. Consider why the critiquer said what they said and try to see the underlying problem, then decide if it's a comment that needs to be addressed or not.

Are You Looking for a Critique Group or Partner?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

It's Crit Time Again!

Back in 2013 I started a Yahoo Group called "Janice Hardy's Critique Connection" to help writers connect with like-minded folks looking for critique groups or partners. It was designed to help people find long-term, quality writing partners, not just places you can toss up your work and get quick feedback.

It went from a one-time thing to annually, and now to every six months (I open it up every January and July). If you're looking to join or create a group, add more to your existing group, or find a critique partner, odds are you'll find someone here.

Are You Looking for a Critique Group or Partner?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

It's Crit Time Again!

Back in 2013 I started a Yahoo Group called "Janice Hardy's Critique Connection" to help writers connect with like-minded folks looking for critique groups or partners. It was designed to help people find long-term, quality writing partners, not just places you can toss up your work and get quick feedback.

It went from a one-time thing to annually, and now to every six months (I open it up every January and July). If you're looking to join or create a group, add more to your existing group, or find a critique partner, odds are you'll find someone here.

Codex: A Community of Writers

By Michael Kinn 

JH: There's so many different writer groups and sites online these days, and it can be tough to know which one is best for you. To help with that decision, Michael Kinn visits the lecture hall to talk about Codex, an online writer community for speculative fiction.

Michael is an Irish-based writer, contributes to the wikipedia pages on Irish genre writers (Irish fantasy writers and Irish SF writers) and reports from the trenches on his website and various blogs.

Take it away Michael...

The Benefits From Critiquing Are Not Just in the Feedback Given and Received

By Ann Meier 

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: I was chatting with one of my critique partners the other day, and she told me about an experience she'd had while reviewing a mutual friend's work. "You ought to write about that," she said. "No," I replied, "You should tell that story," and she agreed. So please help me welcome Ann Meier back to the lecture hall today to share how her writing benefited from doing a critique for someone else.

Ann lives in Orlando and writes mysteries with a theme park smile. Her books’ parks are fictional, but she was a manager on the Universal Orlando Resort opening team. She also worked at Walt Disney World. She’s received five Royal Palm Literary Awards from The Florida Writers Association for her manuscripts. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Society for Children’s’ Books Writers and Illustrators, and Florida Writers Association. She has co-authored a college textbook, written journal articles, and worked in human resources for a Fortune 100 company. She earned an undergraduate degree in English from Ball State University and a Ph.D. in psychology with specialization in child development from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Take it away Ann...

Finding the Right Critique Partners

By S. Jae-Jones, @sjaejones

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: The right critique partners can be worth their weight in gold, but the wrong ones can be frustrating for everyone involved. S. Jae-Jones is here today to share some tips and insights on finding the right critique partner and making the most of that relationship.

S. Jae-Jones (called JJ) is a writer, artist, and adrenaline junkie. Before moving down to grits country, she was an editor at St. Martin’s Press in New York City, where she read and acquired YA. When not obsessing over books, she can be found rock climbing, skydiving, or taking her dog on ridiculously long hikes. A southern California native, she now lives in North Carolina with her doctor Bear, a stuffed baby harp seal named White-Harp, and a husky-dog called Bentley.

Website | Twitter | Tumblr

Take it away JJ...

Even Alpha Writers Need Beta Readers

By Tiffany Reisz, @tiffanyreisz

Let’s talk betas! Not the fishies, the people! First of all, what is a beta? You often hear the term in reference to software programs or video games. Beta testers are customers or users a company chooses to try out their new product before it’s ready for the market. The everyday user might find bugs and quirks that the software engineer who designed the game or product missed. A product in “beta” is an almost finished product not ready for market yet.

For writers, betas are our first readers of our new books. Many published writers, even bestselling and award-winning authors, have either a critique partner or a set of beta readers who read their books prior to publication. Not every writer uses betas, however. And usually you can tell who those writers are when you read their books.

You've Got to Have Friends: Crit Groups Beta Readers

Critique groups help in many ways

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

I belong to several critique groups, and I wouldn't trade any of them for anything. I'm incredibly lucky to have found some amazing and talented writers to work with. But not everyone is so lucky, and finding a good crit group can be tough.

I'm pro crit group. I know without question that I wouldn't have sold a novel (let alone three) if I hadn't had these folks taking the time to read my work and offer their feedback. I think it's hard to be objective about our own work, and since we know everything so well, we often miss what's in our heads and what's really on the page. Outside eyes can tell us what our words say, not what we think they say.

How to Find a Crit Group of Your Very Own:

Check your area for local or state writers groups. A quick Google search with your state and "writers groups" will likely bring up a few organizations. I'm a member of the Georgia Writers Association, and they have folks who organize crit groups and help their members find others who are also looking for a group.