critique partners

When I Said I Wanted Critique: Feel That Author Pain

The stages of accepting constructive criticism, as told through gifs. We all can agree that beta reading is crucial to the success of a story. Having other eyeballs touch your story, pre-publication, is one of the necessary steps a book goes through. Whether it’s a kind friend who volunteers, a writing group, or a professional editor — the link goes to a good post by author D.E. Haggerty on why she uses editors vs. beta readers — you will be…

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The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Beta Reads

This is an Insecure Writer’s Support group post. The purpose of the group is to share, encourage, and express doubts or insecurities without feeling foolish, because believe me, we’ve all been there too. If you’d like to sign up for the hop yourself, click over here. The group is also on Twitter (@The IWSG) and on Instagram #IWSG The September 2 question is: If you could choose one author, living or dead, to be your beta partner, who would it…

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Six First Aid Steps for Bad Feedback: an IWSG Post

As part of the celebration for author Chrys Fey’s latest book release, we’re talking about writer’s block, depression, and the varied obstacles life will throw in your way as you try to publish. My contribution for the blog hop is about dealing with bad feedback. This could be editorial comments, a scathing one-star review, rejection letters, dismissive friends or family; anything which makes you feel like a big anvil made of “NO” just landed on your head. I know about…

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The Insecure Writer’s Group has Got the Power

It’s the first Wednesday of the month, which means it’s time for our writing insecurities to pop their little heads out, just in time to get whacked back down into the depths of our subconscious by multiple author-hammers. GET BACK IN YOUR PLACE, INSECURITIES! Ahem. Anyway. The optional question for May 1: What was an early experience where you learned that language had power? The co-hosts for the month of May are Lee Lowery, Juneta Key, Yvonne Ventresca, and T. Powell Coltrin! Thanks to all…

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Six First Aid Steps for Bad Feedback

It happened. The thing you’ve been dreading, avoiding, secretly praying will pass you by forever. Negative feedback. Maybe it’s kindhearted constructive criticism (OUCH) or maybe it’s a scathing one-star take down of your entire book (FUCKING OUCH OW PAIN). No  matter what form it takes this kind of feedback is hard on you. I know this, because I recently got my very own negative feedback. I enter every unfinished manuscript I write into RWA chapter contests for judging because apparently…

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The Time When an Author Responded to a Bad Review: And It Worked.

For the rest of us normal mortals: DO NOT DO THIS! No, I mean it. EVER. I see your fingers twitching towards that keyboard. DON’T. It’s the fastest way to make yourself look like a terrible person, no matter what a review says about your book. In light of recent events concerning an author who straight-up stalked a reviewer that had disliked her book, this seems like a good time to drag out and re-state my position on this issue. The ladies…

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