Critique Forum Rules
[ul][li]Please make a new thread for each work (short story, novel chapter, poem, etc.). Very short works (haiku, microfiction/drabbles, etc.) can be posted with more than one in the same thread.[/li]
[li]You can either post the story here or provide a link to where the work can be found. (If posting a very long work here, like a novel, please do just a chapter or two at a time. Note that posts here are limited to 100,000 characters.)[/li]
[li]Provide content/trigger warnings as appropriate. Failure to post obviously necessary warnings (like for explicit sexual content) may result in loss of posting privileges to the crit forum.[/li]
[li]Please critique at least one work for every one you post. Persistent failure to give critique may result in loss of posting privileges – please be fair and help others out, too.[/li]
[li]Keep it civil (see “General critiquing tips”) below).[/li][/ul]
Important Note Regarding Publication
Because this critique board is hidden from the general public and people must register in order to view it, most markets won’t consider a work that’s posted here to be previously published – especially considering that the pieces posted here are works in progress that are likely to undergo significant changes before being sent out to editors. Some publications and publishers do have stricter rules than others, though, and it’s always possible that some markets might consider any posting of a work online as prior publication, even if that work isn’t publicly viewable. Always check a publication’s guidelines regarding reprints to find out what they consider prior publication, and if in doubt, ask them to be sure.
General critiquing tips:
Keep your comments about the story, not about the author. Things like “I noticed a number of spelling errors that distracted me from the story” is much more helpful than “Are you in third grade? Learn to how to use a dictionary sometime.” Remember that everything you’re offering is a suggestion, not a command, and if you can’t find something positive to say about the work, you’re probably better off finding another piece to critique instead.
If you need more advice on critiquing effectively, see the links below:
http://www.crayne.com/howcrit.html
http://www.therthdimension.org/FictionWriting/How_to_Cope_with_Critiquing/how_to_cope_with_critiquing.htm
http://www.critters.org/whathow.html
When receiving critique, remember that every critique you receive is one reader’s opinion–nothing more, nothing less. You have to decide what helps and what doesn’t. It’s easy to feel defensive about your work, but if you receive a critique that isn’t helpful, the best reaction is usually to thank them for their time and move on. (If you’re not used to receiving critique, you may want to try waiting at least 24 hours before replying to a critique, to give yourself a little distance.)
These rules may be changed/amended as necessary.