Social Media

10 Minute Novelists Facebook Group

“[A]n international group devoted to helping time-crunched writers develop the habit of writing, learn the craft, and build their careers in small increments of time.” New members are placed on a 7-day trial period before they can post to familiarize themselves with the group and its rules.

Sales links, self-promotion, and release news posts are not allowed except for a Wednesday #AuthorHappiness thread.

Requests for feedback on blurbs, excerpts, etc., or full critiques may be requested on a #BuddyTuesday thread.

Author Critique and Beta Readers

Appears to offer what the name says it offers. There is limited information on the “About This Group” page.

Beta Reader Writers Club

“It’s like match.com for reading and writing!” Connects writers to beta readers and beta readers to writers. Promotions not allowed. The admins may allow material and comments that would otherwise be flagged by Facebook for potentially violating their community standards.

Beta Readers and Critique Partners Group

No book promotion or marketing (including links) allowed. Critique and beta reads for free only. Many rules on the “About This Group” page.

BetaReader Connect – Find Beta Readers & Critique Partners

The group is affiliated with BetaReader.io. Its purpose is to help writers find critique partners and beta readers. The admins may allow material and comments that would otherwise be flagged by Facebook for potentially violating their community standards.

BetaReaders: Connecting Authors with Betas

The subreddit’s purpose is to connect authors of unpublished works with beta readers.
Authors provide information in a specific format about the piece so potential betas can decide whether it’s something they want to review. Authors are encouraged to offer to swap critiques with their beta reader(s). Beta readers scan or sort through the list of works available to pick one they want to review. Many filters are available to help focus the search.
The subreddit provides a long wiki on critique plus extensive FAQs for both authors and betas.

Black Writers Critique Group

“[A] group designed to showcase excerpts from their works of fiction, and critiqued through messenger, also to promote the sales of their books. I want this to be a training ground and market place for new writers.”

Christian/Clean Beta Readers and Critique Group

For Christian and “clean” writing only. Members post to the group to request critique partners or beta readers and exchange work separately. Members may also share cover reveals or release dates and ask others to support their launches.

Comic Book Collaborations

Members may post requests for collaborators or critique of work. Collaboration requests must include information about the work or the poster’s past work and must identify if the collaboration will be paid or unpaid (flairs for each). Artists seeking writers should provide a link to their gallery, their availability, rates, preferences, references, and a way they can be contacted. Writers seeking artists should provide a sample script or previous work example if available, a summary of the project, its timeline, payment rate if applicable, references if any, and a way they can be contacted.

Creative Writing

With groups like this that are so large, it’s worth investigating how members actually get feedback. “For authors and writers to share their creative endeavors. For readers and others to comment, encourage, and hopefully purchase the books that come out of these attempts. Questions welcome and help or suggestions for others is appreciated.” Promoting a book or page is allowed, promoting paid services or content is not.

Critique Partner Matchup

Hosted by acclaimed author Maggie Stiefvater. At the time this was written, nearly 1,000 writers had posted requests for critique partners or beta readers on the group but it was unclear how many partnerships had been formed.

Members are asked to post some basic information about their work: target age range; a brief blurb or the genre, whether the author has or wants to have an agent or publisher (optional) and if they want a similar critique partner, the last book they read and loved, the name of a book “you feel epitomizes you as a reader”, if they write in a language other than English, a way to contact them.

Further guidance describes how to test the relationship if members find a potential critique partner and what to do if that test proves it’s unlikely to work.

Critique, not Criticise

Visitors can view and comment on posts but only approved members can post new material. There is very little information about this sub and how it works.The subreddit seems to be seeking critique on all sorts of things, not just writing. However, there do not appear to have been any new posts for at least three years.

DestructiveReaders

Members are expected to critique one piece for every one they submit, to critique something before they submit, and to critique something that is as long as the work they submit (for submissions under 2,500 words), or multiple critiques if the author wants to submit a piece over 2,500 words. Critiques are expected to be “high effort,” which is defined in the sub’s wiki.  The wiki also provides a workshop on critiquing. Examples and templates are provided. Failing to meet this expectation is called “leeching.”

Authors are encouraged but not required to use Google Docs as the place to store submissions. Authors are also encouraged to request specific feedback and offer brief information about the piece. Flair buttons identify the story’s genre. NSFW (not safe for work) material needs to be marked as such.

Erotica Authors

The subreddit is for adults (18+) only. It is primarily about the craft and business of self-publishing erotica. A weekly critique thread (Critique Monday) is the only place to request critiques.

The sub’s rules warn that it is not a safe space. “There are rude people here, and conversations about frightening, upsetting and triggering concepts.”

FanFiction: Where Magical Ponies Battle Imperial Titans

The following information was available to the public in October 2022.

Has extensive rules and FAQ pages under the “NEWBIES START HERE!” menu item. Members may post work (called a “Fic”) for critique but it must be put in the appropriate thread, particularly the “Weekly Fic Showcase.” Members may use the weekly (Thursday) “Beta Bartering” thread to find a beta reader or offer to be one. Members looking for a beta reader are encouraged to offer to do the same in return.

Fantasy & Science Fiction Writers Facebook Group

“The site is for writers to post small pieces of their work to get others’ opinions on them, to offer or request advice about the art, craft, and business of writing, and to exchange interests concerning science fiction and fantasy writing with like-minded individuals.” Some members are minors so certain material will be removed, others can cause a member to be removed from the group.

Fantasy Writers

Has an extensive “Rules” section for members, submitters, and critiquers. Rules include limiting submissions to less than 6,000 words, no more than once every two weeks, and not rapidly submitting book chapters in sequence.

Fan fiction is allowed so long as it is clearly identified as such.

Provides a mechanism for seeking and providing critiques. Reviewers must be able to post comments to the document in Google Docs or may post a general review on the subreddit itself. Images may be posted to imgur.com instead.

Also includes “Learn to Write” and “Top Tips” discussion threads for new fantasy writers. There is also guidance on how to give and receive critique, plus a link to a lawyer’s discussion on what constitutes a “derivative work.” Many other discussion topics. Includes extensive lists of related subreddits and resources.

Fantasy Writers Critique & Support Group

Administrators post a prompt each Wednesday. Friday and Sunday are for posting extremely short excerpts (100-500 words) for critique. Self-promotion is only permitted on Saturday. The admins may allow material and comments that would otherwise be flagged by Facebook for potentially violating their community standards.

Fiction Writing Facebook Group

“Fiction Writing focuses primarily on helping everyone with the stages of writing/publishing: outlining, writing, editing, query letters, formatting, artwork, blurbs, and marketing.” There are special threads for poetry, advertising books, and social media accounts. Fan fiction is not allowed.

Historical Novel Society—Manuscript Group

For members of the Historical Novel Society (https://historicalnovelsociety.org/) only.

“The primary aim is that all of us will find script partners here: people who understand each other and each other’s work and can help to make the work as good as it can be, before sailing it off to agents or editors.”

Like eroticauthors, but for romance

This community was created in 2014 and claims about 7,000 members. This appears to be more of a discussion sub than one where members can submit work for critique.

Literary Fiction

Asks members to use Google Docs for their submissions and to avoid posting requests for critique of work in commercial genres unless it “overwhelmingly overlaps” with literary fiction. The sub is more of a discussion sub than one where members can request critiques, and it does not appear to be very active.

Literary Traditionalists: for writers, editors, publishers and agents i

The group is for writers focused on publishing “traditionally,” that is, through a major publishing house. Members may critique each other’s work, although it’s unclear how that’s arranged. Members may also post tips and hints, markets, information on the publishing industry, promote their work (within limits), and advertise services to writers.

Novelist Writers Critique Group

The group’s purpose is to connect writers with similar writers who are willing to give and receive critiques.

Original Content Poetry

Members may post original poetry here, but each post must include two links to recent feedback on other posted poems. Feedback is expected to be “high-effort” and the sub provides an extensive (and excellent) guide on what that means. There is also a somewhat-hidden requirement (in the “Please read before posting” post) that one comment be on a post that has not received any feedback yet.

Members may post image, video, or audio poems but the text of the pieces must also be included.

An extensive “Please read before posting” post discusses how the sub works, including how to format poems given that Reddit uses a markdown coding language that isn’t well suited to poems.

The sub’s wiki links to /r/Poetry’s wiki.

Playwriting

Members may submit work for critique by putting it in a post. However, this is mostly a discussion sub.

Poetry - spoken word, literature code, less is more

The subreddit is for discussion of published poetry only. Original work for critique should be posted to the sister subreddit, Original Content Poetry.

Poetry Critique

Members post work to the group for comment. Members may also copy files to the group but promotion isn’t allowed.

PubTips: Your Writing and Publishing Community

The subreddit is focused on the “traditional publishing” world, that is, publication by a major publishing house.

Only queries can be submitted for critique, and they (new or revised) can only be posted once a week.

The Resources page is extensive and the wiki provides useful information for authors, irrespective of how they want to be published.

SciFiWriting

Allows members to post a work for critique using the “Critique” flair. Asks that posts contain a link to the piece in Google Docs. Works may also be posted as a PDF document. No information on length limits or giving critique to get critique, etc., is provided.

Screenwriting

The subreddit limits new members’ ability to post until they have raised their Reddit “karma.” They also filter out basic questions and posts that require readers to do most of the research to find the answers. New members are advised to review certain threads and flairs first to see if those questions have already been answered.

The sub provides a “Start Here” section with 10 subsections, a general wiki, and an FAQ wiki which is a bit hard to find (accessed only via “Start Here”).

Members may request critiques via posts on the sub’s Discord server.

Sub It Club Critique Partner Matchup

For illustrators as well as authors. “At Sub It Club we are all about submitting well. Getting your worked critiqued is one big step on the road to making that happen.” No public information on how members find each other to become critique partners. Affiliated with the Sub It Club website, which is a support site for writers planning on submitting their work to agents or editors, not a critique site.

https://subitclub.com/

Super Cool Beta-Readers

Group’s page was updated in April 2023. Potential members must be invited or approved by the group moderator. The group provides only basic public information on how members may request beta readers or offer to be one.

The Circle

Based in Australia. Adults-only group, meaning anyone 18 or older can view or join it, but members can see the discussions only after they’ve entered their age in their Goodreads profile. Each critiquing circle is limited to 10 people. Members may request beta readers or critique partners without limit.

The Writing Gals Critique Group

Purpose is to connect writers who want to critique or beta read for each other. Asks authors to define the genre, length, MPAA-like rating, “heat level” (for romance), when the review is needed, and to provide a short blurb about the piece. Reviews are done off-line.

WFWA Critique Forum

For paid members of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. For making contact with other members who will critique, beta read, and provide feedback on query letters and loglines.

Write – The Central Hub for Writers on Reddit

Requires members posting work to the sub to use the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike (CC-BY-SA 4.0) license.

All posts must be written by a human. AI-written posts are not allowed.

The Resources for Writers section of the wiki includes lists of subreddits grouped by general topics.

WriterChat: A place for writers to chat

While primarily a discussion forum, members can request critiques, critique partners, or beta readers through the subreddit’s IRC (text-only internet relay chat), its Discord server, or the subreddit itself.
  
The sub’s wiki offers advice on how to give good and great feedback.

Writers Helping Writers

Based in Australia. Offers reviews, critiques, and writing and marketing advice. Not clear how members may receive or provide critique to other members. Book promotion, profanity, and nudity are prohibited.

Writers Seeking Alphas and Betas

Group is strictly for writers seeking alpha or beta readers. Not very active. There’s a template for how to ask for alpha or beta readers, available only to members.

Writers Unite!

The group calls itself  “a haven to support and encourage writers at all levels of knowledge and experience.” It encourages members to post work for critique, but it’s unclear exactly how critiques are delivered. Be sure to read the full set of guidelines regarding what is allowed or prohibited.

Writers World Facebook Group

“We are a CRITIQUE room. [Capitalization theirs.] It isn’t a poet’s page. We seek to offer advice on making your work better, on bringing it to life, on publishing it, and for a community of us who work at this for a living.”
Has connections to genre-specific groups that are part of the “Writers World Campus” [no link or other information provided].

Writers, Beta Readers, Critique, Advice, Writing Exercises & Rainbows

For people looking for all of the kinds of support listed in the title (except possibly writing exercises and rainbows). Promotion allowed only incidentally to posts. Has a list of 10 group rules. Based on the way the rules are stated, the group has an attitude, the “promise” of rainbows notwithstanding.

Writers' Group: Resource Room

“[A] partnership between Facebook and ArteMaestro Productions (Writers’ Group)[. … A] forum where people interested in developing their ideas into print (fiction or nonfiction) or onto the silver screen or stage, can put their heads together to develop those concepts more effectively.”

Writers’ Group

Anyone may submit work for group critiques, so long as it doesn’t violate Facebook’s Terms or is unrelated to the purpose of the group. Lists nine “things to consider,” most of which are “don’ts.” Some members are minors. There are also three “group rules”: no hate speech, respect everyone’s privacy, know how to use Facebook.

Connects to the Writers’ Group Resource Room group.

Writing Bad

“Writing Bad was founded with the intention of providing support and resources to writers of all skill levels so that they can improve their writing ability. We don’t believe in the concept of bad writing. We only believe in the concept of undeveloped writing.”  Intended for adult members (18+).

Has a sister site for promoting work: Writing Bad Promotions.

Writing Buddies

Strictly for people seeking critique or writing partners.

Writing Critiques

The subreddit is exclusively for submitting short works for critique (1,000 words, maximum). Longer pieces may be submitted by posting an excerpt plus a link to the full, original piece. Subsequent, less than 1,000 word posts from the same (longer) piece may only be submitted once every 24 hours.

Writing Historical Fiction

The group is for discussion of historical fiction and for authors seeking critique of a work in progress (WIP). Requests for beta readers may only be made by contacting the potential betas directly. Links to outside critique groups, blogs, etc. will be deleted.

Writing Hub: Where Writers Connect

The subreddit is mostly not a place to request critiques. However, it does allow members to advertise a writing group or partner or the fact that they’re seeking one.

Individuals advertising a group must list the genre(s) the group reads; their goals, expectations, and commitments; their writing/experience level(s); where they meet; and their maximum size.

Writers seeking a critique partner are encouraged to include information about the story’s genre, length, state of progress, a blurb or short excerpt, any appropriate content warnings, and what types of manuscript the seeker is or is not willing to review in return.

The sub provides a schedule of proposed topics: Monday Game Day (writing exercises), Teaching Tuesday, Worldbuilding Wednesday, Pop Challenge Thursday, and Feedback Friday. The wiki provides a
little more information about each. The sub’s rules list mentions a “Writing Wednesday, aka Mid-Week Critique” topic but there’s no other information about
it; it may not be used anymore.

There is a “Serial Saturday” thread which allows members to post work for developmental critique (that is, critique of all or part of a completed manuscript, focusing on “big picture” elements). Members are assigned to small groups based on genre or subject. Provides a Google Docs critique guide form.

Writing, Prompts & Critiques

Created by WPC Press. In addition to allowing members to post work for critique, provides exercises, challenges, and prompts, plus weekly announcements all members are required to read. Has a 30 day probationary period for new members. Book promotion links must go in a thread dedicated to them.

YAwriters

The sub is only for discussing reading or writing Young Adult or Middle Grade work. Members may ask for beta readers or for critique partners but may not post work to be critiqued.

Young People Writing

Based in Canada. Very few posts since 2020. For both young writers and those
who write in the Young Adult genre.