The problem I see of using submissions, substack and other places like that to get feedback on your work is that by posting in open places, you are technically publishing your working disqualifying it for about 90 percent of the lit mags out there. Yet, I agree that feedback is extremely important not only for motivation but as a way to improve ourselves. So try instead a workshop. For the longest time, one of the best workshops was sponsored by Francis Ford Coppola, hidden behind the website for his studio and Magazine, Zoetrope. And while the magazine had little to do with the workshop, in the early 2000, it even published an online extra, where Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie got her start. The beauty of workshopping in such environment is that is private so your work is not considered published. Last year, after 25 years, they closed the Zoetrope workshop. But there are others. Look at your local market for one. I am in Atlanta and we have here over 20 different workshops. I also participate in one out of Iceland, and yes, it's in English, Critique Circle. In that place, the critique is like money, it gives you points, that then you use to pay to load your stories and chapters to be critiqued. To this day, ALL my stories have been workshopped at least twice. And because these places are private, your work remains unpublished and available to all lit mags.
The best part is that you can critique a chapter, a story, your query letter, your synopsis and even the elevator pitch of your story. And your cost? T4T in other words, reciprocation.
There are great online writing communities too, where your work is shared only amongst group members for critique, e.g. Flash Fiction Magazine have one: Authors Only Collective. There’s Writers HQ which offer weekly flash prompts and a members’ forum, and Mslexia Salon, off the top of my head 😊
I’ve submitted pieces to journals and paid for editorial feedback with varying success. The Masters Review gave feedback from three readers, whose comments were insightful and helpful. In contrast, I just got feedback from Chestnut Review that made it clearly that the reader fundamentally misunderstood my nonfiction essay.
Chestnut Review reviewed the reader’s work and said they acted in good faith and according to the journal’s guidelines. I noted that it wasn’t the reader’s good faith I doubted, but their ability to understand what they were reading.
Chestnut Review was gracious and refunded the money I’d paid. But I sure as hell won’t be submitting there anymore.
Thanks Kate Poverman. Your story resonates with me. I also received feedback that was obviously from a person who had no idea what I was trying to say in my story. Very amateurish.
I'm sympathetic to the importance of feedback and the challenge of finding it (outside of a fiction writing workshop). But I've found myself trying to disentangle that desire from the publication process. The reason for this is that (ironically and unfortunately) there's an inverse relationship between getting feedback from publications and needing such feedback. To explain: feedback is most valuable when something in a story is really off or a big change would truly make a difference. If your work is far off the mark for a publication, it would be helpful to know why. However, that's the kind of work that just gets a form letter from editors. I've come to realize that when editors (who are besieged by submissions) take the time to write detailed feedback, that means I was so close that I probably don't need to make any changes to a story. It's probably good enough as is, and I just need to find another similar magazine and catch an editor on a good day.
That is one way to look at it. I agree that sometimes, feedback may not be useful. But then it is my prerogative whether to take it into account or not. In some stories, I have that trust, no matter what anyone says. So of course, in those cases, any kind of feedback rolls off my back.
As Luis Vocem mentioned, Critique Circle can be very useful. I've been using it for about two years now and I am overall pleased with it.
The quality and style of writing is variable there, to put it nicely. If anyone wants to try it out, I suggest first reading some stories posted in your genre of interest and then when you post your own story, message those authors to take a look at it. I had about a 50% success rate with that approach.
That is a good approach. I would like to get critique from all kinds of writers with their unique perspectives too but those in my own genre would work better.
Yes. You can read stories there. Just not mine. They are not in contract with the site anymore. However if you would still like to read romance, you can read the Riva and Raj series on my Substack, The Indian Story
As one commenter mentioned, joining or forming a workshop group has huge value. Readers commenting on Substack may not know the craft well enough to provide meaningful feedback. I posted an article on my Substack addressing this, and the group I've attended for years has been game changer, and we're helping each other for free.
I sometimes think how previous generations of authors were more or less aristocrats. They could afford assistants to help them write, organize their notes, take dictation, type up handwritten manuscripts... and give constant feedback. I think what a privilege, to have your own personal assistant to, essentially, do all the dirty work of writing for you... but it works, or, at least, worked.
The problem I see of using submissions, substack and other places like that to get feedback on your work is that by posting in open places, you are technically publishing your working disqualifying it for about 90 percent of the lit mags out there. Yet, I agree that feedback is extremely important not only for motivation but as a way to improve ourselves. So try instead a workshop. For the longest time, one of the best workshops was sponsored by Francis Ford Coppola, hidden behind the website for his studio and Magazine, Zoetrope. And while the magazine had little to do with the workshop, in the early 2000, it even published an online extra, where Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie got her start. The beauty of workshopping in such environment is that is private so your work is not considered published. Last year, after 25 years, they closed the Zoetrope workshop. But there are others. Look at your local market for one. I am in Atlanta and we have here over 20 different workshops. I also participate in one out of Iceland, and yes, it's in English, Critique Circle. In that place, the critique is like money, it gives you points, that then you use to pay to load your stories and chapters to be critiqued. To this day, ALL my stories have been workshopped at least twice. And because these places are private, your work remains unpublished and available to all lit mags.
I did not consider it before but what you are saying makes sense. I will look into the workshops that are suitable for me. Thanks!
You will love it. And like you say in your article, having feedback keeps you motivated, but it also gives you a sense of community.
Yes! That is a major component in seeking feedback.
The best part is that you can critique a chapter, a story, your query letter, your synopsis and even the elevator pitch of your story. And your cost? T4T in other words, reciprocation.
Sounds good.
There are great online writing communities too, where your work is shared only amongst group members for critique, e.g. Flash Fiction Magazine have one: Authors Only Collective. There’s Writers HQ which offer weekly flash prompts and a members’ forum, and Mslexia Salon, off the top of my head 😊
Thanks for all this information Teresa. I appreciate it.
I’ve submitted pieces to journals and paid for editorial feedback with varying success. The Masters Review gave feedback from three readers, whose comments were insightful and helpful. In contrast, I just got feedback from Chestnut Review that made it clearly that the reader fundamentally misunderstood my nonfiction essay.
Chestnut Review reviewed the reader’s work and said they acted in good faith and according to the journal’s guidelines. I noted that it wasn’t the reader’s good faith I doubted, but their ability to understand what they were reading.
Chestnut Review was gracious and refunded the money I’d paid. But I sure as hell won’t be submitting there anymore.
I haven't yet paid for editorial feedback. But thanks for the heads up since I have only ever regarded both of these as good publications.
Hope you get a better experience from now on.
Thanks Kate Poverman. Your story resonates with me. I also received feedback that was obviously from a person who had no idea what I was trying to say in my story. Very amateurish.
I'm sympathetic to the importance of feedback and the challenge of finding it (outside of a fiction writing workshop). But I've found myself trying to disentangle that desire from the publication process. The reason for this is that (ironically and unfortunately) there's an inverse relationship between getting feedback from publications and needing such feedback. To explain: feedback is most valuable when something in a story is really off or a big change would truly make a difference. If your work is far off the mark for a publication, it would be helpful to know why. However, that's the kind of work that just gets a form letter from editors. I've come to realize that when editors (who are besieged by submissions) take the time to write detailed feedback, that means I was so close that I probably don't need to make any changes to a story. It's probably good enough as is, and I just need to find another similar magazine and catch an editor on a good day.
That is one way to look at it. I agree that sometimes, feedback may not be useful. But then it is my prerogative whether to take it into account or not. In some stories, I have that trust, no matter what anyone says. So of course, in those cases, any kind of feedback rolls off my back.
As Luis Vocem mentioned, Critique Circle can be very useful. I've been using it for about two years now and I am overall pleased with it.
The quality and style of writing is variable there, to put it nicely. If anyone wants to try it out, I suggest first reading some stories posted in your genre of interest and then when you post your own story, message those authors to take a look at it. I had about a 50% success rate with that approach.
That is a good approach. I would like to get critique from all kinds of writers with their unique perspectives too but those in my own genre would work better.
I went to booknet.com; its all in spanish. I can read spanish but I wanted to doublecheck if I got the right website?
Yes. You can read stories there. Just not mine. They are not in contract with the site anymore. However if you would still like to read romance, you can read the Riva and Raj series on my Substack, The Indian Story
Here is a link to all of it
https://theindianstory.substack.com/p/riva-and-koel
Hope you like the stories.
As one commenter mentioned, joining or forming a workshop group has huge value. Readers commenting on Substack may not know the craft well enough to provide meaningful feedback. I posted an article on my Substack addressing this, and the group I've attended for years has been game changer, and we're helping each other for free.
Yes, I am leaning towards a workshop because of that comment. Like minded people who are trained in the craft can be good for the learning process.
I sometimes think how previous generations of authors were more or less aristocrats. They could afford assistants to help them write, organize their notes, take dictation, type up handwritten manuscripts... and give constant feedback. I think what a privilege, to have your own personal assistant to, essentially, do all the dirty work of writing for you... but it works, or, at least, worked.
I did not really know about this but sounds fascinating to delegate the mundane or not so creative work to someone else.