To Critique or not to Critique

I wrote my first my first book in 2012 in a complete vacuum. I had no critique partners, no real beta readers (unless you count my sister) and no idea how to critique my own work. Since then, I've tried, with varying degrees of success, to obtain more feedback during the writing stage. Many writers swear by their weekly or monthly critique groups. Others have tried and true critique partners. Others prefer to fly solo until it's time for a beta reader.  I have yet to find the exact sweet spot, but I have come up with some thoughts on how to decide what works and what doesn't.

A critique group has the upside of making you write something, anything. The crappy first draft won't write itself, after all. If you're a procrastinator or find time management  a challenge, that regular meeting where you're supposed to show up with something can be excellent motivation. But I'm glad I didn't have a roundtable to chime in on each chapter on my first book as it was being written for this reason: It may have been too discouraging and I may have given up.  After a few years in the query trenches, a few projects later, and after over a year on submission, I'm less likely to take a negative critique as a reason to quit.

Finding the right group presents a few issues. First, geography and time are critical. Retired folks who meet at 3 p.m. on Tuesdays won't work for someone with a full time job. Commuting across down during rush hour? Maybe not. And then there are the groups that have some version of the "know it all" who relentlessly assails passive voice and third person omniscient point of view because... well, because they heard it somewhere so it must be true. And frankly, sometimes a group member's writing  is riddled with tropes or purple prose or stereotypes that it make it hard to take her critiques seriously. Having the self reflection to recognize our own weaknesses is hard enough but telling someone else their hard work is only mediocre is not a fun way to spend your spare time.

I was recently invited to join a critique group (geography and time worked, fortunately) and am cautiously optimistic that it won't kill my spirit or cause me to spin my wheels in endless re-writes that address every single comment. It has been eye opening to see how others view my characters (not likable? How dare you, sir!) and even more eye opening to read in other genres. And the camaraderie among writers makes me come away from each meeting feeling more determined to get through the next chapter and figure out that plot bunny. But at the end of the day, you have to analyze the input, make the changes that will improve your story, and learn to weed the rest out. You can't please everyone, and if there were ever a better example of the subjectivity of publishing, it will be the diametrically opposed viewpoints you sometimes hear from the group.  But if your regular meeting leaves you feeling depressed, anxious, or talentless, then move on.

If the group meeting dynamic just isn't for you (writers are often introverts, right?) you may have better luck with a critique partner. Finding the right CP is like sighting a unicorn. But the nice thing is that your CP and you are tailor made because you choose each other based on what you write and what you are willing to critique. You set your own parameters about the kind of input you want: plot, consistency, voice, general impressions or a line by line commentary. You set the swap schedule and you're certain to be interested in their genre. QueryTracker and Twitter are only two of many web sites where CP marriages are made. I've had limited success finding a long term CP, but many people forge years-long and multi book CP relationships. It's more personal, and more flexible than a group.

Even if you're a die-hard loner, do consider beta readers, who will read your completed and hopefully edited book and give you feedback. Pick someone who will be honest with you and who reads in the genre you've written.

And whatever method you choose for getting feedback, don't ever let any one person's opinion deter you from continuing to write.

Kim English - is the author of the Coriander Jones series and the award winning picture book 'A Home for Kayla.' Her latest picture book, 'Rolly and Mac' will be released in 2017. Her website is Kim-English.com. She is represented by Gina Panettieri.

The Rites of Feedback

It doesn’t matter where you are in the publication pathway, feedback is something we all deal with in one form or another.

Critique Partners and Groups

This is the essential first step when it comes to feedback. Most often, it takes place with the exchange of material between critique partners or within a group. Often the writer will send a chapter or several chapters to her partner for detailed feedback (including line edits). Some writers attend monthly meetings and read their chapter to the group. The firing squad individuals will then provide constructive criticism. Your goals, writing level (both yours and those providing the feedback), time frame in which you want to finish the story, and how you respond to feedback will determine which method is best for you. Some people thrive on face-to-face feedback. Other people would rather have their teeth extracted without sedation. For them, online feedback is the ideal choice.

When you receive feedback, it’s best that you zip your mouth shut before you say something you’ll regret. You need time to digest the information. You might not agree with the person now, but 24 hours later you might decide they’re the most intelligent person to walk this planet, because they pointed out something you missed. Now, if you didn’t keep your mouth shut and you ranted on about how the individuals are idiots, you might not be invited back to the group. Or worst yet, your poor behavior will become common knowledge.

Contests

Some contests provide feedback via blogs. Other writers, and possibly an agent or editor, do drive-by critiques. Sometimes the agent or editor will request partials and fulls. The feedback can be as simple as ‘Loved this!’ which does nothing to help you improve the piece if it’s lacking. Or it can be more helpful, by pointing out what you excelled at and what left the reader confused. Sometimes it can be misguided in an attempt to make your entry look weak so the judge will select another one—most likely the one belonging to the person who cut yours to pieces. This usually doesn’t have the effect the individual was looking for, but it doesn’t help you, either, if you’re looking for constructive feedback. The other issue that can happen is similar to the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ scenario. One person finds fault with something (that might not even be a real problem), and everyone jumps on it and echoes the same sentiment. This is often the result of lazy critiquing. The writers involved in the contest have to critique five to ten other entries, and this is the easiest way to do it with minimum effort.

The best thing to do with contests is say nothing when you get feedback. And please don’t waste your time justifying why you did something or waste time answering questions left by an individual (which were most likely rhetorical anyway). You will only come off as defensive. Take what you need from the feedback and ignore everything else. Do, though, pay attention to what the industry expert says. I’ve seen agents love an excerpt that everyone tore apart. Trust what the expert has to say.

Querying

Yes, querying, the word so many writers dread—and for good reason. Unfortunately, there are a lot of writers who believe querying is a fancy word for feedback. But alas, this is not so. These days you’re lucky if you even get a form rejection. The benefit of this is you now know your  query or requested material wasn’t lost in cyberspace. Sometimes an agent or editor will reject your material, but with a kindly worded explanation as to why the story or writing didn’t work for them. Remember, it is subjective. Just because one agent didn’t connect with your characters, it doesn’t mean you need to rewrite the book. However, if your query or requested material continues to be rejected because agents and editors didn’t connect with your characters, that is a warning you need to do some serious rethinking about your characters, your story, and possibly your writing.

No matter how the agent or editor responds to your query, DO NOT email back and tell her that she is a moron for not seeing how brilliant your book is and how you will be the next JK Rowling. I can guarantee that won’t change her mind. And if you keep harassing her with your tirades, news will get around to other agents and editors. I don’t think I need to spell out what that potentially means to your career.

Reviews

After all the feedback and rejections you’ve dealt with along the way, your skin might be a little thicker, but the ultimate test comes now, once your book is published. Your baby has been released into the world, but that doesn’t mean everyone is going to love it. There will be people who dislike your book because they don’t like your trope, they don’t like your characters, they don’t like that your heroine’s favorite color is indigo. But that’s okay because you haven’t love every book you’ve read, right? Now, there will be people who thrive on cutting books down and thrive on calling authors names that should never be spoken in public. No one knows why these people are bullies, and it doesn’t matter the reason. The main thing is you IGNORE THEM. Never feed the trolls. And while you’re at it, don’t let your friends and family feed them, either. The trolls could retaliate, and you’ll be the victim not them.

And it’s not just the trolls you need to ignore. It’s best for everyone concern that you don’t respond to reviews, especially when you don’t agree with them. Remember, reviews aren’t for the author; they’re for the reader. Let readers do their thing, and you do yours—writing the next book.

Where are you on the ‘rites of feedback’ pathway?

Stina Lindenblatt @StinaLL writes Young Adult and New Adult novels. In her spare time, she’s a photographer and can be found at her blog/website.   She is represented by Marisa Corvisiero, and finds it weird talking about herself in third person. Her debut New Adult contemporary romance TELL ME WHEN (Carina Press, HQN) is now available.

 

Is Your Work Ready for an Agent?

Base image: DragonTash

One of the biggest mistakes writers make is approaching agents before they’re really ready.

Hard love: Just because you’ve finished a book and you’re happy with it doesn’t mean it’s good. And just because your dog, your significant other, your best friend, and your parents love it also doesn’t mean it’s good. Assuming you want strangers to read your work and think it’s good, you need to have some more objective eyes take a look. And you don’t want to assume that an agent will do the editing for you if there are problems. Many agents will work with you on polishing a manuscript that’s already in great shape, but major flaws are a good way to get a rejection.

Beta readers, who are usually other writers who will read and comment on your work in exchange for you reading and commenting on theirs, will see things you can’t. (If you're not sure how to go about finding betas, check out the QueryTracker forum. Make some friends and you're likely to find betas!)

I’ll never forget how one of my novels began with a heroine who was literally on the run for her life, and she was wearing the wrong shoes. Dramatically, it made sense to me to put her in heels—after all, she had gone to work that morning, and it’s harder to run in heels. But as betas pointed out to me, if she’d felt threatened for days by the people who ended up chasing her, she’d have had to be kind of dumb to keep wearing heels. And that was a turnoff—a heroine who made obviously stupid mistakes.

These days, she’s wearing sneakers.

We all make silly mistakes like that. Not because we’re dumb, but because we’re so wrapped up in the story that logic sometimes escapes us. Especially if we’ve rewritten something multiple times. Sometimes we change something in one place that necessitates a change elsewhere, and we don’t notice that the other change needs to be made.

Once your betas have worked your story over, you may also want to consider a freelance editor—someone you pay to correct problems in your novel before you begin submitting.

Editors usually have a more advanced skill set than beta readers. They may also edit on multiple levels, depending on what you need. If you need developmental or structural edits (i.e. you need the entire book checked for any and all structural problems, including plot, pacing, characterization, and theme), they will cost you more than line edits (i.e. comments and suggestions at the sentence level, including sentences that don’t flow well or make sense), which will cost you more than copy edits (typos, missed words, inconsistencies).

Not all freelance editors are equal, so make sure to shop around and ask writerly friends who they’ve used and liked, and why. Also be sure to check Preditors and Editors for warnings before hiring anyone. Also realize that a good editor will probably cost you a lot more than pocket change.

Some people want to bypass the beta reader stage and jump right to a freelance editor. Though I’m sure there are exceptions, typically this will end up costing you more money than if you'd used betas first because the editor is also doing the work of the betas. You will also get a more helpful edit from a freelancer if betas have helped you out. When there are big things wrong with a novel (major inconsistencies, poor writing, etc.), the editor has to focus on those. Big problems hide the details. Think about it like this: If you broke your leg, and especially if you had an open fracture, that’s what everyone would be worried about—not any less extreme cuts elsewhere on your body.

Once your manuscript is as polished as you can possibly get it and your betas (and/or editor) can't find much to complain about, you're ready for the next step—querying. More on finding and dealing with agents in future posts!*

So—what are your tips? How do you know when you’re ready for an agent?

*I’ve gotten several questions via email recently asking me about dealing with agents, so this is the second part of a series of posts on figuring out whether you need an agent, whether you’re ready to start querying, finding a reputable agent, and choosing someone who really “gets” your work. Of course, QueryTracker.net will help you through all of the stages, and fellow QT blogger Jane Lebak recently wrote a great post on How to Use the QueryTracker Site.

Carolyn Kaufman, PsyD's book, THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY: How to Write Accurately About Psychological Disorders, Clinical Treatment, and Human Behavior helps writers avoid common misconceptions and inaccuracies and "get the psych right" in their stories. You can learn more about The Writer's Guide to Psychology, check out Dr. K's blog on Psychology Today, or follow her on Facebook! 

Fifty Shades of Editing

by Stina Lindenblatt @StinaLL

 ©Stina Lindenblatt

Regardless of whether you’re pursuing traditional or self publishing, your book needs to be well edited. If it isn’t, agents and editors will reject it. If you self publish and the story and writing is weak, your writing career is pretty much doomed, unless you use a pen name for your next book. With so many options out there for readers, it’s tough to get a second chance if you blow the first one.

The point of this post is not to provide you with advice on how to edit your book after the first draft. Like everything else in this industry, it’s subjective. What works for one person might not work for someone else. A writer who plots and figures out characterizations first will approach his second draft differently than a writer who jumped straight into writing the first draft without much planning. Instead, I’m focusing on the edits you need to consider from an outside perspective. In all cases, you want to make sure you give the individual the best version of the story to date. That means, no sending them your first draft. You just waste everyone’s time when you do that.

THE FREEBIES

This group of individuals is invaluable. They are your first line of editing and they are free. Well, almost free. When someone offers to give you feedback on your project, remember it’s not a one-way street. There is nothing worse than giving feedback on someone’s 130,000-word manuscript and they do not reciprocate. This group includes critique partners and beta readers. What it doesn’t include is your mom, unless your mom can be critical and give valuable feedback. A lot can’t. On the other hand, if your mom is overcritical about everything in your life, you might want to skip on her feedback. Same deal with your mother-in-law.

Critique Partners and Critique Groups

With these individuals, you usually send your novel to them in chunks. Some groups will meet once a month and exchange chapters. They focus on the here and now, and chances are they won’t remember what they read last time. Because of this, they tend not to see the big picture. They point out places where you could rewrite a sentence so that it’s no longer confusing, and point out things that don’t make sense story wise. These individuals tend to be writers. 

Beta Readers

Unlike the critique partner, beta readers look at the big picture. They will point out problems with your plot and when your characterizations could be stronger (critique partners can do this, too). Some give line edits, but it’s not part of the job description. Beta readers can be writers or avid readers. 

PROFESSIONAL EDITORS

Professional editors tend to have a higher skill set compared to our beta readers and critique partners. But remember, not all are created equal. This depends on numerous factors, including their editing education and experience. An editor who works for Simon & Schuster, for example, will have a greater skill level compared to an author of several short stories who decided to make some extra cash on the side. 

Agents and Editors (with a publisher)

These are individuals are “free,” but they need to love your project and see a market for it before they will offer you a contract. Your book might be great, but if there’s no market for it (in their eyes), agents and editors will pass on your project. Are they right? Not necessarily. But if you’re planning to go the traditional route, you need to impress them first. 

Freelance Editors

These individuals are the ones you hire if you plan to self publish a quality book. This is a step you don’t want to skip. Even if you’re planning to pursue traditional publishing, it doesn’t hurt to have professional editing done before you query. In today’s competitive slush piles, this step might give you the extra edge you need to land a contract. I know one author who does this. The result is she has less editing to do with her publisher, which saves everyone time.

LEVELS OF EDITING

No matter which route you go, there are three levels of editing you need to consider. With traditional publishing, all three are typically done. 

Developmental/Structural Edits

These edits involve the big ticket items, such as plot, characterization, overall pacing, setting, story structure, etc. When you hear an author mention how they received fifteen pages from their editor, this is what they are referring to.

Line Edits

After the big ticket items come line edits. This is where the editor will make comments in your manuscript at the sentence level. She will point out sentences that don’t flow well and make suggestions. Remember, they are just that: suggestions. Be careful you don’t end up messing with your voice (unless you want to). 

Copy Edits

This level of editing is no less important that the others. A copy editor will point out typos, missing words, and inconsistencies. A good one will notice that your main character has blue eyes on page 30 and brown eyes on page 99. That is their job. I recommend you don’t skip on this one. A book filled with typos screams unprofessional. It also screams, “Don’t read my next book!”

The most important thing to remember is that the people giving you feedback need to share your vision for your book. If they don’t, you will end up ripping your hair out in frustration. When looking for the right individuals, see if you can get feedback on a few pages first. That way you can see if you are a good mix.

Have you used a professional editor? How many critique partners and beta readers do you tend to use for each project?