Improving Your Chances of Getting a Critique [Archive]

Andy

09-28-2007, 05:55 AM

The main (or only) reason why people post their work here is to get comments and/or critiques. But of course, getting critiques isn’t always that easy. You can’t force people to comment, after all. Many times, I’ve seen work done by members which has gotten zero, or maybe just one comment. Why?

There are several possible reasons why. And that means there are several possible ways to increase your chances of getting those critiques, by a lot! Here are some of the most common problems, and solutions, to getting the comments you want.

Critique Other Work

People here like to return favors, and it makes sense, right? The more you critique other people’s work, the more likely they’ll critique your work when they see it. Give, and you shall receive.

Get to Know People

The more people know you, the more they’ll notice your work . That’s why we have the off-topic section. If you aren’t very active in there, go ahead and start a conversation, or join an existing one. You'll meet lots of fellow writers who just might be the ones who critique your next piece. Don’t be a stranger!

Get to Know Some People Very Well

It’s not a bad idea to form a small group of critique buddies on the site, where you critique each other’s work and notify each other when you post something new. You might even try to become close with members who write in the same genres as you do.

Be Kind Enthusiastic! to People Who Critique Your Work

If you work hard on writing a critique for someone else, isn’t it a great feeling when the author tells you, “Thanks so much for your help! I’ll try to critique your work when I get a chance.” Critiques can take a long time to make. Whether in a post or a PM, it’s great to let people know their hard work has been appreciated. At the same time, don’t be rude, or that will discourage people from critiquing your work again.

Make a Name for Yourself As Someone Who Writes Well

There are all sorts of guides about writing on this site. Read them, and use them to your advantage. People love a good story, and they love stories with few grammar errors even more. The more effort it looks like you put into a piece, the more people will realize you care about improving your writing, and the more they’ll feel their critiques of your work are making a difference.

Send PMs

You can send private messages to people asking them to critique your work. Do NOT PM random people. In a member’s profile, you can see what kinds of work that person is willing to critique. You can send PMs to people if they accept requests for your kind of work. This can work, but it’s much less effective than the methods listed above. Kindness and forum activity will do much more for you than any amount of requests.

Don’t Post Too Much Per Day

Whether it’s ten chapters of one piece or ten separate pieces, keep moderation in mind. Over-posting work can make you look like a spammer.

Don't Double-Post

When you make a new thread and want to add in a second part before you get any comments, edit the first post. If you create a second (or third!) post in a row, people will see that it already has comments in the thread list. They may decide it already received enough comments - even though those "comments" were actually made by you.

Have Patience

Don’t nag people for critiques. And don’t bump your story within days of posting it. People have schedules to follow, and may have other things to do before they comment on your story. That said, if you post a story at midnight, don’t be surprised if nobody comments on it before sunrise. ;)

Follow those methods, and your work will be pretty much guaranteed to get the comments or critiques you want!