Critique Circle Reviews 41

great website. you get out what you put in. don't be put off by the people who were dissatisfied with the critiques they received. its a great community of authors and a great place to meet new people.

Critique Circle is a site for writers to swap critiques and editorial suggestions. It works on a reciprocal Tit-for-Tat basis. You receive 1-2 credits for writing a 300-word critique, and it costs 3 credits to post your story or chapter.

The site's interface is smooth and stable. I never lost my work on site or had any problems.

I used the site since 2016 and made friends and met many interesting people there.

The site's full functionality is available free of charge. There is a premium version of two levels, which allows creation of private queues and other advantages. I purchased an annual private membership for my last novel, so I could run it in a private queue, which allows only the people I invite to read my manuscript. Everything worked smoothly and I don't regret paying.

There is also an old-style forum on the site.

I mainly write mystery thrillers and have worked with other authors on CC for several years now. Feedback is based on the critter's experience and personal thoughts. Bearing in mind that the site have authors ranging from the brand new to writing, to the traditionally published feed back on work can vary. But I've always found it to be thoughtful and fair, and it's useful to get a wide range of honest feedback that represents the reader audience to develop your own writing skills. I know my skills have improved thanks to this site.

If you want to start getting writing feedback from people who don't live with you and/or already like you, CC might be for you. It may take you some time to find your "people" on CC, but stick it out. Find stories or chapters you like and start critiquing. In my first year on CC, I've learned as much from critiquing other people's work as I have from critiques on my own. The site is well-maintained and the admins provide solid oversight.

Having a platform to both learn from reading other authour's critiques and providing your own is such an incredible way to become a better writer.

The credit based tit-for-tat system works well to get readers to your story and provide invaluable feedback as well as toughen your skin.

This is a great site to connect with other writers. It operates on a tit-for-tat system, where you get feedback from other writers in exchange for giving feedback to them.

The site is very well run and responsive to its members. It's possible to use most features of the site completely free, and the paid version offers valuable extra features for anyone serious about becoming a writer.

I see a few negative reviews on Trustpilot but I notice they are all complaining about other members -- who are just customers of Critique Circle, not representatives of the company.

I've been a long-time member and have published a novel I've had critqiued at CritiqueCircle (Youth in Asia, which you can find on Amazon). It's a very well-managed site for serious writers. Writing takes work, which you'll have to do at this site in the form of critiquing other people's work for 'credits' that enable you to post your own work. If you are willing to work on your own writing and help others you'll find it a great site.

I've been a member of the site for over a year, and my writing has improved so much from the wonderful feedback I've gotten.
It's a site where you exchange crits on other people's stories. Not everyone is going to LOVE your style or story, but you'll find some people you jive with and can follow each other stories.

Fantastic site, full of helpful people. Obviously nowhere is ever perfect, but if you want to be a better writer this is the place to go.

Bear in mind, you can only post small sections at once, so it can take a long time to work through an entire book. You also need to be willing to reciprocate feedback to other writers.

Overall though, very happy - enough so that I upgraded from the free to the paid version for a year.

I have been there for years. It is the reason I write as well as I do and have continued writing despite many set backs. They are a supportive community of writers who help each other improve and weather the rough waters of publishing.

Let me set your expectations. This site is designed as a community to allow writers to find other writers and easily critique each other's work. It's not a teaching site. It's not a site designed to get you published. However, if you use effectively, it is designed to help you improve your writing making it publishable quality.

On rare occasion you're going to get critiques that aren't helpful. The majority of critiques are very useful, no matter the skill of the critiquer or how much they liked your story. Getting feedback on your stories, seeing how people react, what they understand, what works and what doesn't is a precious resource.

The forums often have useful information on all things related to writing and publishing.

The admins do a wonderful job keeping community amiable and useful. They also do all they can to improve and streamline the site to help writers. You can use the majority of the services for free, but I don't mind helping the site with my yearly payment and I like the perks I get from that.

I highly recommend this site for anyone looking to improve as a writer.

The forums are a great place to ask questions about the craft or the industry, or even very specific, individual story problems. A non-paid user like me has fewer options for story submissions--I can only post one chapter every two weeks, so getting feedback on a whole novel isn't going to happen in this format. But it's easy to establish relationships with other writers and do manuscript swaps. Other than that, I've gotten great feedback and suggestions to improve my short stories and poetry.

Critique Circle is a phenomenal place for writers to improve their skills. The community is welcoming, and there are some brilliant writers there.

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

For the most part the website is a waste of time. The forums are toxic. The members who do frequent them are very hostile. There's a reason most of their customer's are dissatisfied with them and its ranked only 67 out of 100 writing websites.
Oh, and unsurprisingly, the admins show favoritism to paid subscribers.

I've run several novels through this site, and so far 4 of 5 stories are published under contract. Three were nominated for professional awards, and one actually won an award for literary excellence. This is Iron Sharpening Oron at its best.

I received a wildly defamatory, victim-shaming critique and then a hurl of insults from Patricia Padden, a.k.a Jerseygirl. Not only did the admins allow her review to stand, refusing to take it down, they reprimanded and belittled me and made me stand out as the difficult one. This is anything but a supportive community and I strongly advise against joining such a hostile environment. I’m considering suing them for defamation.

This 100% lig and working web site.

Higily recommanded

Just joined. Spent almost a whole day of my life critiquing a story that promised 2 points. Clicked submit and what do you know, I got 0.5 points. This is a ripoff of your time. Don't use. Note: this wouldn't have been such a big surprise if the rules were clear. But the FAQ doesn't say: dear user, you do this on your own risk and you might not get any payoff out of it because that's just how we roll. No, you're left to find out at your own expense. And there's the option to go bed a moderator, maybe you get your points? So you need to work more and spend more time, and ask nicely for what you were promised in the first place. Bait and switch, it's what this is called, and in a world where businesses are regulated it would be illegal.