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How to Start a Writing Critique Group: Rules and Tools
Self-published thriller author who treats every book like a product, not a lottery ticket.
To start a writing critique group, decide five things before you invite anyone: how many members (four to six is a workable range), what kind of writing you will read, whether you meet in person, by video or asynchronously, how much each person submits, and how often. Then find members who write in compatible forms at a similar level, agree written ground rules, and use one critique format so every member gets the same kind of notes.
Groups usually fail for predictable reasons, such as uneven effort or no agreed way to leave, and each has a fix you can write into the rules on day one. Online, a shared document and a chat channel are often enough.
StoryWith AI is our own product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Key takeaways
- Settle size, genre fit, level, format, submission length and cadence before the first meeting.
- Write the rules down: submission limits, deadlines, critique format, what is off limits, confidentiality and how to leave.
- A three-part format (what worked, what confused me, what I wanted more of) keeps notes useful and balanced.
- Private online groups can run on shared documents; critique sites with credit systems add strangers' eyes.
What is a critique group, and how is it different from critique partners and beta readers?
The three overlap, but they answer different needs. A critique group reads work in progress, usually in chapter-sized pieces, over months. A critique partner is the same arrangement with one other writer. Beta readers read a finished draft as readers, once.
| Critique group | Critique partner | Beta readers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who | 3 to 8 writers | 1 other writer | Readers in your genre, often not writers |
| What they read | Chapters or short pieces in progress | Chapters or whole drafts | A complete draft |
| How often | On a fixed schedule | As agreed between two people | Once per draft |
| Reciprocal | Yes, everyone submits | Yes | Usually not |
| Best for | Craft, accountability, steady feedback | Depth and trust | How the whole book reads |
For readers of a finished draft, see our guide on where to find beta readers.
What should you decide before you start a critique group?
These decisions shape who you invite, so make them first.
Size. Four to six members is a practical range: enough voices to see patterns, few enough that each person reads a manageable amount. Margot Finke, writing on underdown.org (a "Musings" column dated February 2005), describes her own group this way: "Membership over the years has fluctuated: sometimes only 4 members, and at other times it went as high as 10."
Genre fit. Members need not write the same genre, but they should read each other's. A poet and an epic fantasy writer often struggle to give each other useful notes.
Level. Mixed levels can work if everyone is committed. Finke's advice: "Ideally, the group you plan should include some writers a few rungs ahead of you."
In person or online, live or asynchronous. In person builds trust faster; online widens the pool. Live groups (in a room or on video) discuss work read in advance and keep momentum. Asynchronous groups exchange written notes by a deadline, which suits members in different time zones.
Submission length and cadence. Chelsea Ennen, in How to Start a Writing Critique Group on Kirkus (dated 8 March 2024), puts the question directly: "How often do you want to trade work, and how many pages for each exchange?" She notes that "Lots of groups swap a chapter or short story at a time". A cap of 3,000 to 5,000 words per submission keeps reading loads fair.
Where can you find members for a critique group?
Start with places where writers in your genre already gather:
- Libraries, bookshops and genre organisations. Local writing events and regional chapters of writers' associations draw committed writers.
- Writing classes. Classmates have already seen each other's work and critique style.
- Online communities. Ennen suggests looking online, where "You can filter by your city, your genre, or even just look for online spaces that are big writing groups themselves."
Before committing, run a trial: everyone critiques one short piece from each other member. You learn more about compatibility from one round of notes than from any conversation.
What ground rules should a critique group have?
Ennen's view is plain: "You're founding the group, so you can absolutely set some ground rules." Write them in a shared document that every member agrees to before the first submission.
| Rule area | Suggested rule | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Submission limits | One piece per round, up to 5,000 words | Keeps reading loads equal |
| Deadlines | Submissions due 7 days before the meeting; notes due by the meeting | Gives readers time to read properly |
| Critique format | Every critique follows the agreed format (see below) | Balanced, comparable notes |
| Participation | Critique every submission to keep your submission slot | Stops one-way traffic |
| Off limits | No comments on the writer as a person; no rewriting in your own style; genre is not up for debate | Keeps notes about the work |
| Confidentiality | Unpublished work is not shared, quoted or posted outside the group | Protects members' work |
| Leaving | Give notice by message; your work is deleted from shared folders on request | Lets people leave cleanly |
| Removing a member | After a private conversation, the group may ask a member to leave | A known process avoids drama |
On the last row, Ennen is direct: "If things don't resolve after a conversation, you can ask the person to leave".
What critique format should the group use?
A fixed format makes a group fair. Ennen notes that, at worst, "you'll have a format to keep the dominant personalities in check". Three parts work for most fiction and narrative non-fiction:
- What worked. Specific moments that landed, with a reason. "The kitchen argument felt real because neither of them says what they mean" is useful; "Loved it" is not.
- What confused me. Places where the reader lost track of who, where, when or why. Note the line and what you thought was happening.
- What I wanted more of. Where the reader wanted to stay longer: a relationship, a setting, a consequence.
Then separate two levels of note:
- Big-picture notes (structure, pacing, arcs, stakes) go in a short summary at the top. They matter most in early drafts.
- Line notes (word choice, typos, rhythm) go in the margins. Agree whether to give them at all, since line-editing a chapter that may be cut wastes time.
When notes disagree, look for patterns. Finke's group works on this rule: "We work on the premise that it is safe to ignore one or two suggestions." And: "Three or more similar suggestions, and you'd better take a darn good second look at that area." Our guide to conflicting beta reader feedback covers sorting contradictory notes in more depth.
What does a monthly critique group schedule look like?
A hypothetical schedule, invented for this guide: five members, two live video meetings a month, two or three submissions per meeting.
| Week | What happens |
|---|---|
| Week 1, Monday | Members A, B and C upload their pieces (up to 5,000 words each) to the shared folder |
| Week 2, Monday | Written notes due in the documents; meeting 1 (90 minutes, about 25 minutes per piece) |
| Week 3, Monday | Members D and E upload their pieces |
| Week 4, Monday | Written notes due; meeting 2 (60 minutes), plus 10 minutes to review the rules or rotation |
Each member submits once and critiques four pieces a month. If that is too much reading, lower the word cap rather than skipping critiques.
How do you run a critique group online, and which tools work?
An online group needs a place to share manuscripts, a way to comment on the text, and a channel for discussion. Critique sites work differently from a private group: you earn credit by critiquing strangers' work and spend it to post your own, which brings more readers but less continuity.
Prices and free status below are as listed on each vendor's own page on 31 October 2026.
| Tool | What it is | Price or free status | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scribophile | Critique community; posting costs points earned by giving feedback | Basic membership "Free"; Premium "$15/month", with an annual option listed as "Get 2 months free!"; the page does not show the annual total (as listed on scribophile.com/join on 31 October 2026) | Writers who want critiques from a large community |
| Critique Circle | Critique community; you "Crit a couple of stories to gain enough credits" to submit | "Membership is free and always has been", with an optional premium subscription whose price the homepage does not show (as listed on critiquecircle.com on 31 October 2026) | Writers who like a credit-based exchange |
| Critters | Online workshop for science fiction, fantasy and horror | "Critters is free (except for the work of doing critiques!) and funded by donations" (as listed on critters.org on 31 October 2026) | Speculative fiction writers |
| Google Docs | Shared documents with comments and permissions | "Anyone with a Google Account can create in Docs"; the page notes some features are only on Workspace plans (as listed on workspace.google.com/products/docs on 31 October 2026) | Private groups exchanging chapters |
In Google Docs, give members comment access so nobody edits another writer's text by accident. Critters asks members to keep up a participation ratio; its FAQ (version dated 22 July 2026) sets it at 75 percent, with at least one critique a month.
Why do critique groups fail, and how do you fix them?
| Problem | What it looks like | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Uneven effort | Some members submit but rarely critique | Tie submission slots to critiques given |
| Overlong submissions | One member sends 15,000 words | Enforce the word cap; split long pieces across rounds |
| One dominant voice | The same person talks first and longest | Rotate speaking order; time each piece |
| Notes on taste, not craft | "I don't like fantasy" | Off-limits rule: genre is not up for debate |
| Drift | Meetings slip, then stop | Fixed calendar set months ahead |
| No way out | Unhappy members stay silent or vanish | Written leaving and removal process |
| Mismatched goals | One member is querying agents, another writes for fun | Discuss goals at the trial round; split if needed |
Finke's group even split when the work demanded it: "Occasionally, when more than one book is being critiqued, we split the membership into two groups, one for each book."
Where StoryWith AI fits
StoryWith AI is not a critique-group platform: no member directory, credit system or submission rotation. It reads the manuscript you wrote and returns findings; it does not write the book.
Three features fit alongside a group:
- Collaborators per book. You invite someone by link or email to one book with one of three roles: editor (can edit the book's scenes), commenter (can comment but not edit) or viewer (can read; the comments panel tells them they have no permission to comment). Invitees can join on any plan.
- Comments. A comment sits on a scene and can be anchored to text you highlight. Each one is a private note (visible only to you) or a shared comment (visible to everyone with access to the book), and comments take replies and can be resolved or reopened.
- Reader feedback sessions. You set up excerpts (pasted or picked from a scene) and your own questions: short answer, yes or no, multiple choice, or an A/B preference between versions of a passage. You share a private link with up to 20 readers you invite, and can allow anonymous responses or require an email before reading. Readers read, can highlight a passage and comment on it, then answer your questions; they are told responses are shared only with the author. You see how far each reader read, time spent, drop-off points by paragraph, version preferences, and an optional AI synthesis of themes and suggestions (one AI text action). StoryWith AI does not supply readers; you bring your own, as covered in real reader feedback.
On plans, as listed on storywith.ai/pricing on 31 October 2026: Free is solo with no collaborators. Author is $19 a month or $149 a year, with up to 2 collaborators per book and 3 reader feedback sessions a month (4 with yearly billing). Pro is $39 a month or $299 a year, with up to 5 collaborators per book and unlimited reader feedback sessions.
It is the wrong tool for a group of six who all swap manuscripts. Collaborators belong to one author's book, so each writer would need a paid plan to invite the others, and Author caps a book at two. A dedicated critique site or shared documents serve that group better. It also does not replace a human editor. It runs on the web and Android, not iOS, and manuscripts are not used to train AI models. For other ways to gather notes on a draft, see our guide on how to get feedback on your novel.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many people should be in a writing critique group?
Four to six members is a practical range. Fewer gives too few perspectives to see patterns; more means a heavy reading load or long waits between turns.
How often should a critique group meet?
Every two weeks to once a month suits most groups. A fixed calendar matters more than frequency, with submissions due about a week before each meeting.
What are good rules for a critique group?
Set a submission limit, deadlines for submissions and notes, a shared critique format, what is off limits (comments on the person, genre debates, rewriting in your own style), confidentiality for unpublished work, and a clear process for leaving or asking someone to leave.
Can you run a critique group entirely online?
Yes. A private group can exchange chapters in shared documents with comment access and discuss them by chat or video. Critique sites such as Scribophile, Critique Circle and Critters offer a different model: you earn credit by critiquing others before posting.
What is the difference between a critique group and beta readers?
A critique group is a group of writers who read each other's work in progress on a schedule, and everyone submits. Beta readers read a complete draft once, as readers, and usually do not swap work in return.
