A free, online forum launched by a former literary agent helps writers find just the right feedback partner
Recently we reviewed beta-reading management services, an area that’s seen several new offerings within just a couple years. One challenge these services don’t always address is how you can find beta readers in the first place—no small task if you’re a new writer and haven’t developed relationships in the writing community.
Crit Collective, conceived and launched by editor and former literary agent Mary Kole, is meant to help writers find partners for critique and feedback. It describes itself as “online dating for critique partners.” The free forum is divided into several categories: critique partner, beta reader, writing partner, and sensitivity reader. It’s also possible to search for a match based on genre or audience.
While the forum is actively moderated, it does not facilitate relationships on writers’ behalf. Rather, it offers a structured environment for meeting other writers. Everything else is up to you. Writers can either post about themselves in the hopes of attracting a match or respond to a writer who has already posted looking for a partner. It’s still early days for Crit Collective, so forum activity is sparse—but on the positive side, your posts are likely to be seen by everyone and anyone new joining.
Prior to launching the site, when writers asked Kole how to find a writing partner, she lacked an answer: “I would honestly send them out in the big, wide internet.” She recognizes that many people use Facebook groups—a good option, she says—as well as various writing forums to find feedback partners. However, because such places tend to be generalized, finding the right person can be time intensive. “I wanted to do one thing and do it well as a service to the writing community,” she says.
Since Crit Collective offers several categories of potential help, it could create decision paralysis for writers. What type of feedback or partner would you most benefit from? And what about the timing? Kole offers the following rules of thumb:
- Beta readers: “There are arguments to be made for using beta readers at the beginning of a revision and at the end. At the beginning, a beta reader will tell you all the opportunities for growth, and you can use that to kick-start the revision. It’s often the more overwhelming way to go, but it can work for people who want to really dive in.” Then, at the end, a beta reader can help you figure out where to put any final polish.
- Critique partners: Kole describes this as a more holistic way to dive into a revision. “You can take your time and get comfortable with the revision process with your own work and that of the other manuscripts you’re critiquing.”
When mixing betas and critique partners, Kole encourages writers to start with critique partners, then go to a beta reader. The only scenario that doesn’t make much sense to her, she says, is beta readers followed by critique partners—unless you share the beta’s feedback with the critique partners so that they can do a more focused read of your project.
Bottom line: We asked Kole if she’s noticed—like we have—a greater focus these days on finding and managing beta readers rather than critique partners. Is it possible writers still seek feedback but don’t want to spend as much time on offering feedback to others? She says that could be: “With the gig economy helping people to think about their needs in terms of one-time tasks (bring me food, give me a ride, etc.), I think beta readers fall into that same bucket. I’ve certainly seen it on my end as a freelance editor. My business has grown every year because a lot of my clients don’t want to mess around in critique groups; they want to go ahead and invest in a service that will put their learning curve into hyperdrive. With beta readers, they can get a more professional read—depending on the beta reader and their experience—and it’s a more one-sided, transactional relationship. That being said, I do encourage all writers to spend time giving critique to others. What they learn by analyzing the work of other writers will eventually translate into insights about their own work.”
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
