There are a bunch of blog posts out there about the benefits of critique partners (feedback! support! snacks!), but I haven’t come across too many that discuss how many CPs you actually need.
Some people get by with one or two, while others have upwards of TEN. I think it goes without saying that everyone works differently and that there is no “right answer” (for those of you who were hoping for a magic number…it’s 42), but I do think there’s a relatively straightforward way to determine how many is *too many* and how few are *too few.* To do so, let’s talk about QUALITY vs. QUANTITY.
QUALITY > QUANTITY
Some writers only have a few critique partners, and even fewer beta readers. Maybe one or two people read their early drafts, and then they give it to a single beta reader. That’s only three people reading your book…not very many given that you just spent the last however many months writing at least 50k words!
Benefits: You will receive a limited amount of feedback (sure, one reader might give you tons of comments, but that’s nothing compared to having 10 readers giving comments), so you won’t have trouble deciding who is “right” and who is “wrong” about the direction your edits should take. You won’t have to worry about keeping track of a bunch of readers. You can carefully pick who you want based on their strengths.
Drawbacks: Assuming you’ve chosen your readers carefully, this won’t happen…but what if your CPs don’t like the book at all? What if they sort of…don’t “get” it? What if their feedback flies completely in the fact of your vision? Or, on the other hand, what if they take forever to get back to you, and you’re left waiting for months and months? Worse yet…what if they take forever and THEN they don’t “get” the book? And if you only have a few people you work with, what do you do when it’s time for draft 2? or 3? or 7?!
Bottom line: fewer mixed messages. Risk of not receiving helpful feedback; needing all new CPs.
QUANTITY > QUALITY
Flip Side! I know quite a few writers who have tons of CPs. Tons. Some read early drafts, some read later drafts, some read beta drafts. Some do line edits, some do big picture comments, some focus on worldbuilding, some specialize in dialogue. All told, they might have as many as ten people reading a given draft.
Benefits: You get tons of feedback from tons of sources. You can pick and choose what works, and what doesn’t. You can point your CPs to specific parts/aspects of your manuscript, and be assured that they will do everything they can to make THAT aspect of the draft work. If one CP falls through, no big deal! You have nine more out there waiting to read.
Drawbacks: Who do you listen to? How do you know who will be best at what? What do you do if they read the whole draft and it turns out that their feedback conflicts with someone else’s? All in all, this approach can easily lead to the “too many cooks in the kitchen” phenomenon.
Bottom Line: Lots of feedback to choose from. Risk of being overwhelmed.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY
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So, you guys know what just happened right? I basically ended up telling you…..there’s no right answer. Every single writer needs to make this call for themselves. But that’s not very satisfying, is it? I had to see a doctor. The neuropathologist prescribed Valium. I took it exactly as prescribed by the doctor. Thanks to the medicine, the sleep returned, the feeling of constant tiredness passed, the irritability disappeared. More information on https://dentallogic.com.au/assets/Services/valium.php after the funeral of a loved one, my condition worsened sharply. I was haunted by fear and panic. I could not fall asleep at night for a long time, and if I fell asleep, the dream was disturbing and short-lived. I became irritable and nervous.
So here’s MY approach:
I typically have 1-2 people read each draft (not counting draft zero, where I vomit words onto the page). For DIVE, I asked my lovely writer friends Jody Holford and Ifeoma Dennis to read my early drafts because I knew they’d point out minor worldbuilding problems, but still be really encouraging (which is super important to me in the early stages of writing). With draft 2, I wanted someone who could balance big picture with detailed feedback, so I worked with Corrie Haluga for the first time. It was a risk because we hadn’t read each others stuff before, but it paid off!
When those early drafts were finally done, I was ready for beta (round 1) readers. I looked for writers who are good at BIG PICTURE editing. For instance, my friend Charlie Holmberg is great at worldbuilding, while Juliana Brandt is fantastic with characterization. Next, I asked Kiersi Burkhart to read my draft because I knew she’d find the weak spots in the plot and press me to find smart answers.
Finally, when all that was finished…I was ready to have someone who excels at line-by-line edits. I know this seems a bit backwards, but I felt the bones of my story (and the muscle, come to think of it) were really strong, but the skin needed…okay this is getting gross. Basically i wanted someone to spit shine my draft. Enter the amazing Claire Donnelly.
So there you have it! I had SEVEN readers. Three CPs, and 4 Betas (I don’t call them Alphas, b/c…I don’t know. I just don’t).
But how do you FIND Critique Partners?
Trial and error, honestly. You have to put yourself out there, for starters. Websites like CPSeek.com are helpful, as are contest and blog hops. I also recommend asking your Twitter friends. Sometimes you’ll strike out, sometimes the matches won’t be good, but it’s worth the work and the risk. A great CP makes ALL the difference.
Now YOU tell ME….
WHAT WORKS FOR YOU?
How many CPs do you have? Betas?
And most importantly…WHY?
I have two trusted first readers and that’s it. And then I get betas for proofreading type stuff. I think too many hands in the pot isn’t a good idea (but then again, if everyone is saying the same thing sometimes it’s a good idea to take a look at that issue, unless for some reason the advice doesn’t ring true).
Great post. Even though there’s no right answer 😉 I’ve never broken down the groups like that…CP, Alpha, Beta. But I suppose, I have two CPs and 2-3 betas? And you, when I can sweet talk you 😉
Loved this post! I’m slowly finding my way through the CP process. I found out about them only last March and I have a few now.
It helps so much to have a set of eyes guiding you from the get go. It catches the big issues like plot holes before it gets worse. I’m using this now with my new WIP and I feel more confident about its quality before it hits Beta status.
Alphas, Betas, Cps, I love all of mine. 🙂
GREAT post! I love it.
I’m one of those people who has ten critique partners, ha! I like doing my critiques in two chunks, usually (sometimes my husband reads chapters as I write them and gives me feedback, so that’s two and a half).
I usually have 4-5 alpha readers going over draft zero, catching all the big-picture things–worldbuilding, characterization, setting, and plot holes. Then I have 4-5 beta readers who catch smaller things and do line edits (having editor friends for beta readers is great for this!).
I try to get writers for the alpha round, and readers for the beta round.
Again, lovely post. Will be sharing.
Great post! I have two critique partners who read my first drafts and tell me how awful it is and how good it is at the same time. From there, after I work on their edits, I send it to about 3 beta readers who give me more notes (which are hopefully less intense!). For my 2nd novel that I ever wrote/the one I actually edited, I had over 10 readers (probably about 12?) and it was awful and great at the same time LOL. Lots of commentary. I agree though – there is no right way to go about critique partners/beta readers/etc. What works for you is what works for you 🙂
I have five CPs and three betas…well, minus (or non-minus) two betas because my sister never has time to read my WIPs but I send them to her anyway 😀 And my boyfriend’s plan of beta-reading my book this Christmas for me as a gift might not work because I might not even be ready then. lol. So that makes my readers six? No. I’m optimistic. Eight they are.
Why them? Because I connect with them. I found my five CPs on Twitter and though none of them has read my WIP to the end (or even to the midpoint) because I always delete and restart, I believe we have a good online relationship. Which is important to me. And they have some expertise as well. We’re all in this learning process together.
As for my three betas, they’re there to give me general reader feels about my book (they haven’t yet for my current not-ready-to-be-seen WIP, but they did for my first book), and I must say my boyfriend’s actually good with nitpicking the logistics of a world, which I find useful in worldbuilding.
Maximum number?? Dunno…as the spirit directs 😉 But probably not more than ten. Too much feedback would be disorienting.
I think this comment is almost as long as your post now…
And thanks for the shout-out on your blog 🙂
Thanks for the shout out, Lauren! The key, I think, is to know what sort of critique you can handle and what you can’t. A lot? A little? Do you have to be ultra selective with the CPs you choose because you have thin skin?
Good stuff to know before sending off your MS to someone. Great post.
I have one devoted super-talented professional content editor (@veronika_walker) who gives me the majority of feedback on all stages of the manuscript — from first draft to final.
I also have a couple writerly friends who do what they can when life allows by perusing the occasional chapter or two, and I’ll return the favor when I can.
As I move into query-land, I try to find talented individuals — like Lauren — to provide feedback on that. (By the way, L, I unpacked my query like a clown car — might be back in touch soon).
The cost is affordable, and the depth and breadth of feedback by trained professionals is invaluable — so long as you find the right people; one’s who truly know their stuff and believe in their client’s future.
Would I offer my work to more individuals, more critique-partner friends and acquaintances, if I had them? Yes, probably. Right now, my friends in that circle are so busy with their own writing, work, and kids, that it’s very difficult for them to commit to a timely reply or a thorough look-through on even a few pages, let alone an entire manuscript.
That’s what I do. Maybe things will change in the future, but this works pretty well for now.
Lauren — I do like how you have select individuals for different stages. I think I might be able to adopt something like that too, tailoring my requests to people’s strengths (and availability).
Very thought-provoking post. Nicely organized and well written.
thanks so much Tim! I look forward to reading your query 🙂
I generally pass it through maybe 4 or 5 trusted friends who I know wont blow smoke through their nose, but also be honest about what is wrong. To me, there is that careful balance I maintain when I beta.
I needed to make some local writer friends after I finished my first manuscript a few years ago, so I googled and found a local, monthly, meet-up group of writers. From that group I gathered myself some amazing critique partners. As a group of 5 we meet every Sunday night for about 3 hours and round table the chapters we had submitted during the week. We go over goals and are accountable to them, and I always walk away with incredibly helpful feedback (not to mention support!). I feel like I won the lottery on CP’s, but I also had to put myself out there to find them.
Just discovered your blog, love it!