Since this is my first post, I figured I’d write about something useful.
Be weary of people offering free critiques.
You heard me right. It seems that today, everyone and their brother/sister/aunt/uncle/niece/nephew/cousin/etc. is offering free critiques, many are the winning result of some kind of contest. Well, my advice is…be weary.
If a writer submits his or her work for a critique, they should take the feedback received lightly, after all, it’s nothing more than a reader’s insight. Unless, of course, you get a detailed critique from a bonafide company. Even if it comes from an agent, it’s only THAT agent’s opinion you’re getting.
There’s this old saying: “If you put 10 editors in a room and ask for opinions – you’ll get 11.” And this is so very true. The only person who can perfect the story/novel is the author for they are the ones with the idea to start with.
Of course, there’s universal rules for grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and so on, and anyone can learn these if they have the inclination. My point is, don’t trust just anyone with your work. Too many ebooks are being pirated, plagiarists are multiplying worse than the Easter bunny and writers are a dime a dozen. Make your work YOUR work, and make it stand out. And if you want a free critique, ask someone you trust. Someone whose work you admire. You’d be surprised at the poor calibre of critiques I’ve received.
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