Feb 10, 2014

Scribophile: Best Peer-to-Peer Writers' Resource

This is the second installment about indie author communities I find valuable. These are places where you can hone your craft and/or contribute to bettering our profession. 

Updated Feb. 14, 2014
Scribophile, online since February 2008, is a friendly and effective peer-to-peer author critique resource. It bills itself as an “online writing community that provides serious feedback for serious writers.” Basic membership is free. A premium membership is available for an annual fee. It provides extra services and privileges.

Members accumulate “karma” points by critiquing the work of others and then use those points as “currency” to post their own work for review. Unlike similar peer-review sites that seem to allow vague and brief critiques, Scribophile requires a minimum word count to get any points and adds extra points once you pass the minimum.

The site focuses on fiction in all genres in all lengths from flash to novels. (One must submit long stories and novels in installments.) The site also hosts author discussion groups on a range of topics and writing tips from pros.

Before I launch into a new fiction project, I always spend some time at Scribophile critiquing short stories. I find this sharpens my writing skills, while it also lets me share my experience and knowledge with others. I also submit selected segments of a short story or a novel as I go along to make sure I am achieving what I intended. The quality of the feedback never disappoints me.

Alex Cabal, the omnipotent administrator, says: “I'm most proud of the great community we've managed to nurture here. Scribophile would be nothing without the kind, generous, friendly, and talented people that make Scribophile their online home. Our volunteer moderators take great care in making sure the environment stays polite and helpful, and all the work we've put in to growing the community has really paid off with a place where everyone feels comfortable sharing and learning about writing.”

Follow them on Twitter at @scribophile.

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