- All
- About the Website
- Privacy/ Legal
- Profile Page
- Critique Partners
- My Work
- Partner Work
- Hire Professionals
How much
does it cost to become a member?
CritiqueMatch is free for a trial period and then you can
choose from our different tiers.
Read more here.
Nevertheless, if after the free trial you choose NOT to
purchase any subscription, you still have access to the
platform as a beta reader. With this, you have the
opportunity to provide critiques to other members and become
eligible to apply to become a Pro-Critiquer.
Read more here.
Are there
existing critique groups I can join at CritiqueMatch?
No. However, you can share your work with as many
individuals as you would like, on a one-on-one basis.
How do I
transfer my manuscript/ chapter to the platform?
You can copy your work from Word or other software programs
and paste it to the editor box under New Work by selecting
Command+V (for MAC users) or Ctrl+V (for Windows users).
When pasting your work into the main editor box, most of the
formatting may be lost, including indentations. The editor
will only keep italics, underlining and bold. Note that
while you may not see paragraph breaks, your critique
partner will see your text's paragraph breaks when they
receive your work.
Can I use
the platform on my phone or tablet?
The platform is currently optimized for desktop/laptop use.
At the moment, we only offer limited functionality on mobile
devices.
What types
of writers join your site?
CritiqueMatch welcomes all writers! Here you will find
partners in Non-fiction and Fiction, across genres, and in
different career stages. Additionally, we welcome
beta-readers who just love to read and give feedback on
newly created stories.
I’m a
beginner writer. Can I join your site?
Absolutely. CritiqueMatch is the right place for you to hone
your craft and gain skills. As our most frequent users will
attest, critiquing and giving feedback on someone else’s
work helps you recognize and correct the same mistakes in
your own writing.
How do I
find the right critique partner for me?
There are two ways to search for partners:
- Through “search partners,” which is our public user directory. You can filter users by genre, sub-genre, location, experience level and even by their favorite authors. Further, you can choose to contact the users with the highest ratings in the specific areas of expertise that you need help with, such as grammar or plotting.
- Through “search postings,” which is a list of pitches by users who need feedback on their projects. You can review the project description, and filter by genre, type of feedback, and type of project, such as chapter, query, or synopsis. For example, if you are currently querying agents and/or editors, what a better way to hone your query letter skills by reviewing and critiquing other authors’ queries?
Who can see
my profile?
There are two simple user privacy settings on our site:
public and private.
- If you select to have a public profile, your name will be added to our directory, where our registered users will be able to see your profile and basic information, and may choose to contact you to become their critique partner.
- You may also set your profile to private mode, once you have found the right critique partners. This will remove you from the partner search directory, while you continue to work with your existing critique partners. In private mode, you can still search through the directory and contact other users. What if you change your mind? You can always switch back to public mode as needed so that other people can find you! In either case, your work will never be visible to the public, only to the critique partners you connect with and to whom you send your work.
My profile
is public. What information can others see?
When you switch your profile to public, most of the
information in your profile page will be visible to others,
except the name you chose not to share (you have the option
to share either your name or nickname). Your email address
is never visible to others.
Who can
access my work?
Other users will never see your writing unless you first
become critique partners, and you explicitly invite them to
critique it. Additionally, once your partners give you their
feedback, they can no longer access your work. Therefore, NO
more email exchanges where your work is permanently stored
in others' mailboxes!
I found a
bug on your site. How do I let you know?
We welcome all feedback! You can contact us by clicking the
link at the end of the page.
I am trying
to upload my full manuscript, but it gets stuck. What should
I do?
If you are trying to paste a document of more than 30,000
words, the formatting function within the editor will
encounter difficulties. We recommend to copy the full text
in chunks of maximum 30,000 words and to keep files below
70,000 words total. If your manuscript is above this length,
we recommend to send it in two separate files.
What about
‘copyright’ or ‘non-disclosure’ statements between writers
and readers?
Please take a look at our
Terms of Service page, which
explicitly refer to these two questions. In simple terms,
the copyright of your authored work belongs only to you, and
can only be exchanged privately with your critique partners
on our platform. Our Terms of Service don’t allow your
critique partners to share your work with anyone else
without your written permission. As an additional privacy
feature, once your partners critique your work, they no
longer have access to it. Finally, while we can never
guarantee the complete avoidance of plagiarism, our rules
and platform are built with the explicit attempt to minimize
it.
I don’t see
my partner’s invitation.
In order to see your new partner’s invitation, you can:
- Click on “Critique Partners” on the left side navigation bar.
- Click on “Received Requests” from the top navigation bar.
Is there a
message board or CP classifieds to post what you are working
on and what you are hoping to find?
We do have what we call a “search postings” section where
you can post a short description of your work and what type
of critique partner you are looking for. This way, our
registered users could read it, and whoever is interested in
your project can send you a request to become partners. The
posting should work as a pitch, defining what you are
working on and what type of help you are looking for from
others. It can’t be your real work, which will ultimately be
exchanged privately with your partners.
I keep
getting partner requests. How can I stop other users from
contacting me?
When you switch your profile to private, other users cannot
find you under our directory and won't be able to send you
partner requests. While private, all the other features of
the platform are still available to you, and you can
continue to work with your partners or search for new ones.
Is there a
way I can upload a pdf file?
No, but you can always copy and paste your work from your
PDF file into the editor box under “My Work”, "New Work".
Can I block
a user from contacting me?
While we don’t have a blocking mechanism for a specific user
on our site, you can always reject a critique partner
request, and that person won’t be able to contact you again.
If you accepted the request, and then deleted them, they
will be able to send you another request, but again, you can
reject it, so they won’t be able to contact you on the site.
If you have experienced any sort of harassing behavior,
please contact us at the link at the bottom of the page and
we will investigate the matter. Our platform has zero
tolerance for harassment.
What's to
stop people from stealing others’ works?
We can never guarantee the complete avoidance of plagiarism.
However, our rules and platform are built with the attempt
to minimize that risk. The copyright of your authored work
belongs only to you, and can only be exchanged privately
with your critique partners on our platform. Our Terms of
Service don’t allow your critique partners to share your
work with anyone else without your written permission.
Additionally, once your partners critique your work, they no
longer have access to it.
Any user who signs up on the platform has to agree to the Terms of Service, which includes these terms of Plagiarism and Confidentiality. Please take a look at our full Terms of Service.
Any user who signs up on the platform has to agree to the Terms of Service, which includes these terms of Plagiarism and Confidentiality. Please take a look at our full Terms of Service.
I tried to
sign up on your site but I need to verify my email. How do I
do this?
Once you sign up on the website, you will receive an email
to the address you provided. That email contains a
verification link that activates your account. By clicking
on the link within the email, you will activate your account
and then you will be able to login to the site.
What if I
find out that my partner is not a good fit and I no longer
want to work with them?
You can always remove a partner if they are not a good fit
for you, after you have reciprocated their critique. To
delete a partner, go to your critique partners’ list under
the “critique partner” tab, and click on the “trash" icon
next to the name of the person you want to delete. The
person will not be notified at the time of deletion.
I can’t
find my category under Type & Genre.
We are continuously improving the platform. If you can’t
find a category within our directory, please provide us with
the missing category by contacting us at the email address
at the end of this page, and we will address this.
I can’t
find my favorite authors.
We are continuously improving the platform. If you can’t
find the name of your favorite author within our directory,
please send us the list of your favorite authors at the
email address at the end of this page, and we will address
this.
I’ve been
trying to review my partner, and can’t figure out how.
When you receive your partner’s work, you can find it by
clicking on the “Partner Work” tab from the navigation menu
on the left. There, you will find a list of all the projects
that have been sent to you. The newly received ones will
show a red notification blob next to them.
Click on the “Critique” button to see the text that your partner shared with you. To insert an in-line comment, you have to first select the portion of the text you want to comment on, and then click on the “+ comment” button on the top left. Furthermore, if you want to provide additional high-level feedback, you can write within the “Feedback” box at the bottom of the page. You can always save your critique as draft while you continue to work on it, or submit it right away to your partner.
Click on the “Critique” button to see the text that your partner shared with you. To insert an in-line comment, you have to first select the portion of the text you want to comment on, and then click on the “+ comment” button on the top left. Furthermore, if you want to provide additional high-level feedback, you can write within the “Feedback” box at the bottom of the page. You can always save your critique as draft while you continue to work on it, or submit it right away to your partner.
When
reviewing my partners’ work, I highlight the text and click
on the “+comment” button. But when a text box pops up, I
can’t type anything in it.
To add a comment, you first have to highlight the text and
click the +comment button. Then click inside the pop up box
with your cursor in order to add text in it.
Who are the
Pro-Critiquers?
Pro-Critiquers are freelance beta-readers, writers, agents,
and editors with critiquing and editing experience.
Read more here.
How can I
pay for a critique or editing service?
CritiqueMatch does not take payments on behalf of
pro-critiquers and takes NO fees from any transaction. You
and the Pro-Critiquer agree on the terms and place payments
outside the platform. Message the Pro-Critiquer and see what
is their best way to be paid.
Are all
Pro-Critiquers professional editors?
Pro-Critiquers are freelance beta-readers, writers, agents,
and editors with critiquing and editing experience. On our
platform, Pro-Critiquers are top-rated, community-vetted
critiquers who have received 5-star ratings from a minimum
of 10 different writers.
Do I
copy-paste my work to send it to the Pro-Critiquer?
No. Unlike the platform’s free side, when you purchase a
critique, you can upload a Word document with your work. The
Pro-Critiquer will return their critique via a Word document
as well.
How do I
become a Pro-Critiquer?
Users with 5-star ratings from a minimum of 10 different
writers can apply to become Pro-Critiquers. To apply, you
can go to your profile, click edit, and at the bottom, click
on the button to request to become a Pro-Critiquer. There is
a subscription fee which will allow you to a full platform
access, community visibility, and client growth
opportunities.
Read more here.
I applied
to become a Pro-Critiquer. When will I hear from you?
Users with 5-star ratings from a minimum of 10 different
writers can apply to become Pro-Critiquers. If you have
already applied and qualify based on the above criteria, you
will hear from us with the next steps. Please note your
application is not automatically approved. We are
onboarding Pro-Critiquers on a rolling basis.
How much
does it cost to buy a critique?
The price varies for each professional. You can browse the
Pro-Critiquer’s profiles by going to "Find Professionals”
and “Search Pro-Critiquers,” then view the prices listed on
each profile. Additionally, on the same page, you can narrow
down your search results by selecting one service at a time
and then using the “Filter by price” functionality to view
professionals in a specific price range. The final price is
agreed upon with the Pro-Critiquer and payment happens
outside the platform.
What is the
difference between critique partners and beta readers?
A critique partner is a writer trained in the writing craft,
who reads sentences carefully and tries to find issues while
reading. A beta reader is a reader untrained in the writing
craft, who reads faster and tries to get immersed in the
story and connect to your characters rather than find fault
on every page.
Why is
there a 10-file limit under My Work/ Submitted Work?
We have set up the 10-file limit under Submitted Work so
that in order to submit more work to your critique partners,
first, you have to rate the critiques you received, and then
you move them under the Archived Work tab. (There is no
limit to the number of files you can have under the Archived
Work tab.)
Why do I
need a critique partner?
A critique partner can be your second pair of eyes as you
give and receive constructive feedback and grow your writing
skills! Writing is quite a lonely journey... A critique
partner provides you with encouragement, accountability, and
over time, friendship!
I received
a pop-up message that I have reached the maximum number of
Submitted Work. How do I proceed from here?
Simply rate the critiques on your Submitted Work tab and
then move them to the Archived Work tab (by clicking the
“Archive” button in each critique.) There is no limit as to
how many files you can have under the Archived Work tab.
Can I
change a review I gave?
CritiqueMatch has a "no change" policy regarding ratings and
reviews in order to maintain the validity of our user
ratings. The exception to this rule is when the review
exchanged is offensive. If you received an offensive review,
please email us
here.
I left
someone a bad review, and now they are sending me
inappropriate messages. Can I block them?
As a platform, we have zero tolerance for harassment,
which is conveyed in our community rules and our Terms of
Service. If someone is bothering you because of a bad
review, please email us
here.
How do I
deactivate my account?
In order to process the deactivation of your account and
verify your identity, please send the following information
to the email address at the end of the page: your full name
and the email address on record when you signed up at
CritiqueMatch
Still have questions?
Email us. We would love to hear from you!