5 Ways to Get Free Writing Feedback
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So, you want feedback on a story you've written. Do you have to pay for that? While there is a time and a place to pay for feedback, such as if you're looking for a comprehensive professional-level edit, there are many ways to get feedback on your story without paying a dime. I've rounded up the five best ways to get free writing feedback, so you can focus on improving your story without breaking the bank.
1. Your Extended Network
The first way to get free writing feedback is to start with who you know. Many authors start by asking close family members or friends or even their spouse for feedback, and while this can work for some people, I don't recommend it in the majority of cases. You have to take any feedback you get from close friends or family members with a grain of salt because, more likely than not, they're going to couch their feedback in niceties and compliments because they don't want to hurt your feelings. They don't want to discourage you from pursuing your passion project, and they might not actually know how to give helpful feedback, especially if they don't read widely within your genre and if they don't have an editorial background of any kind. That's why I strongly recommend looking beyond your closest inner circle when deciding who to ask for feedback.
There may well be someone a little bit further out in your network who is a great fit. Ask yourself: who do you know that attends a book club regularly? (Bonus points if that book club often reads things in your genre.) Who is also a fan of some of your favorite authors and books? Who have you recommended those books to? Who also writes creatively (even if they don't write in your genre)? Someone else who also has a creative project is probably seeking feedback on that project, and maybe you could exchange.
Also, if you've ever taken any type of creative writing course or workshop, this is a great network to consider tapping into. Maybe you're a member of an alumni group of some kind; you could see if any of your former classmates have gone on to publish their work.
When you're asking a member of your personal network for feedback, you want to make sure you're not overburdening them or putting tension or stress on that relationship by asking for too much. If you have a book-length project, especially, that takes a lot of time and energy to read and review. I recommend keeping the request rather casual. In this case, rather than asking them to read the whole book, maybe you ask them to read the first chapter or so. That feels like less of a commitment and is likely going to get you more positive results.
2. Online Writing Communities
If you come up short searching through your personal network, try turning to the web, where there are millions of other authors just like you also looking for feedback on their writing. But how do you find your specific people in the vast sea of the internet, and how do you know who you can trust?
Start by exploring some of the top places where writers tend to congregate online. That includes Reddit communities, Discord channels, and Facebook groups. Many of these communities will offer opportunities to exchange feedback for free. For example, the r/writing community has a weekly critique thread. You can also browse the #writingcommunity and #amwriting hashtags on X and on Threads, where there are many authors talking about their writing experiences publicly.
If you come across a writer who's working on a project in your same genre or who is in a similar place in terms of their publishing journey to you, consider sending them a casual message. Writers are really friendly, kind people, and they love connecting with other writers and discussing their stories, so your message would likely be very well-received. I've had many clients meet their own writing buddies this way and go on to establish long-term critique partner relationships.
3. Exchange Websites
Another way to get free writing feedback is through writing exchange websites. There are specific websites designed for authors to give and receive feedback for free, where they upload their work, critique others’ work, and then receive critiques in response. These include Scribophile, Critique Circle, and qtCritique. These platforms operate on a point system, and you will receive points for each critique that you give. You can then use them to upload your own work and receive feedback, so you're incentivized to give feedback in order to get some back.
These platforms are free to join but may have premium subscriptions that unlock other features, like the opportunity to create private critique groups. Keep in mind that with any open exchange site like this, the feedback is likely going to vary significantly based on who is giving you feedback, so it may be a bit hit or miss.
4. Writing Meetups
The next way to get free feedback on your writing is via in-person writing meetups. In-person writing groups could be a great way to connect with other writers in your community and also give you some dedicated writing time on your calendar, which I know is so hard to carve out sometimes. Some of these meetups might already have feedback exchange built into their programming, but even if they don't, you could meet other writers there and ask if they'd be interested in exchanging work sometime.
Start by simply Googling for writing meetups in your area, check meetup.com, and also check the events pages from your local library and your local independent bookstores, which may be hosting writing-related events. If you don't find a writing meetup, maybe consider putting one together yourself.
5. Editors or Agents Considering Your Work
The final way to get free feedback on your writing is from editors or agents considering your work. This admittedly shouldn't be your primary way of receiving feedback, and ideally you would have gotten feedback before you submit your work to an editor or a literary agent for consideration. But, whenever you submit your work to a literary journal or magazine or a publisher or a literary agent, you may get feedback in return that can be extremely valuable.
The vast majority of the responses you will get will be form rejections, which I know are the bane of every author's existence. But, in a small way, form rejections are their own type of feedback. After getting enough of them, maybe you take a step to consider if you could revise the story to make it stronger and hopefully inspire an editor or literary agent to want to move forward.
If you're lucky, you might receive a personalized response from an editor or a literary agent or even a revise and resubmit request. This is super encouraging because it means that the editor or agent was interested enough in your work and saw the potential in your story and wants to give you that constructive feedback. Their feedback can also be different from other feedback you may have received because they're coming at it from the perspective of a professional in the industry considering the story for publication. It can be insightful to see how they respond to and evaluate your work.
All that said, keep in mind that feedback even from an industry professional is inherently subjective, and you don't need to rush to make changes to your story based on one editor or agent's opinion. If the feedback resonates with you personally, or if it mirrors feedback you've gotten from others, then maybe it could be something to consider more seriously.
Tips for Getting Free Writing Feedback
Now that you know where to go to get free feedback on your writing, I want to share some words of caution before you do so to help set you up for success.
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
First and foremost, when it comes to feedback, quality always trumps quantity. I would rather you have in-depth, insightful, constructive, helpful feedback from one person than a lot of superficial feedback from a ton of people.
Be Mindful of What (and How) You’re Asking
Make sure you are clear in what you are asking for when soliciting feedback. Be thoughtful and reasonable. Reading an entire book is an extremely time-consuming effort, so maybe start by asking for feedback on a chapter or two.
If this person hasn't ever given editorial feedback before, consider providing them some guiding questions that outline specific things that you would like feedback on. If you aren't getting what you need out of the free sources of feedback, then consider working with a professional editor in a paid capacity.
Be Selective About the Feedback You Implement
No matter who your feedback comes from, don't get hung up on the bad feedback. Any feedback you get on a creative project is going to be subjective inherently, and if the feedback doesn't resonate with you, toss it aside. You aren't required to implement it.
You are ultimately the visionary for this story. Getting feedback is essential to taking your story to the next level, but another critical skill for every author to learn is how to self-edit.
Those are my five best methods for getting feedback on your writing completely for free. By leveraging these resources, you can gain valuable insights and improve your work without spending a dime. Remember, constructive criticism is a powerful tool in the writing process, so don't hesitate to seek it out and use it to refine your craft. Thank you so much for reading, and happy writing!
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