Querying soon, proposing a short-term first-pages critique group
smothersala
Hi all!
Since I’m planning to query in the next ~6 months, I’ve been thinking hard about what feedback actually matters most at this stage, and I had an idea I wanted to float.
Rather than a long-term critique group, I’m looking to put together a short-term, peer-led critique group focused specifically on:
• The query
• The first 10 pages
Because let’s be honest, if those aren’t doing the work, the rest of the manuscript doesn’t get read.
What I’m thinking:
• A small group of ~8–12 writers
• Everyone is planning to query soon
• Each writer submits their query + first 10 pages
• Two writers per meeting
• Bi-weekly meetings
• Pages shared in advance so people can give thoughtful written feedback
• We meet, discuss high-level notes, clarify, then move on
• Once everyone’s pages are covered, the group naturally wraps (no pressure to turn it into a forever thing)
Genre-wise:
I write sci-fi and fantasy romance, but I’m open to adjacent genres as long as everyone is querying trad and thinking about market, hook, and voice.
About me (for context):
I’m on what I lovingly call the 100,000th draft of my book and very much in polish mode. I’ve been writing seriously for a long time and previously was a Kiss Pitch winner and a Pitch Wars runner-up (back when it existed). At this point, I’m looking for sharp, honest feedback, and to give the same, in a focused, time bounded way (re: I am very busy).
This would be free, peer-based, and collaborative; writers helping other writers make sure their openings are as strong as possible before querying.
If this sounds useful, feel free to respond or message me with:
• Your genre
• Where you are in your process
• Rough querying timeline
• A one sentence pitch of your book (ex, my own: A woman is chosen to beta test an AI companion—and falls for him, exactly as he was designed to make her—until she realizes the greater risk may be his brilliant, secretive creator.)
If there’s enough interest, I’ll happily help coordinate and get us started quickly.
Thank you!
Alanna