Don’t be the Literary Journal That Won’t Be Named.
Recently while browsing Twitter, I stumbled across a rather eyebrow-raising tweet. Unfortunately, the tweet has since been deleted and I didn’t have the forethought to screen-shot it, but trust me, it was bad.
The tweet itself was simple, a single screenshot of a rejection letter a writer received after a literary journal submission. But it wasn’t any old rejection letter.
No, it was a rejection letter with the worst critique I’ve ever seen.
I wasn’t even the one the critique was addressed to and I had second-handed offendedness. The critique was unhelpful, unspecific, unasked for, and worst of all, very ironically condescending, considering the literary journal hadn’t even published a single journal edition yet.
That’s right. The literary journal decided to give out condescending critiques when it didn’t even have a single edition out. Yikes.
And so this article, which I never felt like I had to write before, but apparently I do. If you don’t want to be remembered, as this journal surely will be, as Someone Who Doesn’t Know How to Give Critiques, then here are five critique etiquette tips for you.
1. List Positives Alongside Negatives.
I feel like I don’t have to say this, but I will. When you are critiquing someone’s works, you should provide both positive and negative feedback. Too many negatives and you might discourage them from ever writing again. And we don’t want that, do we? Try to present a balanced critique involving all the good and the bad of their work.
Don’t have anything positive to say about their work?
Then think of something! Usually, my go-to is good grammar and formatting. If they have poor grammar and formatting, then I say they have a good idea or good dialog. There’s always at least one good thing in someone’s work. Find it and compliment it and if you can’t, then do not just give them an entirely negative review.
Tell them you’re busy or something came up, but please do not just give them an entirely negative review unless they asked for it.
2. Don’t Give Critique They Didn’t Ask For
Critique is important for growth and improvement, but it can also be a sensitive topic for writers and artists. That’s why you should always ask writers if they want a critique — barring, of course, that you’re not in some writing critique group together.
Not everyone creates for growth.
Here’s a hard truth that some people need to swallow: not everyone writes for growth. Sometimes people want to create for the sake of creating! Sometimes people want to pull off the thinking cap and just do.
And you know what? Good for them! If people can watch trash TV to turn their brains off, then people should also be able to create without having the constant specter of self-growth haunting their every move.
In short, don’t give unasked critique! It’s unasked and you don’t know if they’re creating for fun or creating for improvement and unless they ask for it, it’s none of your business. It’s that simple!
3. Be specific
Specificity helps people grow. Specific critiques help teach writers what they need to improve and what they need for next time. Vague critiques, on the other hand, don’t provide any value. Vague critiques say, “I disagree with your work but I don’t care enough to tell you what exactly it is.”
Be specific in your critiques! Tell writers what and why you exactly disagree with it. It’s the only way to help people who want to improve their work.
4. Own up to Your Mistakes
Drawing back to the Literary Journal That Won’t Be Named, after they were called out on their poor critique — in which it boiled down to a vague and unhelpful, “Perhaps you should learn how to show and tell,” (I’m paraphrasing, they were a lot more eloquent and ‘nicer-sounding’ but that’s it, essentially) — they weren’t… really apologetic.
On Twitter, their response to the rejected writer’s tweet said, “Oh, we thought people would like it if we gave free critiques. Wouldn’t you like to know why you were rejected? Our bad.” (Again, paraphrasing). But they didn’t address how unhelpful the critique was or seemed to have any idea of what a critique like that could do to a newer or younger writer or apologized directly to the writer.
Guys. Gals. Non-gender conforming pals. Don’t do this. Try to own up to your mistakes. We’re not perfect and anyone who tries to convince you otherwise is a pants-on-fire liar. If you give out unasked-for critiques, if you give out harsh or condescending or way-out-of-line critiques and you get called out on it, then apologize. Show some humility. None of this non-apologizing nonsense.
Own up to your mistakes.
5. Set Boundaries for Yourself
As someone who’s had trouble with boundaries and writing in the past, this was a hard-learned lesson. If you’re part of a critique group or have friends who want you to look over your work, and you don’t mind it, then sure, critique them.
But if you do mind, for whatever reason, then stand firm. You don’t have to explain why you don’t want to read their work but make it clear. “No, I can’t read this right now.” And don’t give in, because unless you’re a professional, your resentment is eventually going to leak into your critique and you’ll be mad and they’ll be mad, and it won’t be pretty.
If the writer continues to harass you for a critique, however, then that just means you need to tread carefully. Creators who don’t respect your time aren’t worth your time, and chances are if they won’t listen when you tell them you don’t want to read their work, they won’t listen even if you give the most well-thought-out critique in the world.
So set boundaries for yourself. Don’t critique what you don’t want and don’t waste time with people who won’t listen.
5 Etiquette Tips for Giving Critique Summary
A critique’s entire purpose is to help other writers improve their writing.
That’s it. That is the sole reason for a critique. If it’s not in the spirit of helping others improve writing, then it’s next to useless as a critique. And remember:
- List positives alongside negatives.
- Do not give critiques if they didn’t ask for it.
- Be specific in your critique.
- Own up to your mistakes.
- Set boundaries for yourself.
If you like this article, then please check out my article on 5 Etiquette Tips for Writers in Search of Critique.
