: Re: What weight should be given to writers groups critiques? I joined a writers group that meets every three weeks. I submitted the first eighteen pages of my work and also sent the same file

@Sue2132873

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Every reader's opinion is valuable to a degree, though some carry more weight than others. If several people in your critique group are giving the same feedback, there's probably something to it. If it's just one person, then it depends.

A critique group is not like a regular reader (or even a beta reader). You need time to get to know them, and them you. You will figure out who has a bug up their bum about certain words (so you can ignore that if no one else cares) and who can go inside a section that never felt right to you and pinpoint exactly where you need to untie the knot.

Some people offering critiques can be totally off about some things and dead on about others. One person in my critique group comes up with the craziest stuff sometimes, stuff that makes me and everyone else roll their eyes, then other times he just nails it in ways that no one else saw.

If your work is accepted for publication, fantastic. But it doesn't mean it's done. The acceptance comes from the promise. The next step after you sign a contract is editing. That's when they'll get into the "thats" and the "unremarkables" and all the other stuff that may need some tweaking.

This is true for a traditional publisher. I had never heard of Authorhouse, so I assumed that is what they were. But no...as DPT points out, they're a printer and author services company. In 2016 they claimed they have "published over 70,000 titles by 50,000 authors since 1997." On their website they say:

AuthorHouse has helped authors publish more than 100,000 books over 22
years. We put you in charge of your publishing path, helping you every
step of the way.

These are similar(ish) numbers to Penguin Random House, which publishes 15,000 new titles a year...but they have 250 imprints and 12,500 employees. Authorhouse has 163 employees. They sound like a solid company to help authors self-publish (without doing all the work themselves) but don't confuse them with a publisher who evaluates manuscripts for potential success and provides top notch editing services.

My suggestion is that you keep going to the critique group and see if their advice evolves into something that is helpful to you. It's not even about if it's right (though that's a good thing) but if it's something that can help you in this stage of writing. If it's not, ask if they can give feedback on other levels, or focus on things you find problematic. If it's still not a fit after 2-4 tries, then find another group.

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