: Re: Are online critique groups a good substitute for editors? I'm thinking of self publishing. Now what all the blogs tell me I have to do is hire a professional editor, who will see any plot

@Cugini967

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You can certainly get pretty far by using an online critique group. There are two problems you'll find with such a service:

It's hard to get people who can commit to reading a whole book.
The quality of reviews and feedback that you get can vary a lot, and many reviewers won't tell you anything very useful.

When you hire a professional editor, problem #1 is taken care of with the promise of cold, hard cash. Problem #2 still exists, however, as the quality even of "professional" editors varies quite a bit, and you have to exercise diligence and good judgement to decide whether or not a given editor is actually worth your money.

If you're trying to self-publish, you can probably get good enough by relying on online critique groups and some trusted writer friends. However, if you really want to take your writing to the top level you'll probably benefit from finding a qualified, professional editor.

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