What is the purpose of this group?
Where does this group meet?
Are there dues for this group?
What kind of writing does this group focus on in terms of critique?
Can you get me published or can you get me an agent?
Can I promote my pay-to-enter contest or vanity publishing house?
Okay, okay, all these rules are fine… how do I get my work critiqued?
Other things to remember.
What is the purpose of this group?
The mission of Charlotte Writers Group is to cultivate and encourage a literary community within Charlotte, North Carolina, devoted to the development and success of professional fiction writers and authors. We strive to promote quality work, quality professionalism, and quality representatives of the literary fiction and genre fiction communities through this organization.
See our Meeting page for full details.
Are there dues for this group?
Currently there are no dues to be a member of Charlotte Writers.
What kind of writing does this group focus on in terms of critique?
Charlotte Writers focuses on fiction – mainly genre-fiction such as science fiction, fantasy, mystery, horror, romance, as well as literary fiction. As of 2015, we will no longer be critiquing works of non-fiction, creative non-fiction (such as memoir), and poetry. We also will not read any bigoted or misogynistic works, as we are a group that has members of different cultures, genders, ethnicities, political views, and religious backgrounds. Our group is adults only (18+) and may deal with difficult, adult themes on occasion.
Can you get me published or can you get me an agent?
No. Charlotte Writers is made up of passionate writers who are constantly pursuing publishing, examining both the traditional and self-publishing industries, and are supportive of helping each other achieve our goals with our knowledge and experience. However, we can in no way guarantee you that your work will be published.
Can I promote my pay-to-enter contest or vanity publishing house?
Depends. As Charlotte Writers is dedicated to helping writers develop their skills, allowing others to come in and attempt to make money from the members would violate certain ethical standards the organizers wish to uphold. However, in terms of contests, it is fine to promote them as long as you include two things:
- You must establish that the contest requires payment to enter and submit work.
- You have presented your contest to the organizers beforehand for review.
If you are a publisher and wish to promote your house, you must first prove that you are NOT a vanity publisher. Please contact the organizers for details. We will not allow ANY vanity publishers to promote within Charlotte Writers.
Okay, okay, all these rules are fine… but how do I get my work critiqued?
For the Saturday Critique Sessions – A new member must initially attend two Saturday critique sessions in a three-month period in order to be eligible for selection. All members must attend at least one critique session every three months to maintain selection eligibility. Selections are done by what we call “The Sorting Hat,” as we usually have more than two entrants who wish to submit their work. This means if five or more people volunteer to enter the hat, there is chance your work might not be selected.
We engage in constructive criticism only – no mean-spiritedness.
We critique the work, not the writer.
Adult language may (and probably will) be used in writing and discussion.
Age 18+ is advised.
Files for critique can only be accessed by members who have joined Charlotte Writers and registered for a Saturday critique on Eventbrite. The files page is password protected and located here.
Please e-mail the organizers using the Contact Us page with any other questions you may have.
Charlotte Writers Group 