For any creator, new or veteran, critique is a tool that, when used properly, can help a creator improve and grow. Reader and peer critique can allow others to use their own perspectives and life experiences to offer fresh insight into a story that the creator may already know so well. There are many kinds of critique, including beta reading, solicited and unsolicited. Our hosts explore the different types of critique and how getting/giving critique has affected them.

(Note: a critique is not the same as a review of a comic. Reviews are tools for readers to help them decide if they would enjoy reading your story.)

How does critique play a role in your creator experience?

Krispy starts us off, sharing that as part of a two-person team, the flow of critique is constant. Even with that, it is easy for the two-person team to come to have similar opinions and to combat that, they open up to outside critique to give them an unbiased perspective.

Varethane started their webcomic career without critique. As they evolved, they wanted to make sure they were achieving the desired results of their story, but without having a buffer, they didn’t really have options for requesting critique. In their second project, they worked to have a prewritten script and sent it to multiple beta readers to get feedback before they finalized any pages. They opt to share the full story and major plot points and spoilers with a smaller number of people while sharing smaller segments of the story to a larger group to gauge a reaction that will be more akin to a real reader’s thoughts.

Similarly, Delphina did not originally look for critique early on in her comic as she was focused on stamina and the ability to work on a project regularly. It wasn’t until she was preparing for a print run of her first book that she opted to request feedback from readers on what could be improved and streamlined to improve the flow of the story. She finds that not having a buffer can limit her options when it comes to requesting critique.

Renie also didn’t initially use critique, but as her story evolved from one issue to dozens of chapters, she realized she needed critique to ensure the story arc was actually flowing smoothly and making sense.

Outside critique can help you step away from the story and often a second pair of eyes can see things that you never would have noticed.

How do you find and initiate a request for critique?

Krispy feels that you should find people that want to see your content improve and grow and reach the level that you aspire to. Groups like Spiderforest offer a variety of potential critics while also wanting to promote growth in the community. People that want to see you succeed will want to give you feedback that you can use. Another thing to look for is people that are interested in the content or genre. People with similar tastes can provide good insight about your content. Renie points out that having rules and expectations when initiating a critique helps ensure you’re getting the feedback you’re looking for. Often, unless the reader is a professional critic, they may not know what type of responses they should be giving, so providing some guidelines for what you’re looking for can help them.

Varethane agrees that finding an audience that enjoys the genre or topic your story is about is important. If your story is the opposite genre than someone typically reads, they may not be prepared to offer insight on it. Formulating the critique request is very important and again, make sure you’re specific about your expectations. You can provide a written description of the scene to go with the pages and images you’re sending can allow the critic to see where the concept isn’t matching up with the final product. This process can also help you understand better what you’re wanting out of a page.

Delphina suggests that providing similar genres to your critics to help them know what you’re going for and can offer solutions to your critic. It can help them understand your end goal and together it can help you to figure out how to reach that point. You need to be willing to discuss with your reader and having critics that want to help you succeed can help generate a dialogue to find solutions to problems that may have been found.

Renie adds that when requesting critique, you need to be ready to accept the critique. Being prepared for a discussion can increase the value of the critique process. An essay of what was liked and disliked can be useful at times, but a discussion can offer so much more.

Varethane brings up an infographic that compares critique to a clinical trial in medicine. You can break down the critique to symptoms, diagnosis, treatment. Symptoms for the reader can be the reactions they’re encountering as they read the story. They may not specify what is wrong, but if there are a lot of similar comments about a scene, it can indicate a problem in a certain area. Identifying symptoms can utilize a very broad scope of readers and critics. When you begin to work on diagnosing the actual problem causing the symptoms, working with a smaller group can help you dive into the problem and eventually find the solution, or treatment.

How shouldn’t you ask for critique?

Krispy does not recommend a blanket statement asking for critique from anyone. You will likely receive more than you want and it may not all be constructive. Additionally, don’t feel like you have to ask for critique if you do not want to change anything. Be respectful of the time your critics are willing to put into critique if you ask for it. Be clear with your expectations and make them aware of how you are going to use the feedback you receive.

Delphina adds that being willing to accept the critique and utilize it will show the critic that you value their time. You don’t want to waste their time, so it is good to know what you’re looking for.

While it is important to consider the critic’s situation, such as prior commitments, before asking for critique, when giving critique it is important to consider the artist’s situation. Often webcomics are run by one person teams, so providing critique that is unrealistic can be disheartening for the creator. If you’re critiquing a comic for the writer of an artist/writer team, make sure you aren’t giving art critique.

Varethane agrees that if you don’t really want to change or improve your comic and you’re getting what you want out of it, you don’t need to ask for critique. But if you have a specific goal in mind that you don’t feel you’re reaching, critique could help you reach that. You need to be aware of what you want your work to accomplish for yourself.

It is okay to not want critique. Critique may not be useful for you to get to where you’re wanting to go. Critique is just another tool in the toolbox, and you don’t have to feel obligated to use it.

How do you process critique in a healthy way?

Krispy recommends preparing yourself emotionally and physically to take in the critique you receive. Make sure you’re in a good headspace to wrap your head around the experience.

Varethane suggests being in a good emotional state before diving into a critique. Keep your goals in mind as you’re going through the critique process and addressing the issues that were pointed out. If possible, they like to send redraws and updates back to the original critic to make sure they’re finding the right solution.

Delphina also points out that if requesting critique from multiple sources, you can begin with finding any overlap of concerns. You may also have a gut feeling about a problem scene that critique may confirm and you’re prepared. Another thing to remember is that even though a page may have been posted, you aren’t locked in. You can change pages that have been posted if they will help you get your comic to where you want it to go.

Renie needs to be in a good mindset before a critique session to ensure it is productive. If critique is an emotional process for you, make sure you have support in place to help you absorb and handle a critique session. Also consider having critics that you trust and are comfortable with discussing your story.

Critique is a tool that can help your webcomics reach new heights.

Relevant Links

SpiderForest Webcomic Collective - Hosts Discord and forum community critique areas for webcomic creators
Boston Comics Roundtable - Boston-area critique group
Mary Robinette Kowall’s Guide to Manuscript Critiques

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Episode Release Date: November 3, 2021

Episode Credits:

Kristen Lee (@feathernotes) - she/they, ghostjunksickness.com lunarblight.com

Renie Jesanis (@renieplayerone) - she/they, kateblast.com

Ally Rom Colthoff (@varethane) - she/they, chirault.sevensmith.net wychwoodcomic.com

Christina Major (@delphina2k) - she/her, sombulus.com

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The Intro "DO IT (feat. Shia LaBeouf)", and the Outro "It's Good To See You Again!!", both by Adrianwave, have been used and modified in good faith under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Licensed. Edits include: Fade IN/OUT, and a repeat added to the beginning of "It's Good To See You Again!!". For more information on this creative commons use, please reference https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.