Writing can be a lonely process, but that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone.
Let me match you with a small group of like-minded writers so that you trade work and see if you’re a match.
Finding a critique partner is at the top of my list of things I wish every writer would do BEFORE reaching out to an agent, editor, or book coach for help with their story.
Getting those fresh eyes on your early drafts can help you fill the gap between your vision for the story and what you’ve actually got on the page. And the friendship/support a critique partner can provide is invaluable on what can be a long and lonely journey toward publication.
But how do you find critique partners? It can be tough, especially with words as tender and personal as our stories. Now you don’t have to go it alone—I can help you find other like-minded writers and have a speed-dating inspired format to help you quickly identify if you’re a match!
“I liked everything [about CP Meet Cute]. The professional and fun way it was set up. I appreciated how everything was clearly set out and ran to the timeline. It was exciting to meet my new critique buddies. I was amazed it was all free. Thanks so much!”
– Leonie, CP Meet Cute Participant
How Can I Participate?
I run this free critique partner matching service twice a year:
- Winter: January – February 14.
- Summer: June – July 14
Writers at any level who are looking for a critique partner can sign up here and I’ll be in touch with more details: pages.julieartz.com/cp-meet-cute.
How Does It Work?
Think of it like speed dating! After you sign up, you’ll get an email with some ground rules and a link to my Matchmaker Survey. This brief survey helps me learn a little bit about you so that I can match you with a group of like-minded writers. That group of 3-5 writers will be your CP Meet Cute Cohort.
I’ll send you an email introducing you to your cohort and providing some resources on how to give great feedback and how to structure critique groups. Then your cohort will have about one month to exchange the first chapters of your works in progress.
Once a month has passed, you’ll get a follow-up email asking whether you’ve found someone you think you can trust with your pages going forward. If so, congratulations! You’ve taken the next step in your writing journey and now you’ve got a buddy to walk with you. If not, do not fear, you’ll go back into the pool for another round of CP Meet Cute.
Ready to sign up? Head over to pages.julieartz.com/cp-meet-cute.
“[The CP Meet Cute process] achieved the impossible. On my own I could not find a group that was local or online. People in my CP group were insightful, kind, and generous with their time.”
– Ron, CP Meet Cute Participant
FAQs
Q: What’s the schedule for Round Eight?
A: CP Meet Cute is coming back for Valentine’s Day 2025!
Here are the key dates for Round Eight:
- June 1, 2024 – Round begins
- June 30, 2024 – Deadline for completing Matchmaker Survey
- July 14, 2024 – Cohorts announced
Q: What do I need to know before I sign up?
A: You’ll need to know the genre and age category of your work-in-progress before you participate in CP Meet Cute because those are two key pieces of information I use for the matching. It’s also a good idea to think about the time of day you might like to meet with critique partners and whether you’re most comfortable with Zoom, email-only, or telephone.
Q: I signed up, but nothing happened. What’s wrong?
A: I only run CP Meet Cute twice year, so it’s possible for you to sign up and then not hear anything additional about CP Meet Cute for a couple of months. Don’t panic. Keep working on your work in progress and I’ll be in touch when the next round begins. See the schedule above for more details on when you can expect to hear from me!
Q: Can anyone participate in CP Meet Cute?
A: Anyone who has written at least one picture book manuscript or the first chapter of a work in progress can find critique partners by participating in CP Meet Cute. You just need some pages to share with your cohort and a willingness to give and receive feedback.
There are categories for Picture Book, Middle Grade, YA, Adult, and Nonfiction across all genres.
Q: But what about Chapter Books?
A: At this time, CP Meet Cute does not include Chapter Books or early readers. Chapter Books are such tricky things with set reading levels, fairly strict content and word choice parameters, and the need for a formula that can work for multiple books in a series. They’re a hard sell as a debut and not my particular area of expertise, so I am not planning to include them in CP Meet Cute.
Ready to sign up? Head over to pages.julieartz.com/cp-meet-cute.