Membership in Columbus Writeshop is always free! To submit a short writing sample for consideration:
- Read the “Submission Details” section below!
- Please send an email to columbuswriteshop@gmail.com with the subject line: “Writeshop Application : [FULL NAME]”. Please introduce yourself and attach a writing sample of 2,500 – 7,500 words (short stories or novel chapters are ideal).
- We’ll get back to you with mini-crits from our members and the status of your application via email in 1-2 weeks.
Submission Details:
To audition for Writeshop, please submit an email to the address above with the Subject line “Writeshop Application: [YOUR NAME]”.
In the email body, please give us a brief bio listing your name, email address, and interest in joining the group. The email should also contain an attachment with your writing sample: at least 2,500 words of your best work and/or your current project. We strongly prefer a complete story or chapter, so we can get an idea of your structural skills. There is no upper limit: anything beyond 7,000 words will probably not be read in full by everybody, but we’d rather have the complete story/chapter available. Please be sure to use standard manuscript formatting for your sample (12 pt. Courier New, double-spaced, .RTF or .DOC document format).
Also, please include a written critique of a story not by you, so we can get an idea of how you evaluate fiction. There’s no need to get into line-level details, just tell us what does or does not work for you, what you like and dislike, and why. The written critique should be no more than 500 words. Please include a link to the story so we can make sure we are all reading the same version.
The sample will be critiqued by the group in 1-2 weeks, after which a notice of your submission status will be sent, along with member critiques of your sample.
If you are accepted: Congratulations! You can now submit monthly stories or novel chapters for review! It is recommended (but not required) that you attend at least one crit session before submitting to get a hang of the process, see firsthand the level of detail a full crit receives, etc. Current members are expected to review each month’s submissions and critique as often as possible.
If you are rejected: We promise to let you know why, via member critiques of your sample. Rejected applicants are encouraged to submit again when the issues identified by our members are addressed, and/or your skills have improved.
Thanks very much, and we hope to see you soon!
