The Spotlight FAQ
Scribophile member N. Noel Fudge has created this useful video guide of the various spotlight options that you can review in addition to this FAQ.
So what are the spotlights, anyway?
The spotlights are lists of work compiled using a few simple rules. Critiques written for works that are in one of the spotlights earn you much more karma points than critiques on works that aren’t in one of the spotlights. The fastest way to earn is to write critiques of work that is in one of the spotlights.
Work is put in a spotlight based on a few simple rules.
Work is removed from a spotlight after it has received a minimum number of long critiques.
How do the spotlights work, exactly?
There are three spotlights:
1. The Main Spotlight
The Main Spotlight is the main place for Scribophile members to give and get critiques. It’s divided by genre, like fantasy, romance, fiction, etc. The Main Spotlight is where you should post if you want feedback from the whole Scribophile community, without having to know anyone or ask anyone.
Work waits in line for the Main Spotlight until there’s room for it in its genre division.
Work enters the Main Spotlight as soon as there’s room in its genre.
Work leaves the Main Spotlight once it gets 3 long critiques (critiques longer than 125 words), even if they were received before the work entered the spotlight.
Each genre division can hold up to 8 works at a time. Any more work will wait in line until a work leaves its genre division to make room for more.
You can only have a single work of any genre anywhere in the Main Spotlight at a time, but you can have any number waiting in line for the Main Spotlight.
2. Your Personal Spotlight
Personal Spotlights are perfect for members who have established followers, friends, groups, and critiquing partners at Scribophile. You get more critiques per spent, but it’s up to you to ask your friends, followers, and groupmates to critique your work.
Work enters your Personal Spotlight immediately.
Work leaves your Personal Spotlight once it has received 6 long critiques.
Only your followers and groupmates receive full for critiques for work in your Personal Spotlight.
Personal Spotlight works don’t appear in many site listings. It’s up to you to ask your followers and groupmates to critique your work. Bulletins come in handy for this!
You can have any number of works in your Personal Spotlight at once.
Personal Spotlights are a Premium membership feature.
3. The Beta Read Spotlight
Beta Read Spotlights are for full-manuscript critique exchanges with one or two trusted critiquers, without involving . It’s perfect for members with trusted critique partners who want to collaborate outside of the karma system.
Work enters the Beta Read Spotlight immediately.
Work leaves from the Beta Read Spotlight only when you choose to remove it.
It doesn’t cost to post to the Beta Read Spotlight.
Critiques for work in the Beta Read Spotlight don’t earn .
Works in the Beta Read Spotlight don’t appear in any site listings. You must share access to your work directly with your critique partners (for example, via a private message or bulletin).
The Beta Read Spotlight is a Premium membership feature.
What happens when my work is removed from a spotlight?
After your work is removed from a spotlight, it can still be critiqued for 30 more days. After those 30 days, it’s locked, which means it can still be read but not critiqued.
You can put your work back in line for a spotlight at any time within those 30 days. If you do, the process starts over.
If your work is locked, you can unlock it. When you unlock your work, it’s put back in line for the spotlight of your choice and is eligible for the minimum number of critiques, on top of the critiques it has already received — the process starts over! Check out this writeup on the life cycle of a work on Scribophile to learn more about how the process works.
How do I get my work into the Main Spotlight faster?
The Main Spotlight is divided by genre, like fantasy, romance, fiction, etc. Each genre can hold up to 8 works at a time. Any more works will wait in line until a work is removed from the Main Spotlight to make room for more.
Therefore, the fastest way to get your work into the Main Spotlight is to write detailed critiques for works currently in the spotlight that are the same genre as yours. For example, if your fantasy novel chapter is in line for the Main Spotlight, then critiquing other fantasy works currently in the spotlight will remove them faster, and thus get your work in faster.
As you critique, you’ll also earn — perfect for spending on posting your next work!
But I don’t know how to critique! How will I fill up 125 words?
Critiquing isn’t hard at all, and anyone can do it! We have lots of helpful guides on how to write great critiques in the Help Center at the bottom of the site. Also check out our detailed Academy article on how to write great critiques.