The Life Cycle of a Work

When you post a work for critique, it enters a very simple cycle. Here’s what the cycle looks like.

1. Your work is in line for a spotlight.

The work life cycle

Your work can be critiqued, but for reduced karma points.

After you post your work, it’s placed in line for a spotlight.

Most members post to the Main Spotlight, which will allow anyone on Scribophile to critique your work.

Members in groups, or with lots of followers or critique partners, often choose to post to a Personal Spotlight. Your Personal Spotlight allows for more critiques, but you have to ask your network to critique your writing.

2. Your work is in a spotlight.

The work life cycle

Your work can be critiqued for extra karma points.

Once your work is is in a spotlight, critiquers get extra karma points for critiquing it. After your work receives 3 long critiques (or 6 long critiques for Personal Spotlights), it’ll be removed from that spotlight — even if those critiques were received before your work entered the spotlight!

3. Your work has left the spotlight.

The work life cycle

Your work can still be critiqued, but for reduced karma points.

After your work leaves a spotlight, it can still be critiqued for 30 more days. Now it’s up to you to do some marketing legwork to get your followers and others to read and critique your work!

4. Your work is locked.

The work life cycle
Your work can’t be critiqued or commented on any more, but members may still read it.

30 days after your work leaves a spotlight, your work will be locked. You can still edit, delete, or otherwise manage it, and other members may still read it, but nobody can critique or comment on it any more.

After you work is locked, you have the option of unlocking it for another 5 karma points. When you unlock it, your work keeps all the critiques it’s already received, and the work life cycle starts over from step 1!