Here is a list of known electronic workshops on the Internet that handle SF/F/H. If you know of or run one you'd like to add, just email me the data for it.
Name: Online Writing Workshop
Cost: has a monthly fee
URL: http://sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com/
Email:
support@sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com
Genres: Horror
Established: 2001
Synopsis of membership requirements: Valid e-mail address, agreement
with member terms
Number of members: 100+
Max # members: none
Has pro writers among members: Yes (see Hall of Fame page)
Ballpark time from submission of ms. to when it gets reviewed: 1-2
days for first review, 1-2 weeks for full complement of reviews
Ballpark number of critiques you'll receive: average is currently
around 4, with almost all receiving 2 or more, and some receiving up
to 20 (average word count of reviews ranges between 300 and 400 words)
Name: SFnovelist Writing Workshop
URL: www.sfnovelist.com
Email: See web site.
Genres: SF (hard science)
Established: 1997
Synopsis of membership requirements: Anyone can join for a free six-month
trial period. After that, you must pay dues to continue membership. This
helps ensure that only serious writers continue. Submissions are restricted
to "hard science" SF novels. You must critique three times as many words as
you wish to submit before you can submit.
Number of members: 40+
Max # members: none
Has pro writers among members: Yes
Ballpark time from submission of ms. to when it gets reviewed: a few days
Ballpark number of critiques you'll receive: 5
Name: Gotham Writers Workshop
URL: http://www.writingclasses.com/scifi
Email: office@write.org
Genres: SF
Established: 1992
Description: Gotham Writers' Workshop, New York City's largest creative
writing school, offers comprehensive writing classes in NYC and online at
WritingClasses.com. Classes include Science Fiction Writing Online, Also:
Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Business, Screenwriting, Poetry, Children's
Books, & more. 10-Week, One-Day classes in NYC and Online, for adults/teens.
Call 212-WRITERS or visit www.WritingClasses.com
Name: Online Writers Group
URL: http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?s=29cbc74228c1cc213fec2a072bdb64d1&
Email: kelleyarmstrong@kelleyarmstrong.com
Genres: SF/F/H/R
Established: 2003
Synopsis of membership requirements: Anyone can join, but to remain
a member you must submit at least two substantive critiques a
month. "Substantive" means a detailed critique not just a few lines of "I
liked this." Line edit critiques are not uncommon.
Number of members: OWG is split into smaller groups which serve as
the primary feedback source, although everyone is free to and does critique
outside his/her own group. Current membership is approx. 55,
excluding the "newbie" group through which all new members must
pass.
Max # members: none
Has pro writers among
members: Yes
Ballpark time from submission of ms. to when it gets
reviewed: Members post chapters or other WIP with a max word count of 3600
each month. Critiques must be posted within the month. Private
arrangements can be made to exchange entire manuscripts.
Ballpark number of critiques you'll receive: 4-5 per
month
Name: Critique Circle
URL:
http://www.critiquecircle.com
Email: info@critiquecircle.com
Genres: All
Established: October 2003
Synopsis of membership requirements: Anyone can join, but we work on a
credit-system -- You earn credits by critiquing the works of others and
spend credits when submitting your own work
Number of members: 40+(and growing rapidly)
Max # members: none
Has pro writers among members: Yes
Ballpark time from submission of ms. to when it gets reviewed: 2-4 weeks
Ballpark number of critiques you'll receive: 5-10
Name: My writing group
URL:
http://www.mywritinggroup.com
Email: support@mywritinggroup.com
Genres: SF, F, H, and more, possibility to create new forums upon request.
Established: 2005
Synopsis of membership requirements: valid email address, must be approved by board mods.
Number of members: <100
Max # members: none
Has pro writers among: One is published
Ballpark time from submission to getting critiques:
2-4 is a good number, but this is not
due to inactivity, but due to the fact that the site is designed
for members to join smaller, private groups to get feedback on their
work. The groups are strictly private to protect the publishing rights
of one's work.
Ballpark number of crits received: people don't just critique you once. All depends on member base. So far, about 2-3 due to most being inactive at this time. First crits (the line by liners) can get very long.
Name: Carnival of Wicked Writers
Cost: Free
URL:
http://freezenerve.proboards32.com/index.cgi
Email: Contact Critter James Swingle at jswingle@noneuclideancafe.com with
any questions.
Genres: H
Established: 2004
Synopsis of membership requirements: Anyone can join. Members are expected
to post a minimum of two critiques for every story they post.
Number of members: 50
Max # members: None
Has pro writers among members: Yes
Ballpark time from submission of ms. to when it gets reviewed: 1-3 days
Ballpark number of critiques you'll receive: 3-6
Name: Spoiled Ink Writing Community
Cost: Free, or from $ 2.50 pr. month for extended membership
URL:
http://www.spoiledink.com
E-mail:
support@spoiledink.com
Genres: All genres are welcome
Established: 2003
Synopsis of membership requirements:
There are no membership requirements, but you get what you give.
Max # members: Infinite
Has pro writers among members: Yes
Ballpark time from submission of ms. to when it gets reviewed: Depends on
you activity.
Ballpark number of critiques you'll receive: Depends on your activity.
There's one run on Orson Scott Card's Hatrack River site, but I have no experience with it.
Critter member Amy Sterling Casil runs one on AOL (she says you need not be an AOL member except to participate in chats); contact asterling@aol.com. It looks like it's at: http://hometown.aol.com/sfwwmoder/index.htm
Critter member Fraser Ronald runs a fantasy oriented workshop, The Fantasy Writers' Workshop.
Critter member Sigrún Erna Geirsdóttir runs a Critters-like workshop in Iceland (in Icelandic) at http://www.rithringur.is (rithringur means "writing circle").
Sasha Miller runs one on Compuserve (but you have to be a paying Compuserve member).
Project Galactic Guide is an internet writing project for amateur SF humourists. Also has newsgroup, alt.galactic-guide.
Other Worlds Writers' Workshop, http://www.otherworlds.net