FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
Please read this page before e-mailing us your question.
Q: Once I join LWS must I attend each meeting? Or may I come and go as schedules allow?
A: There is no obligation to attend any meeting. We created critiquing groups because this is what our members really wanted.
Q: Will you read my novel and tell me what it needs? Will you help me find a publisher or agent?
A: Unfortunately, the answer is "no" to both questions.
While members will give you and your work their devoted time and sincere attention if you attend one of our critique groups, most of them do not have the time to do more for you.
We do not provide free editing services.
Neither are we agents or publishers.
We are probably a lot like you. We are writers busy with projects and, like you, we have a million things nagging at us for time and attention.
So please don't send us an email asking if someone will read your novel and tell you what it needs because we just can't do it.
But if you bring the first chapter of your novel to one of our critique groups, the group that meets will be happy to give you honest and helpful feedback, along with their friendship.
If you feel the feedback you receive is valuable, then you can bring your second chapter to the next meeting, and so on. Some of our members have read entire novels to their critique groups over the course of several months and gotten valuable feedback while also giving feedback on the work of others. If you think this may work for you, we invite you to give it a try.
Q: How will I know when you meet?
A: Meeting times are listed on our home page and meetings are consistently held. If you want to confirm a meeting time, there is contact information (an email address) for those who host our critique groups. Contact the hosts directly and get on their email lists. They will inform you if they have a need to cancel or change one of their critique group meetings.
General meetings are always held at the Landon Branch of the London Public Library at 7 p.m. on the 3rd Thursday of each month with two exceptions:
There is NO MEETING in July.
December's meeting is a holiday party that is held at a location to be announced.
If you want to be placed on an email notification list for general updates about London Writers' Society events, please send an email requesting this to:
president(at)londonwriterssociety.ca
Q: How do I get on your notification list?
A: send an email request to:
president(at)londonwriterssociety.ca
Q: I signed up for Clyo's newsletter. Now that she has discontinued it, how do I unsubscribe from her list?
A: To unsubscribe:
1) Open the the last email you received from Clyo. Scroll to the bottom where you will see a link for changing your subscription options. It will look like this:
2) Click on that link, then click on the next that says "unsubscribe."
Q: Is there a policy of copyright and non-disclosure? I am assuming that those who attend adhere to a policy of copyright and non-disclosure? Or else those in attendance would not provide a very open discussion of ideas, or story lines. Or does one take one’s chances?
A: We believe that the feeling of mutual encouragement, peer support and pride within LWS and similar groups is too strong for the members to ever want to use another's work.
You’ll find that - as our members work together, help each other, and support each other's goals of getting published - the bond between us becomes very strong.
You’ll make good friends within the group, and find that mutual trust and respect is paramount.
Like any other group, a writing society is very close-knit and word gets around very quickly. No one I’ve ever known as a writer would risk losing the trust and respect of his or her peers.
Q: Are there requirements I need to meet in order to join the LWS? Are there prerequisites to joining? Or just a desire to write and/or discuss writings?
A: The London Writers’ Society exists for the benefit of every and all writers of all genres who are over the age of 16.
We believe that writers - like artists - need ‘colonies’ in order to grow, flourish and create, and this is what we are engendering in the LWS.
Our current age range is from 16 to 106! We’re here for you.
Q: Is there a cost to join LWS? If yes, please explain. I see that there is no cost to attend the general meetings at the Library, but what about actually joining the society?
A: Membership in the London Writers' Society is $25 per year and supports core activities and administrative needs which include:
- renting venues for specific meetings
- paying stipends to speakers
- paying for our domain name and webhosting
- printing fliers for events
- chequing account fees
- postage and stationery
- hosting our end-of-the-year holiday party
There is no charge to attend our general meetings which are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month, but any organization incurs costs. So participation in our critique groups is restricted to our paid membership.
We do not, however, expect you to pay for something "sight unseen." So we invite you to attend a couple of our critique groups so you can see if association with our society will be of benefit to your growth as a writer.
If you decide that our organization is for you, complete an application and either bring it to a meeting in person or mail it, along with a cheque for $25, to: London Writers' Society Membership, Suite 124, 1030 Adelaide St. N. Unit 1, London, ON N5Y 2M9.