Lying in the sweet spot between anonymity and accountability, Reddit offers a unique place for people to share ideas, seek advice, and collaborate. Of course, sharing work online opens us up to criticism, and not everyone behind their screen is equally kind. But for writers looking for a fresh take, an outside perspective, or a safe and anonymous place to share, Reddit can be a surprisingly soft place to land.
For those interesting in reading, learning, sharing, or otherwise perusing the literary side of Reddit, we’ve compiled a list of our six favorite subreddits for poets and writers.
r/WritingPrompts
With 14.1 million “promptians” as this group likes to call its members, r/WritingPrompts is one of the largest writing-related threads on Reddit. Poets and writers looking for a chance to exercise their skills, find fresh ideas, or try something new will enjoy this friendly subreddit.
New writing prompts are posted by the hour, and writers can respond with short stories or poems. Poets are simply asked to add [poem] to their post titles. As a plus, the subreddit has a theme for each day of the week, like “Tuesday teaching,” “Wednesday wildcard,” “Friday feedback,” and more.
r/OCPoetry
Over 52,000 poets frequent this popular subreddit. Created for original content only, one of the things that makes this forum great is its golden rule: you must give feedback to get it. Members must give feedback on at least two posts before posting their own work. While moderators don’t require you to write a novel, they do offer some guidelines on how to provide good feedback to be sure that participants are giving full effort and getting the most out of the experience. Plus, you’ll find a writing prompt in the thread from time to time.
r/KeepWriting
With just over 37,000 members, this encouraging subreddit is dedicated to motivating writers and helping them stay consistent in their growth. r/KeepWriting is open to writers of all kinds—from poetry to personal narrative, and beyond. Members can give and receive feedback, search for writing tips, seek advice, or talk about anything under the writerly sun.
r/selfpublish
Writers dipping their toes in the world of indie books will enjoy this humble subreddit. With nearly 36,000 members, participants can discuss just about anything in the world of independent publishing. Writers, poets, publishers, editors, and folks from all over the industry post questions, offer advice, and alert each other on upcoming opportunities.
The group has only two rules: no promotional posts and no spam. However, the group allows a weekly self-promotion thread where writers can share a bit about themselves and their work.
r/WritersGroup
If you’re in the market for a quiet writer’s group with few rules, this subreddit might be for you. With just under 19,000 members, this thread provides a space for sharing and constructive peer-review. There are no give and take requirements, but the comments section seems active enough on its own. Short stories, prose, and poetry are welcome here.
r/poetry_critics
Poets of all experience levels and genres are welcome to this thread, but those looking to share with a smaller group may enjoy the less than 13,000-member party. r/poetry_critics is not too different from the larger r/OCPoetry, as it also enforces a 2:1 critique rule—critique two poems before posting your own. In addition to the 2:1 rule, the forum also enforces some guidelines in critiques, including no swearing or slurs, and no critiques that are meant to tear down the writer.
