I recommend that new writers take advantage of critique groups in order to learn about the publishing business and the craft of writing. Writing courses are expensive and often not as helpful as a good critique group.
But there are bad critique groups too. Really bad. I’ve seen authors stop writing because of harsh treatment or even bullying in a writing group.
The trick is to find a good one that works for you. That means paying attention to the red flag warnings that show a group has gone over to the dark side. In-person groups seem the most susceptible to bad behavior, but I’ve heard of some pretty nasty stuff happening in online groups as well.
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog 