So much of learning to write well hinges on accepting feedback from multiple sources, including alpha readers, beta readers, and editors—and knowing how to use it to improve your manuscript. But since everyone is an imperfect human with their own backgrounds, experiences, moods, and personality, it’s not uncommon to receive feedback that is counterintuitive, perplexing, or downright wrong. It’s also not uncommon to feel unsure about whether feedback you’ve received will ultimately be helpful or harmful for your book.
When you’re trying to sort through feedback from alpha readers, beta readers, or editors, here are several strategies to help you figure out what is useful and what should be respectfully set aside.
Take Time to Let the Feedback Sink In
In some cases, we might not be sure what to do with feedback because our brain needs more time to absorb it. We might also need more distance from the work itself in order to see it more from the reviewer’s perspective. If you feel this might be the case, try setting aside both the feedback and the work in question for a few weeks or months. Returning to it with a fresh brain often does wonders.
I experienced this firsthand last year when I paid a highly-respected editor to review part of one of my manuscripts. While I was eager to incorporate her feedback, I realized that I didn’t quite know how to do it yet. So I set it aside for quite awhile, only returning to it when I felt fully ready to dig in again and see my work from her seasoned perspective.
Consider the Source of the Feedback
This is especially important, I feel, when workshopping with critique partners, beta readers, or less experienced editors. How much experience do they have in the business of writing and providing feedback? Are they experienced writers or avid readers of your genre? Are they familiar with the current trends and norms of both the publishing marketplace in general and your genre specifically? Are they basing their feedback on personal taste or on direct experience? Do they hold any obvious biases that might skew the way they view your work?
Look for Corroborating Feedback
If you’ve received feedback from multiple credible sources that are saying the same thing, chances are you should seriously think about incorporating it into your next draft. But because everyone approaches this process a little differently, you’re bound to get a few one-off comments that seem obviously out of touch. While just one person can raise a valid question or concern, if a concern is voiced by only one person and it truly doesn’t make sense, you’re probably safe to discard it.
Consider Your Style, Vision, and Goals
Unfortunately, well-meaning people can make suggestions that, if incorporated, will move you further away from your identity as a writer and the vision you have for your book. This is especially the case if the person giving the feedback hasn’t taken the time to understand your intended purpose and goals. If you’ve received feedback that ignores or bypasses your original vision or wants you to change your core voice or identity, it’s better to file that in the “unhelpful criticism” category.
Wrapping Up
Returning to my experience with my editor last year, when I finally returned to my manuscript, I didn’t blindly accept every comment and suggestion she made. Even though I’d paid for her advice and I trusted her extensive industry background, I carefully evaluated every comment before changing anything. I made notes to myself. I asked myself a lot of questions. And because I took plenty of time to carefully think through her edits, I was able to sort the comments that would help my manuscript (which ended up being the vast majority of them) away from the handful that didn’t quite fit.
While receiving and using feedback is vital to your growth as a writer, feedback should never be accepted blindly, no matter the source. Take your time and evaluate every point carefully. Use what works, and leave whatever doesn’t behind. Your book—and your writing skills—will be much stronger for it.
Happy writing!
Related: Navigating the Beta Reading Process