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How to get and give feedback


If you're a writer, you know how important feedback is. Feedback can help you improve your skills, polish your work, and get new perspectives. But feedback can also be tricky. How do you get feedback from different sources, such as peers, editors, or readers? And how do you balance getting feedback with giving feedback to other writers? In this blog post, I'll share some tips and tricks on how to get and give feedback. This can be a tricky space and I'd love to hear any tips or tricks that you've used that have worked well, or not, whatever the case may be.


Two overarching observations that I would make is firstly to remember that feedback is very subjective. We don't all like the same things. Something that you might rate as a 5 star, can't put down read, someone else may DNF, and vice versa.


Secondly, particularly when receiving feedback, remember that this is your work. Just because someone says the character called Justin would come across better if you called him John doesn't mean you have to change it. Consider all the feedback, absolutely, but only make changes that feel right to you, that feel right for the story, and discard the rest with a polite thank you to the contributor.


Getting Feedback


Getting feedback is essential for any writer who wants to grow and learn. However, not all feedback holds the same value. Here are some ways to get feedback from different sources and how to use it effectively.


  • Peers: Peers are other writers who are at a similar level of skill or experience as you. They can offer valuable insights, suggestions, and critiques of your work. To get feedback from peers, you can join a writing group, a workshop, or an online community. You can also ask a friend or a colleague who writes to swap stories or articles and give each other feedback. Social media is also another space where you can get peer feedback but as with everything on social media, including this post, 'buyer beware.' Do your research where you can. There are communities where you can swap reads and connect with readers. When getting feedback from peers, remember to be respectful and open-minded. Don't take criticism personally or defensively. Instead, use it as an opportunity to learn and improve.


  • Editors: Editors are professionals who can help you polish your work and make it ready for publication. They can offer feedback on various aspects of your writing, such as grammar, style, structure, clarity, coherence, and accuracy. To get feedback from editors, you can hire one, submit your work to a magazine or a website that has editors, or ask someone who has editing experience to review your work. When getting feedback from editors, remember to be grateful, attentive, and cooperative. Now this can be where it gets a little tricky, because you're usually paying for a service at this point.


    There are some 'schools of thought' that suggest that you shouldn't argue with their suggestions or ignore their advice. To use it as an opportunity to refine and enhance your work. I'm not completely convinced that I agree. Yes you should work collaboratively and respectfully with your editor and if your editor is part of your publishers team you may have less lattitude as to what you can accept or ignore.


    However, if you are working with an editor that you've engaged separately I would suggest that, much as any other feedback, consider whether what they recommend works for your story. I know that's going to upset some readers, but I've worked with editors and on both occassions they were lovely. However, the first one was only working on an extract of one of my books so when they made suggestions that were contrary to what comes later I said that I wouldn't be making those changes. I explained why and yes, there was some back and forth where we both put forth our arguments in support of our positions, but at the end of the day I wasn't about to make changes that didn't feel right, that weren't consistent with the character. In the end she persuaded me on some of the edits she suggested, but not all, and I do think the writing was stronger for going through the process.


  • Readers: Readers are the people who consume your work and enjoy it (or not). They can offer feedback on how your work made them feel, what they liked or disliked about it, and what they learned or gained from it. When it comes to 'readers' there are also different kinds of readers, of course there are I hear you cry. There's the one we're most familiar with and they're the one's who read the final product. They may or may not leave a review on platforms like Goodreads or Amazon.


    If you've been following this blog you'll also be familiar with Advance Copy Readers (ARC) Readers. These are the readers who you engage with when you are about to publish to obtain reviews of your book prior to publication. Then there are Beta readers. I love beta reading myself because it provides an opportunity to shape the read, to provide feedback to the writer during the development stage. I have my own team of beta readers and I also am on a couple of beta reader teams. There's platforms such as BookSirens, StoryOrigin and BookFunnel to name a few where you can sign up to find beta readers. When getting feedback from readers, remember to be humble, curious, and appreciative. Don't dismiss their opinions or take them for granted. Instead, use them as an opportunity to understand and connect with your future audience.


Giving Feedback


Giving feedback is not only a nice thing to do for other writers but also a great way to improve your own writing skills. By giving feedback, you can practice your critical thinking, analytical skills, and communication skills. You can also learn from other writers' strengths and weaknesses and apply them to your own work. Here are some ways to give feedback to other writers and how to do it effectively.


  • Be specific: When giving feedback, don't just say "I liked it" or "I didn't like it". Instead, give specific examples of what worked or didn't work for you and why. For example, "I liked how you used dialogue to show the characters' personalities" or "I didn't like how you switched the point of view in the middle of the scene".


  • Be honest: When giving feedback, don't lie or sugarcoat your opinions. Instead, be honest about what you think and feel about the work. For example, you can express your opinion by saying "I think this story needs more development, but it has potential." or "I feel this article lacks originality but it is well written." Another tip here, if you are going to use 'but' statements to compare a negative element and then suggest a solution, I personally prefer to put the negative first before the 'but', then the solution.


  • Be constructive: When giving feedback, don't just point out the flaws or praise the virtues of the work. Instead, give constructive suggestions on how to improve or enhance the work. For example, "You could add more sensory details to make the setting more vivid" or "You could cut out some unnecessary words to make the sentences sharper."


  • Be respectful: When giving feedback, think about how you would want to receive what you are about to share. Be respectful with your tone and language. That said, you don't need to be apologetic about it, you can hold strong views and still be respectful. If you are too apologetic then the writer may discount your feedback alltogether.


When I'm giving feedback I think to myself two things, "how would I feel if someone wrote this about my work", and "would I say this if they were sitting in front of me." For me the second question is the most important, especially in an age where keyboard warriors, especially anonymous ones, are everywhere.


Feedback is a powerful tool for any writer who wants to improve their craft and reach their goals. By getting and giving feedback from different sources, you can become a better writer. I’ve also listed below some resources I hope you will find helpful.


Resources



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