Got Feedback as a Writer? Here’s How to Make Sense of It

Every writer needs feedback to improve. But in this video, I share how to make sense of the data others give you so you know how to revise.

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https://youtu.be/5oGS3iM5VGY

When I was still pretty green as a writer, I wanted to make adjustments every time anybody sneezed on my manuscripts. I couldn’t help it. I thought they were infinitely wiser and more experienced. I didn’t realize I could say no to anything.

But now I understand that we’re diverse. We have different ways of thinking. That’s part of the beauty of being human. What it means for writing is that it’s OK to disagree with someone’s assessment. They might have a good point, but that point might not be worth the headache of a revision. Is it going to influence how the majority of readers perceive the content? If not, you can probably politely decline to revise.

When you have many people telling you something similar, however, that’s USUALLY a huge red flag. That kind of feedback tells you there’s something you didn’t consider that does warrant your time.

The caveat? When you’re writing something that’s controversial. You might have tons of people who scream at your content in that instance. But that doesn’t mean you are wrong. So, even when you have a common thread among your readers, you have to assess what the message is and the context you face around it. Sometimes it takes strong writers to stand their ground to get anything worthwhile said.

Image credit:
Gerd Altmann from Pixabay