Recently, another writer I know pulled her book down from a writer’s site where it was posted. I was surprised because it was getting good reviews. On this site, writers give each other feedback. Sometimes it’s simply glowing praise, sometimes it consists of in-depth critiques with suggestions intended to improve the work. She said her decision was based partly on the fact that she was receiving a lot of conflicting advice, which confused her more than helped her. Some of the advice, I had noticed, would have meant making major changes to her story, like removing subplots.
On our way to publication (let’s all think positive), we writers often seek feedback from other writers. We want to know what their reactions are – did they laugh at th humorous parts and cry at the sad ones? We also want to know if we’re getting the technical aspects right, like pacing, punctuation and word choice. A fresh pair of eyes can pick up on embarassing typos, or enlighten us to a basic flaw in our plot or character arcs. In short, we want someone to help us put all the pieces in the right places so our work will be undeniably brilliant and therefore merit publication.
But when is feedback worth paying attention to and when is it not? Hmm, sorry, I can’t answer that. Why? Because ultimately, only the agents you are querying, the editors considering your work, and the consumers deciding whether or not to buy your book are the only ones that matter… and you. If the suggestion or feedback flips a switch in your brain and rings true, apply it. If not, don’t. Trust your creative intentions. You can’t write by committee. Even books by bestselling authors are not going to be loved and adored by everyone.
On our way to publication (let’s all think positive), we writers often seek feedback from other writers. We want to know what their reactions are – did they laugh at th humorous parts and cry at the sad ones? We also want to know if we’re getting the technical aspects right, like pacing, punctuation and word choice. A fresh pair of eyes can pick up on embarassing typos, or enlighten us to a basic flaw in our plot or character arcs. In short, we want someone to help us put all the pieces in the right places so our work will be undeniably brilliant and therefore merit publication.
But when is feedback worth paying attention to and when is it not? Hmm, sorry, I can’t answer that. Why? Because ultimately, only the agents you are querying, the editors considering your work, and the consumers deciding whether or not to buy your book are the only ones that matter… and you. If the suggestion or feedback flips a switch in your brain and rings true, apply it. If not, don’t. Trust your creative intentions. You can’t write by committee. Even books by bestselling authors are not going to be loved and adored by everyone.
