Giving Feedback That Benefits Other Writers

No writer is immune to messy drafts.

Not you, not me, and not the writer next to us

We all need feedback - those objective pairs of eyes who can look over our stories and point out the flaws and strengths, the things we might not have been able to see.

While reading craft books and listening to writing podcasts help us improve our writing, I’d argue that one of the best ways to grow as a writer is to get feedback.

Since it seems like most questions surrounding feedback are about you as the recipient, I thought that today I’d look into you as the giver of feedback. I’ve collected 5 key tips on giving feedback that benefits your fellow pen wielders.

Ready? Let’s dive in.

1. Give Reader Reaction

Nothing makes the author smile more than one key thing: reader reaction. These are the thoughts and reactions that pop in your head as you read their work, not to be mistaken with the paragraph discussing a character’s internal flaw you spent ten minutes mulling over.

These can be quick as a smiley face at a cracked joke, or a “Oooooh!” when a twist of expectation slithers to the surface. I’d be careful not to bombard the comments with every single reaction you have, and to definitely put some more thought out comments and questions, but it does help the author know the immediate, ‘live’ reactions you have as you read.

2. Be Specific

There is nothing more frustrating than a vague answer.

“Where’s the fly swatter?” “Over there.”

Specificity is key to giving the author good feedback. Pinpoint your question, praise, or suggestion. I’ve been guilty of passing over a problem with a quick “This doesn’t sound right”, but I realized later on how unhelpful that was. Dig into what you are trying to say because telling the author there is a problem in chapter 3 without telling them what the problem is isn’t going to help anyone, especially not the author.

3. Treat It Like A Real Book

Now, I don’t mean ‘treat it like a real book’ as in, having huge expectations and thinking that this is a tightly polished manuscript gone over with a fine tooth comb 37 times.

Treat it like a real book in the way you read it. One time when I was Beta reading a project that had a loose deadline, I found myself going a week or more without reading it, then sitting down and getting confused very quickly. I’d been out of the world and scene for so long it was making it hard to give feedback because I couldn’t recall what had happened. The characters' reactions weren’t making sense because I’d forgotten the conversation that passed between them in the last scene.

Chances are, you don’t read two pages of a book then set it aside for two weeks before jumping back in again. So - read this book the way you would normally read something. Give this book the time and attention it needs to make it shine.

4. Know What Feedback The Author Is Looking For

I can’t stress this enough. Most of the time, the author will have set out clear guidelines on what kind of feedback they are looking for. Don’t dissect and analyze the prose when they asked for feedback on character arcs.

Read the guidelines they gave - and not just once. Review them as you read or find yourself pointing out every single thing. Remind yourself what kind of feedback they specifically asked for, and give it to them.

5. Be Honest

Maybe you are like me and you hate giving negative feedback.

It might seem cruel to you, knowing how much time and effort the author put into writing the book, only to have you find some major flaws or consistent problems throughout the manuscript. It’s much easier to praise them for a flash of imagery or witty banter between two characters and move on, ignoring the issues.

But the thing is this: The author asked you for your opinion and feedback because they wanted their book to improve, not to float in a stagnant pool of praise.

They are trusting you with their book, trusting you to give them the feedback they need to make it better, to polish their little gem baby until it shines the way they always wanted it to. They might not be able to see that fleck of dust obscuring a certain part, but if you can, then say it! Not in an abrasive, accusing way, but in a way that says hey - I see the potential in this book, I see what you’ve done, but in order for it to bloom into what it was meant to be, this part needs to change.

Now it’s your turn!

Do you think you will be implementing all of the tips above? Or do you have any thoughts to add on this topic? What benefits you the most as the recipient of feedback?