If you are a new writer, you’ve probably read advice that you should get some feedback before publishing.
While that is not entirely wrong, it can be misleading or misunderstood. It depends on many factors, including what you’re intending to publish.
The major flaw is in thinking that the more feedback you can get, the better. Why? Because in most cases, you’ll be getting opinions online from strangers who may or may not be qualified to offer you sound advice.
The other factor to consider is whether you are seeking feedback to improve your writing or only as a source of validation.
Feedback for writers comes in many forms
I see many writers seeking feedback on forums such as Reddit, and it’s great that new writers can so easily access advice.
However, I wouldn’t necessarily class this approach as genuine feedback because it’s so often only opinion.
And that’s a crucial difference when you’re looking for feedback.
For some writers, and authors in particular, the luxury of having a professional editor to guide them is a rarity now.
But the reality for most writers is that you are on your own. If you are an author, it often means searching for beta readers or joining online forums. Unless you’re working with a professional editor, you’ll usually be relying on volunteers, fellow writers, friends, family members, or online communities.
While for opinion or informational writers, feedback might come from blog comments or social shares after publishing. This trial-and-error approach can help improve your writing over time and even give you clues to edit existing articles.
Poets and short story writers also have plenty of opportunities to join dedicated online forums for support and encouragement.
But all of these avenues have something in common. They tend to sway heavily towards people offering opinions rather than useful feedback.
You also need to be clear about what your aims and expectations are. Do you want grammar advice, style tips, character assessment, or feedback on your story development?
Another factor to think about is whether you can handle criticism. Because that’s what you’ll usually receive, and this can be jolting if you had hoped for validation that your writing is wonderful.
How to filter feedback to help you
When you seek feedback, expect that it will arrive in different shapes and forms.
Because of this, you should avoid taking any one comment to heart. It’s better to look at the whole rather than the individual.
If you get three or four comments saying that you’re overusing the passive voice, that’s a terrific piece of collective feedback that you can and should act upon.
However, one or two saying that they don’t like you using the serial comma is irrelevant.
What you really want is feedback that helps improve your writing rather than comments that simply reflect personal taste.
That’s why new writers can experience problems, because it can be hard to stand back from personal criticism and only focus on the useful pieces of advice.
Whenever you receive negative feedback about your writing, it can be tough to handle.
But in some ways, it’s a good test of your ability to handle criticism, which is a constant that all experienced writers and authors know about.
You might be writing your first book and would like to know if readers will like it. So you turn to online forums to see if you can get any reaction.
In doing so, even if you may not realize it, you could get a taste of what to expect from book buyers’ reviews.
If you look at it that way, whatever feedback you get, whether positive or negative, can help you decide if your book is ready to publish.
Sure, if it’s a painful experience that attracts a lot of criticism, it will hurt.
But it’s better to feel disappointed before you publish than to receive very poor book reviews on, say, Amazon, for example.
On the other hand, don’t necessarily take occasional praise as a guarantee of success. A handful of positive comments can be encouraging, but they are no more reliable than a handful of negative ones.
What I’ve learned from feedback
When I was young, there was no internet. The only feedback I could get was from friends and family.
I learned quite quickly that everyone was being nice to me. “Oh, it’s lovely,” from an endearing aunt wasn’t much help.
My English teachers were a little better, but only from a strict grammar and structure perspective.
However, later, when the internet arrived, I was thrilled that I could interact with other writers for advice, support, or criticism.
I also jumped straight into creating a blog, and the comments helped me enormously.
My blog was a mixture of everything, including anecdotes, short stories, poetry, and even a recipe or two.
But from the early comments I received, a common thread started to develop. I was making careless mistakes, such as spelling and grammar errors, punctuation mistakes, and a lot of typos.
Luckily, I could correct my mistakes, and I made sure to reply to comments that noticed my errors to thank them.
It was a valuable learning period for me, and I still think a blog is a great way for new writers to learn the writing craft.
When I started writing books, I was better prepared, but definitely not a perfect author. But exchanging views with other authors helped a lot.
As for feedback, I learned quite quickly that I had to sift through a lot of advice and opinion to find the real gems.
One I recall was when I was stuck at around chapter eight and couldn’t find a way forward.
“Think about what your characters would least like to happen next.”
It was an eye-opening idea, and it helped me get my story moving again.
Another instance was much later. A fellow author sent me an email with this message.
“Do you realize that you have started three books with a knock at the door?”
Oh dear. Yes, I had, and never noticed.
That’s the kind of feedback that can be invaluable because it’s almost impossible to spot your own habits after staring at your writing for years.
Do you need to get feedback before publishing?
No, yes, and perhaps. It’s a trite answer, but true.
The answer depends less on writing ability and more on the type of writing you’re producing and the consequences of getting it wrong.
If you are writing articles, blogging, or newsletters, you don’t have time to wait for another opinion. Your feedback will come from your readers over time.
For new authors, yes, it’s better to get feedback, opinions, and even advice before you publish.
The other option is to publish and see what happens. But you’re risking a string of poor reviews that could damage your book’s chances of selling.
For other forms of writing, such as poetry and short stories, perhaps joining a relevant forum or social site could be beneficial in getting feedback on your work.
It’s always your choice because everyone is different. You might be confident and experienced, and don’t need a lot of help.
Whereas for new writers, a little advice or encouragement can help improve their writing.
Summary
Feedback can often be mistaken for harsh criticism rather than supportive advice. And learning to accept criticism is not always easy for new writers.
However, it comes with the territory.
It might feel hard to accept or be uncomfortable at first, but over time, you learn to filter the assessment of your work and only take notice of what is relevant and useful.
As you develop your writing skills and understanding of the process, it becomes much easier because you learn to accept and respond to constructive criticism.
You might even decide in time to help other writers by offering some supportive critique.
Getting feedback before publishing is good advice. But only if it is beneficial and not simply an opinion or personal preference.
Related Reading: You’ve Written It: Now Where To Publish Your Writing
