Writing is a skill that can be learned, just like any other. If you’re interested in improving your writing skills, the best place to start is by getting feedback on your writing. Luckily for us, there’s no shortage of ways to get feedback on our writing.
In this post, we’ve listed 14 different options for you to choose from so you can get great feedback on your work and start improving today!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Actively seek out diverse feedback sources. |
| 2. Clearly define the type of feedback you need. |
| 3. Consider both positive and constructive feedback. |
| 4. Be open to receiving critical feedback. |
| 5. Ask for feedback on specific aspects, like clarity and tone. |
| 6. Use online writing communities to gather feedback. |
| 7. Develop a thick skin to handle criticism positively. |
| 8. Encourage honest feedback, even if it’s uncomfortable. |
| 9. Understand that not all feedback needs to be implemented. |
| 10. Give context to your reviewers to receive relevant feedback. |
| 11. Embrace feedback as a tool for growth and improvement. |
| 12. Set aside ego and be receptive to suggestions. |
| 13. Act on feedback that resonates with your writing goals. |
| 14. Thank your reviewers for their time and insights. |
1. Share With People In The Same Boat
The best way to get better at writing is to write, but the next best thing may be to share your work. There are many ways to do this, but one of the most effective and most overlooked is sharing your writing with people who will give you honest feedback.
Here’s why it’s worth spending time finding and cultivating these relationships:
They’ll tell you what they think about your writing, even when it hurts (in a good way). If someone likes your writing, that’s great! But if they don’t like something about it, they’ll tell you so.
And while this might not be fun at first (or ever), hearing an honest opinion is always valuable because it helps us grow as writers and improve our work over time.
They’ll help you gauge what works in terms of story structure or character development or whatever else might matter for your particular project/genre/style/etcetera-etcetera-etcetera…
They can offer suggestions for how things could be done differently or better than before; sometimes all we need is a fresh perspective from someone who hasn’t already been burned out by reading the same old stuff over and over again!
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2. Take Feedback Constructively
A key element of constructive feedback is taking it in the spirit in which it was given. This means not taking to heart any comments that may be perceived as negative or personal (even if they are).
It also means not arguing with the feedback that’s a surefire way to get people upset and stop them from wanting to help you.
If you’re giving feedback, then don’t argue with your own words (otherwise known as “feedback-ception”).
If someone has taken issue with something you said and asks for clarification, then give it but try not to get defensive.
In general, ignore any side commentary from family members or friends who aren’t directly involved; you’ll just get distracted from whatever task at hand there is before getting back to work!
3. Find A Local Writing Group
Local writing groups are another great way to get feedback. Not only can you meet new people and make friends, but you can learn a lot from other writers. You might also learn how to get your writing published, how to write better, and/or how to write more.
If you’re interested in joining a local writing group, there are plenty of options available online. For example:
The Writer’s Store (https://www.thewritersstoreonline.com/) has an international directory of writing groups that include both online and in-person groups organized by genre (e.g., mystery).
MeetUp (https://www.meetup.com/) offers thousands of local groups for just about every interest imaginable including writing!
These organizations don’t require membership fees or dues; all they ask is that members attend at least one meeting per month if possible so that everyone has an opportunity for face time with one another and gets a chance at the spotlight during discussions on topics like plot development or dialogue techniques.
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4. Learn How To Receive Criticism
Don’t take it personally. This is the most important thing to remember when receiving feedback on your writing.
If a reader doesn’t like your story, don’t assume that they’re criticizing you as a person instead of just what they don’t like about your story (for example: “You’re stupid” means that something in the text was poorly written, not “I think you’re stupid”).
Look at the big picture. Your writing is constantly evolving and changing; if someone says something negative about your work, try taking some time to digest it before coming up with an action plan for improvement (see below).
5. Ask For More Than Just Praise
You want to know what your readers think.
You want to know what you’ve gotten right, and where you can improve. But asking for feedback doesn’t mean you’re going to hear only praise and that’s okay! Feedback isn’t just about what’s right; it also helps identify areas for improvement, which is necessary for growth.
Feedback helps you grow as a writer and succeed in your career.
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6. Don’t Ask For A Detailed Review On Social Media
Don’t ask for a detailed review on social media. If you want to get feedback on your writing, be specific. You’ll get better results if you’re specific about what kind of feedback you’re asking for and why.
For example: “I’m writing a character study about someone who works at an ad agency and is struggling with their identity.” Or “This story is about a woman named Jane who gets fired from her job as an executive assistant because she’s been sleeping with her boss.
” Or “Can anyone help me figure out where I went wrong with this essay? It’s supposed to be about how technology has made us isolated but it’s just about my cat.”
7. Hire A Developmental Editor
What Is A Developmental Editor?
A developmental editor is someone who can help you improve your writing by providing feedback on content, flow, structure, and mechanics.
They’re not just proofreaders – they will point out places where you need to make major changes for your writing to be more effective.
Why Should You Hire A Developmental Editor?
If you want to improve the quality of your writing, then hiring an editor is a must. Editing will help ensure that all aspects of your manuscript meet industry standards for grammar and punctuation as well as for overall readability (or clarity).
Additionally, having another set of eyes look at what you have written can give valuable insight into how readers might perceive it – this kind of pre-publication validation helps ensure that there are no major flaws or issues with the content before it goes out into the world!
8. Have An Orientation For Your Beta Readers
Once you’ve established a relationship with your beta readers, it’s time to share with them what type of feedback you are looking for. It’s always good practice to set expectations early on so that your book will be as successful as possible.
To do this, you can send out an email or have a phone call conversation with them explaining the following:
- What kind of feedback do you need from each person (e.g., a general overview, character development comments)
- How many pages or chapters they should read before sending their thoughts back at once (This will depend on how much time each person has)
- Which parts of the book they should focus on when giving their opinions (i.e., no spoilers!)
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9. Don’t Fear Rejection Letters From Agents And Editors
Rejection is part of the process. If you get a rejection letter from an agent or editor, don’t freak out. It doesn’t mean that your writing is bad. It just means that this particular agent/editor didn’t love it enough to represent it.
Rejection letters are not personal agents and editors have tons of submissions to go through every week, so they have to be very careful about who they can take on as clients (or help publish).
They won’t usually say why they rejected a manuscript; rather than focusing on what could be improved in future submissions, try thinking about how close you were to getting published by placing yourself in their shoes:
If this manuscript had been submitted by anyone else, would I have taken them on? Would I put my name behind their project?
10. Ask Direct Questions, But Not Much More Than That
Here are a few things that you should avoid when asking for feedback:
Don’t ask too many questions. You can always ask one or two clarifying questions, but if you’re asking so many that it feels like you’re doing the project yourself, your point will get lost in all the noise.
Don’t ask for too much detail. It’s better to leave room for interpretation than it is to have a laundry list of corrections and edits.
Don’t ask for too many changes at once or any at all! If people don’t feel like they know what they’re contributing yet (like if this is just an idea), give them something concrete to work with before launching into a massive request list.
Don’t ask for too much feedback in general; try not to overwhelm anyone with too many opinions on every aspect of your piece!
This isn’t about getting everyone’s input on everything; rather than delving into specific details about things like grammar or punctuation errors (which might be off-putting).
Focus instead on what conceptually needs work and why those concepts might need improvement or revision altogether
11. Figure Out What Kind Of Feedback You Want, Up Front
Before you even ask anyone to read what you’ve written, figure out what kind of feedback you’re looking for. Some people are only interested in receiving compliments and reassurance.
Others want a critique that’s as blunt as possible they may be writing in a genre where brutal honesty is valued more than vague praise.
And still, others would rather not have their work criticized at all: they just want someone to proofread it before publishing it on Amazon (or whatever).
The more specific your requests are, the better chance those requests will be met: if someone spends an hour reading something and then writes back with “I liked this,” that doesn’t tell you much about what has been helpful for them or where your weaknesses lie.
When giving feedback yourself, try not to go overboard with compliments either it can make people feel like they’re not being honest enough or holding back something critical from fear of hurting someone else’s feelings.
However much praise is appropriate depending on how close you are to the person; if they’re family members or longtime friends, then by all means shower them with praise so long as it feels genuine!
12. Don’t Edit As You Go Or Take Feedback As You Go
Don’t Edit As You Go
This is a big one. When you write, don’t be thinking about editing. When you read over your work and make changes, that’s editing; when you write something and then change it later on because of some feedback, that’s editing too.
Editing is part of the process, but if you spend all of your time trying to get everything right before moving forward through a draft or chapter-by-chapter, you’ll never finish anything!
Don’t Take Feedback As You Go Or At Least Not All Of It At Once
Take individual pieces of advice from different people and apply them slowly: if one person says “I don’t understand this” then maybe now isn’t the best time for them to see this particular passage;
But maybe later on in the story would make sense because now they’ve gotten more context about what’s happening around here?
You’ll have plenty of time later on down the line when they’re less likely to miss anything important just because they didn’t understand something right away (or even worse: only understood half).
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13. Start Writing In Public
In addition to the normal methods of getting feedback on your writing, I’ve found that there are a few other ways that can be beneficial.
Start a blog or join an existing one. There are many great blogs out there that will welcome you with open arms if you have something to contribute. You can post your work and ask for feedback, or just read through others’ posts for inspiration (or even just entertainment).
Join a writing community or start one yourself. An online writing community such as Writer’s Cafe could be just what you need to get going in the right direction.
It allows writers of all levels and styles to share their work, provide constructive criticism on each other’s work and motivate each other along the way!
14. You Can Find A Lot Of Opportunities To Get Good And Constructive Feedback
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback when you need it, and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback on your writing. It doesn’t matter who you’re talking to a friend, a teacher, or a stranger everyone can help you improve your writing skills by giving constructive criticism.
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from people in public spaces or private spaces where there are no eyes or ears but yours and theirs (or maybe one more).
It doesn’t matter if the place is crowded or empty; if you want honest feedback on something that matters to you, go ahead and seek it out!
If all else fails? Go back through your old college papers and see what mistakes could have been avoided with this advice in mind!
Conclusion
There are many ways of getting feedback on your writing. You could join a local group, hire an editor, or even get a critique partner. But it’s important to figure out what kind of feedback you want upfront so that you can ask for it and find someone who can give it to you.
If no one in your area can help with this type of thing, try looking online or asking people on social media. So if I haven’t made myself clear already: don’t be scared to ask! The worst that will happen is that people say no
Further Reading
Improving Your Writing Skills: Enhance your writing prowess with practical tips and techniques to engage readers effectively.
4 Tips for Giving Great Writing Feedback: Learn valuable strategies for providing constructive feedback that helps writers improve their work.
Getting Feedback on Your Writing: Explore the importance of receiving feedback and discover ways to use critique to enhance your writing.
FAQs
How can I enhance my writing skills?
Improving your writing skills involves consistent practice, reading widely, and seeking feedback from peers and mentors.
What are some effective tips for giving quality writing feedback?
Providing helpful writing feedback requires being specific, focusing on strengths and weaknesses, offering actionable suggestions, and maintaining a respectful tone.
Why is feedback important for my writing journey?
Feedback is crucial for growth as a writer. It provides insights into areas that need improvement and helps you refine your writing style and technique.
How can I solicit feedback on my writing?
To receive valuable feedback, consider joining writing groups, workshops, or online communities where fellow writers can review and critique your work.
What’s the role of feedback in the revision process?
Feedback plays a pivotal role in the revision process by offering different perspectives on your work, helping you identify areas for improvement, and ultimately refining your writing.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
