You’ve received your editorial feedback, you’ve had time to read it through and let any big emotions ease, and now you are ready to make some choices and changes.
But how?
In my last blog post, 5 ways to prepare for and handle editorial feedback without losing confidence, I discussed how to manage the emotional side of receiving editorial feedback, but the practical side can be just as hard – if not harder.
The criticism might have knocked your confidence. You might have decision paralysis. Or maybe, you don’t know how to implement your editor’s advice.
That’s all okay, and it becomes far easier to tackle when you break it down.
So let me help you do this.
Step 1; What is your editor saying?
Depending on the editor your feedback could come as;
- A comment explaining the issue. E.g too much telling in this section, showing would be better.
- A comment that explains the issues, and what effect it has on the reader. E.g. There is too much telling in this section, showing would be better to reduce the authorial presence, to allow the reader to experience the story rather than feel like they’re being micromanaged while reading it.
- A comment that explains the issues, what effect it has on the reader AND gives you an option on how to solve the issue. E.g There is too much telling in this section, showing would be better to reduce the authorial presence, to allow the reader to experience the story rather than feel like they’re being micromanaged while reading it. Utilise your dialogue, and its subtext, to show Character A is feeling angry in her grief and doesn’t feel like Character B understands.
These aren’t the only 3 types of comment you could get, nor is any of them wrong.
Firstly, an editor’s feedback style is unique and should be discussed prior to booking with them.
Secondly, the comment could depend of what part of the novel they are commenting on and if they’ve raised that type of feedback before.
Whatever the feedback there is a reason why your editor thinks implementing it will improve your story. As in the example, too much telling over showing can be frustrating for the reader, so the feedback will improve the reader’s experience.
Even if your editor hasn’t explained why they’ve suggested a change, consider how it would impact either the story or the reader, and you’ll likely find your answer.
This is important so you can decided whether or not to take the feedback on board.
Step 2; Decide what feedback you DON’T want to follow
Once you’ve understood the editorial feedback, and the reason your editor has suggested the change, it’s time to discard the feedback you don’t want to implement.
I find this is easier to do first so that your focus moving forward will be improving your story in the ways you do want to change it.
Deciding what advise you don’t want to listen to can be as simple as a gut feeling, or it can be a deeper consideration.
A couple of steps you could filter through are:
- Is the feedback applicable to your story? – There’s an off chance an editor has misread something or missed a detail somewhere. They are only human, so you can disregard these comments. (However, remember your editor is reading your story as a reader, so there’s a chance your readers could miss small details too so many consider making them more obvious).
- Does the feedback change something fundamental you want to keep in the story? – It’s okay to have some hard boundaries of what you are not willing to remove. I’d also suggest talking about these with your editor up front.
- Will the feedback improve my story or readers’ experience? – If you don’t think so, then the change might not be necessary.
- Do you just not like a piece of feedback? – Honestly, that’s okay too. However please consider the feedback’s purpose before you disregard feedback because of this.
Remember, any piece of feedback you decide not to use won’t just disappear. If down the line, you think it would help the story, you can implement it at anytime.
Doing this first, just helps focus on the feedback you will be using.
Step 3; Give your brain space to think
Now you know what feedback you are going to implement, next is to look at the how.
For simple changes, or ones the editor has already provided a solution which you like, just make the change.
However, sometimes it isn’t that easy. There could be;
- Bigger changes that affect multiple parts of the story.
- An issue raised by your editor but no example solution offer to use so you don’t know how to correct the problem.
- Your editor provided a solution but it doesn’t quite work for you.
In these 3 situations, the change needs a bit more thought.
If you’re feeling stuck trying to think of an idea to incorporate the feedback, I recommend getting a little space. I will always recommend sitting with feedback for at least a couple of weeks to bring clarity to your decisions, but also to read over the feedback a few times, read over part of your story again with the feedback in mind, and, most importantly, give your brain the space to be creative.
A quiet mind leaves space for creativity.
That’s why your best ideas always come at the weirdest times; like when you’re out and about on a walk, or when you’re just about to go to sleep.
Sometimes when you are trying to force ideas, they are nowhere to be seen, so give your brain the space to think about the problem in the background. Soon ideas will pop up out of the blue that will help to figure out how to implement the changes that will make your novel improve.
Which leads us to our last step.
Step 4; implementing those changes
A small change can be easy.
Just jump into your document, make the change, and Bob’s your Uncle, you’re done.
However, a big change, like reworking a scene or chapter, or an even bigger change like fixing a plot hole, can be incredibly daunting to tackle.
You could feel like it’s rewriting your whole book, or the hours of work ahead could feel like too much. Whatever the road bump, it’s frustrating, lowers confidence and is a lot of work to get over.
But once you’re on the other side, you will be a step closer to having your finished novel in your hands.
Easy to say, harder to do – I know.
So just like everything else in this blog post, take it a step at a time.
- Pick one piece of feedback.
- Plan what you’re going to change in the story to include it.
- Assess if anything else needs to be changed as a result.
- Then, write it in.
Don’t be hard on yourself if finding the motivation to do this part doesn’t come immediately. And don’t worry if it takes a few attempts to get the change right.
Next steps
For newer writers, it can be helpful to have a second round of editing completed to make sure the editorial feedback was incorporated in the right way. This doesn’t have to be a full edit, but can be a report, or maybe a book coaching meeting to discuss the changes.
This isn’t required, but it can help with confidence while you’re getting used to the editing process.
I always offer packaged services with Developmental Editing to include a number of Book Coaching sessions after providing the feedback. A lot of my clients find them helpful.
Recently, a client of mine was overwhelmed by the number of comments in her editorial report, but during our first coaching session we broke them up into sections, one looking at theme, another looking at character, a third looking at minor plot holes. Over the session not only did she feel better, but she was flooded with ideas which she brought into the next meeting.
Conclusion
It can be tough to know what to change about your writing after receiving feedback, especially if you are stuck with too many ideas or none at all.
There are steps you can take to find clarity, but remember, the most important part is that you keep working on your novel. Feedback isn’t saying your manuscript is rubbish, it’s recognising your novel’s potential and guiding you to make it stronger.
If you’re still unsure of what to do with the editorial feedback you’ve received, Get in touch for a free 10-minute chat, where I can answer your questions or book a coaching session for an hour of dedicated focus for us to work through the feedback together.
FAQs
I’ve just got my editorial feedback, now what do I do? – First, take some time to let the advice sink in. Second, read it over a few times and see what the editor is trying to improve about your story. Then, decide which parts of the feedback you want to implement and how you want to implement them. Scroll up, this blog will give you a lot more advice.
What type of manuscript editing do I need? – This can be tricky to know, especially for new starters. Check out my blog post – The 5 Types of Fiction Manuscript Editing – to see which one you are ready for.
Should I get a Developmental Edit or a Copy Edit done first? – A Developmental Edit comes before a Copy Edit. If you’re not sure what a Developmental Edit is for, have a look at my blog post – What does a Developmental Editor actually do?.
Is it okay to not listen to all the editorial feedback I got? – Yes, absolutely! No matter what feedback you got, the novel is still yours. Which means every decision is yours. However, I would suggest reading the feedback and taking time to consider it.
What kind of comments will my editor give me? – This depends on; the type of editing you are having done, your editor, and the issues they will highlight in your manuscript. You can talk to your editor beforehand to ask about their communication style with this, or to ask for comments in a certain way.
Will an editor look at my work again after I make the changes they suggested? – Most commonly, no. Not unless this was agreed to prior to signing the contract. Most editing services, unless a package, only offer one round of editing, however some can include add-ons. For example, you can book a Developmental Edit with me to include Book Coaching sessions after I provide my report to go through any questions. I’ll always suggest checking with your editor though.
How can I find an affordable editor? – Editing can be expensive due to the editor’s time and knowledge that goes into the service, however there are ways to find affordable editing. I have a whole blog post of tips, so check it out – Why Fiction Editing costs so much, and 5 ways to make it more affordable.
Where else do you post advice? – What a great question. You can find Glass Quill Editing on Facebook, Instagram and (my favourite) Substack! I’m always happy to connect to writers, story lovers and other editors, so follow along.
