When You Hate The Beta Feedback

Getting beta readers is an important step in editing your novel. Beta readers can pick up on little things you would never have noticed. Spelling mistakes, clunky sentences, inconsistency in plot, beta readers can let you know all that you missed.

But feedback is hard to take.

Beta Readers are humans, just like me and you, they have lives and personalities and debt. They have all the drama that comes with being a person.

Sometimes what they say is blunt, sometimes it's wrong, and sometimes it's neither - but you still hate it.

That's okay, it's okay to hate the feedback.

You don't have to implement anything your beta readers say. This is important to remember. Your story. Your words. Your voice.

But if the majority of your beta readers are pointing something out, you need to run through this list - exactly what I did when I hated the feedback:

1) Slam your laptop shut.

It feels good and cathartic behaviour is what you need right now.

2) Get a glass of water and walk in circles.

Water is healthy and airing out your brain with fresh air is calming.

3) Re-read the feedback.

It's surprising how much the feedback has changed once you've calmed down. Your perspective might have changed and you might now see that there was no harm in their words.

4) Write the feedback on a post-it note. This is important, it must be a post-it note.

That's it. Writ eit on a post-it note.

5) Read through other beta feedback.

If there is anything similar (or the same) that other betas are saying, note this down and note down how many times this feedback is mentioned.

6) If the majority of beta readers are saying the same thing:

Listen and implement in a way that you see makes sense.

OR

7) If no one else is saying the same thing:

Screw up the post-it note and throw it across the room.

Either way, no matter what you choose to do with the feedback, always screw up the post-it note and throw it across the room - you'll feel a lot better.