The process of obtaining constructive insights from others can take many forms, but the best feedback captures objective reactions and actionable suggestions.
Satisfy Your Readers’ Expectations!
Use 12 page workbook and the prompt-based worksheet to plan and execute getting feedback. The work you put into identifying people willing to help can make a significant difference in the quality of your story.
For example:
- Writer’s Critique Groups: Individuals with a common goal of writing a full-length novel can provide valuable feedback.
- Alpha Readers: These are people willing to give you feedback even though it’s a first draft.
- Beta Readers: After one or more updates from earlier suggested improvements, beta readers give additional feedback.
- Options: You have more options, but this initial feedback from non-professionals followed by a professional edit helps you update and improve content.
Options (Before and After Getting Feedback)
- Trellis Method: Use the Trellis Method to develop and arrange your story in a familiar pattern expected by target readers of your chosen genre.
- Self-edits: Clean up as much of the story structure, spelling, grammar, and style as you can before getting feedback from others.
- Computerized Edits: Use a rules-based app that helps you find and fix spelling, grammar, and style issues.
- Alpha Readers: Build relationships with people who will give you feedback on your earliest works even though it probably contains many errors.
- Beta Readers: Cultivate a diverse group of readers who will give you feedback on later drafts, helping you understand what works in the overall story.
- Professional Edits: Hire a professional who will help you evaluate the overall story and fix any issues that would prevent target readers from enjoying your book.
- Proofreading: After you’ve formatted your book for publishing and got a proof copy, you and others methodically proofread to identify and fix any errors that occurred during preparation for publication.
Free Overview
Click Step 9: Get Feedback to download an overview of the feedback process.
Author’s Bio
Grant P. Ferguson developed his reading superpower as an under-tall kid in grade school. After balancing on tiptoes to pluck a science fiction novel from the library’s top shelf, it was love at first reading. Like a nerd turned super hero, books transformed his ordinary life into an extraordinary genre mashup of thriller, romance, and faith. He studied writing, and like a mad (but not evil) scientist, turned his research into the Trellis Method. From their ‘Fortress of Solitude’ in Central Texas, Grant and wife share their love of writing.