the dos and don’ts of giving critique
my critique process & how I approach “gray areas” in offering feedback
I wouldn’t be where I am without the beta readers and mentors I’ve met along the way, so being able to help others in the same way is something I love doing.
Over the past few years, I’ve critiqued around 30 full manuscripts, and have felt myself grow from only noticing surface-level issues to being able to identify deeper problems, and wanted to share what I’ve learned along the way!
(Disclaimer: Different readers will have different critique processes and habits. This is my approach, which others might not resonate with on either the feedback giving or receiving side.)
part one: types of critique partners and critique
First, some brief definitions for those who need it!
Types of readers
Alpha reader: A reader for a first draft.
Beta reader: A reader for a draft that’s been through some level of revision.
Critique partner: A reader you can discuss with to brainstorm solutions in depth.
Types of feedback
Developmental: Focuses on broader issues such as themes, character arcs, stakes, motivation, general world-building. Generally leads to big edits.
Scene level: Focuses on the finer points of execution such as scene to scene connectivity and cohesion, delivery of world-building/backstory…
Line edit: Focuses on polishing the story for grammar and coherency.
Positivity pass: This is a trick question because the author is not asking for feedback, only support. This post is not for positivity reads, but at the end I address a conundrum that might arise from it.
part two: what projects should I take on?
I feel it’s important to first note the important of knowing one’s limits as a beta reader. Since the writer on the other end is relying on your feedback to guide their revision, it’s important to be sure you’re up to the task.
Before taking on a manuscript, here are some things to consider:
Can I make the deadline?
On the writer end, it’s stressful to wait on feedback when you might be reaching easier months of work/school and have time to dive into the next draft. On the beta end, it’s a terrible feeling to turn in feedback late only to realize you missed the deadline and the author has already started revising. So don’t overwork yourself and make sure you’re up to giving feedback in a timely manner!
Can I give helpful feedback?
To critique a story in depth, you should be familiar with its genre and age range. If you’re not, it’s best to let the author know the extent of what you can do and if that’s acceptable to them.Am I willing to make this commitment?
Unless there’s money involved, I’m not critiquing a book I wouldn’t be interested in reading. Aside from making sure the pitch intrigues you, it’s safer to ask to read a sample before deciding to commit.
Remember: it’s okay to say no.
It might hurt the author in the moment if you tell them this isn’t a good fit (which you should do gently!!) but it’s better in the long run, since rushed or unenthusiastic feedback may end up doing more harm than good.
(I’m not above fudging and saying I don’t have time.)
part three: before reading…
Before diving into the book, it’s super important to ask the author what they’re looking for, to not only avoid giving feedback that isn’t necessary for them at this stage, and to go into the story with the correct mindset.
Here are common “asks” I’ve seen and how I adjust my reading mode based on them:
“This is a rough draft and I just want to see if it’s vibing.”
This means the story is very mutable. Therefore, I’m not putting my energy on little inconsistencies. I’m thinking very big picture: how to strengthen character arcs, world-building, and plot tension on a very broad strokes basis.“I’m mostly looking for feedback on x and y elements, but not z.”
For an early draft, this might mean the next round is going to focus on x and y, and feedback on z might only stress and distract the writer. For a late-stage draft, this might mean the author is happy with z but knows they want to work on x and y more. Either way I obey these rules, but if I have strong thoughts on z, I take notes on the side in case the author one day wants them.“I’m don’t plan on big edits and want only scene-level feedback.”
This might be because the writer believes the story is ready, their agent/editor has approved a general outline, or they can’t deal with this book any more (mood). Thus, I’m focusing on the granular details: how a heist is pulled off, continuity & cohesion, whether the scene sequence is off, where emotions could be deepened…“I’m not looking for line edits.”
Usually this is because the book will go through more edits and the exact wording will change—therefore in general I’d say to always obey this and don’t give unwanted line edits! At most, I’ll comment on a recurring pattern, but that’s all.
(But what if you have feedback you feel strongly about that doesn’t adhere to the writer’s request? I’ll address that later…)
part four: dos and don’ts and gray areas
Onto the actual act of giving feedback.
There are no hard and fast rules, since every reader and writer will have different habits. However, here are some fairly essential dos and don’ts I would adhere by, to avoid crushing a writer’s will and to maximize the help you can offer them, followed by my personal preferences for how to deal with gray areas.
Do:
Give positivity: Without positive comments, it can be easy for someone to feel their book is entirely trash, and knowing what works is important, as it can provide a starting point for what to enhance and maximize in the story.
Be specific: Usually, a writer doesn’t know they did something wrong. If feedback is too generalized, eg: “some emotions felt forced,” that might leave the writer without direction. So do give examples, and leave relevant in-line comments.
Dig deep: Something might feel “off” for unclear reasons, but saying only that is unhelpful. Instead, try to figure out “why” you’re not connecting, and do your best to examine the foundations of the story for flaws, to ensure the writer won’t work on a skin-deep solution then have to rewrite down the line.
Give suggestions if possible: A huge issue being pointed out without accompanying suggestions can create despair. If you have suggestions, I’d offer them—but only if they work organically with the story. (Note: as a writer, I reject most outside suggestions, but they get my brain juices flowing because that instant ooh or yuck reaction proves me with direction.)
Organize your feedback: As it’s already overwhelming to receive feedback, it’ll help the writer if you do a little extra work to pre-organize for them and group feedback into digestible categories (by character, by world/character/plot, etc).
Don’t:
Use unnecessarily harsh wording: Avoid “this is boring,” “I hate this,” “this character is unnecessary,” “cut all this” and other terms that provide more sorrow than actionable feedback. Use gentler terms: “the tension could be increased by…” or “these descriptions might overwhelm the reader at this point.”
Offer feedback when the author isn’t ready to hear it: Don’t DM the writer with criticism, as they might not be prepared to receive it (it can really ruin one’s day). Keep it to your document or your notes, and deliver them all at the end.
Beat them over the head with a beat sheet: While I follow beat sheets, I’m of the mind that writers who don’t never appreciate it being preached at them. “You should be at x plot point by now” isn’t useful without a reason why things feel off “outside” of a beat sheet’s restrictions. Again, I’d examine the deeper reason it’s not working, and deliver that feedback instead.
Belittle the writer: Aside from obviously not saying things like “you should not be a writer,” a more subtle thing to avoid is giving off the sense you don’t trust their writing. This can manifest as questioning everything instead of trusting the writer will reveal things later. (This can be tricky—I’ll address it soon.)
Hijack the story with your preferences: It’s important to figure out whether criticism stems from a craft problem, or because things aren’t going the way you’d prefer. Try to seek the heart of a story, and resist going in with a pre-established belief of how it “should” go (or with a mind to make it as commercial as possible.)
Gray areas:
What if I’m not enthused by the overall prose? What if the wording is uninspiring or flat but there’s technically nothing wrong with it?
I don’t mention it. For one, everyone’s preference differs. For another, I believe prose is 95% learned through experience. At most I’ll point out phrasing that deviates from the overall prose.What if I’m confused by something but it’s explained only a little bit later?
If it’s only a curious itch I want to scratch, I let it go. If my confusion decreases my immersion or investment in a character decision, then I mention it. (Though some books are meant to be difficult to parse at first…however I believe the author needs to gain trust with the reader to pull that off.)
What if I feel something is wrong but just don’t know why?
I always at least pin down what *kind* of wrong I’m sensing before leaving a comment. If I can’t, I hold back until I reach the end and see if I still feel that way.What if I’ve identified a huge issue but don’t have suggestions for how to fix it?
I would still mention it, but if a solution remains elusive, I think a misguided solution is worse than nothing, so if I’ll leave it at “I’m up to brainstorm.”What if they’re asking for scene feedback only but the story needs big edits?
This depends on the writer’s emotional state. If they’re burnt out, odds are they aren’t ready to accept such feedback. If it’s more a case of them not realizing the story needs big edits, I might take notes on my own and mention gently that I noticed bigger things and ask if they’re open to hearing more.
Same issue but for a positivity pass?
I don’t give criticism, because I wouldn’t have read critically to begin with and simply saying “I didn’t like it” only serves to demoralize instead of help.
part five: my critique process
This is shaping up to be a long post, so I’ll go through my process in brief for those interested! My feedback is fairly extensive, and I regularly take 20+ hours on each manuscript. When putting my all into it, I provide three things:
In-line comments
Positivity and screaming is a must!
Critique on logic, information delivery, and dialogue flow.
Notes of where more descriptions or emotions could be needed.
How granular I get depends on how ready the story is on a big-picture level.
I also jot down big picture things I’m fairly sure I’ll still feel are important by the time I finish the story (but might add “jury’s still out,” etc).
Chapter summaries
At the end of every chapter, I summarize what happens. This is for me to look back on when writing an edit letter, and also has the potential to aid the author in seeing what the reader’s takeaway of the scene is.
Aside from that, I think back on not only the arc of the chapter, but the progression of the story so far. My notes here can be both chapter-focused (“a previous subplot seems to be dropped in this chapter”) and/or encompass broader arcs (“thus far, character A’s motivations aren’t clear enough”).
Edit letters
After finishing a story, I provide an edit letter to present a more cohesive and broad-scale feedback. This generally focuses on developmental issues.
First, I skim my comments to refresh myself on the plot, copy down the bigger issues, and delete comments that seem unnecessary in retrospect.
Next, I move my notes around to group into categories and work on slimming down and combining similar feedback. In doing this, I’m searching for fundamental problems linking multiple issues and brainstorming solutions.
While writing the letter itself, I always give a compliment sandwich, and usually start each section (world/character/plot) with what I liked about it.
And that’s a wrap on my very lengthy post about giving critique. Next month I’ll write about critique on the receiving end—how to find readers, how to know your book is ready for critique, how to digest feedback, and the dos and don’ts of it all—so stay tuned if you’re interested!