Whether you’re editing your novel on your own or have hired an editor, getting reader feedback is essential. You need an external pair of eyes to identify problems that you, as the writer, will be too close to see. The best way to do this is to share your manuscript with beta readers or have a manuscript evaluation performed by a professional. However, these readers aren’t editors and can have their own biases. It’s important to understand these issues and learn how to recognize what comments to heed and which ones to ignore.
As the beta reading process begins, set your ego aside and don’t react to the initial feedback right away. Give yourself a few days to let the comments roll around in your head and digest them. It’s easy to misunderstand a comment or get defensive at first read, but it’s worth revisiting the criticism later and keeping an open mind.
The type of feedback you receive will depend on the person and their experience with your genre. If you’re writing a mystery, for example, your readers might be more apt to provide specific suggestions on how to improve the plot or characters based on their own personal experiences with similar stories. This type of feedback can be helpful because it’s more actionable and geared towards making the story more relevant to your target audience.
Other times, authors send out fairly polished manuscripts to their beta readers and are looking for feedback on lingering plot holes or overarching character inconsistencies. It’s important to know the difference between this type of feedback and the more subjective comments that are based on a reader’s opinion or bias.