When Is Criticism Helpful for Writers (and When Should You Avoid it)?
What criticism is worth taking and what's not?
When you're a writer, just like any other artistic person who shares their work with the world, you're going to get feedback. Some feedback will be genuinely helpful, some will be "feel-good" feedback from friends and family who are proud of you, and sometimes, you might get feedback that is just unkind.
It's important to know when you should ask for constructive criticism and when you should avoid it. Of course, we can't cover every possible case of when you should or shouldn't be open to feedback, and different people will have different tolerances for critiques in general. However, we can give you some insight on when to be open and when to politely disregard feedback.
Helpful: Requesting constructive criticism from other writers, beta readers, and/or editors after your draft has been completed and self-edited.
Getting feedback from other writers, beta readers, or editors can feel terrifying for some people—I know I wanted to melt into the floor the first time I received constructive criticism on a story!
Over time, though, I realized that the responses other writers and beta readers gave me weren't personal attacks on me or my work. They actually wanted to help me. And having worked with editors and now being an editor myself, I recognize that a good editor should offer constructive criticism in a respectful, fair way. We love reading, and we want to help writers bring the best versions of their stories into the world.
It's important to note that you don't want to share your draft with other writers, beta readers, or editors too early, though. If you share a messily thrown-together draft with lots of grammar mistakes, major loopholes, and weird character dynamics, you're going to set yourself up with a lot of extra work. Instead, share a polished draft that you've reviewed yourself (and ideally use some sort of spellcheck on, too!). It's okay if there are some minor mistakes, but by sharing a cohesive draft, you're going to get clearer critiques that can actually be helpful.
Unhelpful: Purposely reading hateful critiques or reviews after your book has been published...with a caveat.
While not every writer will experience this, many writers have unfortunately received rude reviews or critiques after their work has been published. We're definitely not saying that you should ignore any feedback after your book has been published, though. Yes, it's annoying to hear about a mistake after you've put in a lot of work, but most people are well-intentioned, and if you do get consistent feedback about something, you'll know to look out for that issue in your next project.
What we're talking about here is super negative reviews that are mean-spirited. Even if a reader dislikes your work, which is bound to happen eventually, you need to recognize the difference between hateful reviews and low reviews that have potentially useful feedback. Some authors prefer not to read their low reviews at all in an effort to avoid getting upset, and others read them and sift through the authentic reviews and those that are unhelpful. It's ultimately up to you to decide what works best, but we definitely don't recommend you look for those crass critiques.
A quick caveat: if you do happen upon a harsh, unfair review, while you might be tempted to respond, this is rarely a good idea. Getting into an argument with someone who's trolling for attention or who wants to get you angry isn't a good use of your time and energy. Take a deep breath and know that it's not a reflection of you or your work, and then move on.
Helpful: Acknowledging that you are often your own worst critic.
I don't know about you, but when I look at something I wrote, my mind sometimes can't help but pick up on small mistakes or things I'd do differently now. It's not intentional, but it's definitely a buzzkill. In some instances, it's made me question whether I should keep writing or revising, and I've wondered if my work is worth sharing.
As I've talked to more writers, however, I've learned that this is actually really common. Frequently, we're our own harshest critics. And sure, it's good to be mindful of ways to improve, but if you're always focusing on what's wrong, you might miss out on what you're doing well, what people like about your work, and, importantly, the fun of writing!
Whether you've written a book or are sharing a blog post, recognize that you might be critiquing yourself more ruthlessly than necessary. Try to have a balanced perspective and remember why you started writing in the first place!
Overall, criticisms from others and yourself can be helpful, but not all criticisms are shared with the same intentions, so it's up to you to take some things with a grain of salt (or ignore them altogether if needed) and recognize valid critiques as kind suggestions meant to improve your writing.
How do you handle critiques as a writer? Share your experiences with us below; we appreciate hearing from you!
If you are writing a book and want a hand, let us know! Our team—Kim, Emily, and Jean—would love to help you with creating your book. If you'd like to talk about your idea or want advice, we are here for you. Even if we don't work together, I'm happy to share what I know. Book a 30-minute complimentary consultation by clicking here:
https://www.kwepub.com/consultation
We look forward to hearing about your incredible book project.
Write on!
Kim Eley
KWE Publishing
“If there’s a book you want to read but it hasn’t been written yet., then you must write it.”
—Toni Morrison
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Resources:
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