Finished Manuscript? Here’s How to Get Feedback Before You Publish

There are two types of feedback: Constructive and not-so constructive. 

When you’re publishing a book and want the best book possible, then the constructive kind is the one you want, but how do you get feedback before you publish? 

Becoming an author can be exciting, especially if it’s your first book. Sometimes you want to shout it from the rooftops and share your work with anyone who will listen, but NOT SO FAST!

Some of the most soul-crushing advice can be disguised as constructive criticism. What steps can you take to ensure you get helpful critiques? Here’s how to get feedback before you publish to ensure your book is in the best shape possible.

Why is feedback a good thing?

It’s one thing to create art just for the sake of it. Then it’s more about the experience and what it does for you in the process rather than what other people think about it. That’s how most of us feel about hobbies. They are what we do to relax or just have fun. 

But, when we want to get paid for our art form—our creations (books included), what other people think is a part of the sales equation because:

Consumers buy what they like. This will become even more apparent once you start getting some reviews on your published book.

There’s no way around it, and in order to know what they like, you have to ask them. This is where feedback comes in. 

As I mentioned, all feedback is not created equal. Writing, along with art in general, is subjective. This is why knowing your audience’s expectations and then meeting them is the clearest path to success. But you don’t want to lose your heart and the thing that makes you, you, in the process. 

Let’s take a look at the two types of feedback. 

Constructive feedback refers to comments that support your desire to create the best book possible for your intended audience. 

Unconstructive feedback is hollow and offers no value. 

Both types of feedback can be positive or negative, so it’s up to you to determine what you will keep and what you will throw away. 

Consider these points when looking for constructive feedback:

1. Look for unbiased feedback. Family and friends may struggle with this because they don’t want to hurt your feelings, usually. To make sure they give you the feedback you need, give them a list of questions (see the next section) to guide their responses.
2. Get a cross-section of reader types within the book’s genre. Don’t limit yourself to your email list or family and friends. Consider social media groups, writing forums, and in-person writing groups. 
3. Know the type of feedback you’re looking for (e.g., for fiction, character development, plot points, climax, etc.; for nonfiction, argument assessment, book length, content flow, solution)
4. The reader’s experience. Do they read a lot of books in your genre? Are they casual readers, professional writers, or reviewers? How many books do they read a year?

What are the hallmarks of helpful feedback?

• Helpful feedback is constructive. It’s not just an “I like it,” or “I don’t like it.” It includes the whys behind the response. Once you know the whys, you can decide if the criticism is constructive or not.
  
  Let’s say, hypothetically, that two people read your manuscript and say they don’t like it. The first says your protagonist feels flat and is hard to get excited about. While the second one says they didn’t like the protagonist because they had a pet dog, and they are a cat person.
  
  The example is a bit extreme, but it happens. People have all sorts of reasons for not liking a book. Just take a look at the one-star reviews on bestsellers. It’s not to say that their points aren’t valid, but often, they are just not the right reader type for the book (Hint: The three-star reviews of books are often a better gauge of the book’s strengths and weaknesses. One and two-star reviews tend to just make you feel bad.)
• Helpful feedback is supportive. Do you remember that teacher in high school who seemed like their joy in life was to fail as many students as possible? Well, that’s probably not the best type of person for feedback. The person who wants to pound you just because they can is not a good thing. Look for people who have your best interests in mind. 
• Helpful feedback is a good fit for your needs. You are the author, so you know the message that you want to send out into the world. Everyone is not going to agree with how you say something, your opinions, or your character’s motivations. Know fundamentally what you don’t want to change and stick to it. If someone gives you feedback that’s contrary to the foundational elements of your story, it’s okay to disregard it (unless it’s just too good to ignore). 

How to get feedback before you publish

There are a few ways to get feedback before publishing. When your manuscript is finished, consider the following feedback paths:

• Beta readers: Beta readers are readers you bring into the publishing process to give you feedback on your manuscript before it is published. For their feedback, the author provides a free copy, usually a PDF, with a request for them to return their feedback within a specified time. Alpha readers can also be used. They come at the beginning of the writing process to validate your book idea. 
• Book assessment. Book assessments are performed by book professionals like book coaches, editors, and writing teachers. They offer feedback based on their area of expertise and knowledge of the book market. 
• Critique partners. These invaluable feedback readers are those you’ve selected to walk with you throughout the writing process. The partnership is based on a mutual agreement to provide helpful feedback to each other. 
• Contests: Many writing organizations offer writing contests for unpublished and published authors. Cash prizes are often awarded, as well as manuscript feedback. Contests usually require an entrance fee. When selecting a contest, look for reputable organizations, and research the judges’ backgrounds, so you know the type of feedback to expect. Try the contest list here or here for upcoming contests.
• Paid writing workshops: Writing workshops are a great way to be around like-minded writers as well as industry professionals who can offer a manuscript assessment. These types of critiques are often by appointment and based on availability. 

Setting expectations

To get the best feedback for your needs, it’s important to establish feedback criteria. This is especially useful with casual requests from family and friends, critique partners, and beta readers. Book professionals like editors, book coaches, and contest judges will have their own feedback criteria. 

For non-paid critiques, follow these basic guidelines:

1. Provide expectations in writing. It’s important for feedback to be measured by the same criteria. This will make it easier on you as you’re going through the feedback and easier on the reader, so that they know what’s expected of them. Remember that they are helping you, so treat them with kindness and respect their time. 
2. Give them a list of 5-10 questions that you’d like them to think about while reading. More than 10 questions can distract from the reading experience. If you want more questions answered, consider dividing your readers into groups with each group receiving specific questions (e.g., character development questions, plot questions, pacing questions, etc.)
3. Request a reasonable turnaround time: Give them enough time to read the manuscript. Three or four weeks is reasonable. Everyone’s schedule is different, so you want to always respect the reader’s time; however, you don’t want to give them so much time that they put off reading, or you become stressed because of pending deadlines. 
4. Keep only what you can use. Assess the feedback based on usefulness and set the others aside. It might be tempting, but don’t change things in your manuscript because someone suggests it or doesn’t like something. Everyone has an opinion, but this is your book, so your opinion matters most.
5. Watch out for blind spots and your feelings. Receiving criticism is hard, but if it makes your manuscript better, try to put your feelings on the shelf and do what’s best for your book and your audience in the long run. Strong feedback isn’t always easy on the ego, but if it makes the book better and you a better writer, it’s worth the discomfort. 

Sample questions

Here’s a list of questions to provide your readers. Remember that 5-10 questions are best, but if you want more, consider grouping your readers and giving each group their own specific questions to answer. 

Fiction

1. How did you find the story’s pacing? Too fast? Too slow? Where?
2. Did the opening chapter make you want to keep reading?
3. Were the main characters’ motivations clear? 
4. Did any of the characters feel flat or need more developing? If so, which one(s)?
5. Did the characters’ relationships feel real?
6. Did any part(s) of the story not make sense? 
7. Did the dialogue flow naturally between characters?
8. Did the story meet genre expectations? If not, what was missing?
9. Was the conclusion of the story satisfying? 
10. Were there any twists in the story that surprised you?
11. Were the settings easy to visualize?
12. Was there anything you loved about the manuscript? Disliked?

Nonfiction

1. How was the book’s pacing? Too fast? Too slow? Where?
2. Was the information presented clearly?
3. Was the order of the information easy to follow?
4. Was any area of the book confusing? Which chapter and section?
5. Did the tone of the book fit the subject matter?
6. Was the book too long? Too short? Just right?
7. Were the diagrams, images, tables, etc., easy to understand?
8. Was the book’s subject matter relevant to you?
9. Did the introduction and conclusion, start and finish the book effectively?
10. Did the book offer the solution it set out to provide?
11. Were there any parts of the book that could have been left out?
12. Were there any holes in the book that needed to be filled?
13. Considering the audience, who do you think would benefit the most from reading this book?
14. Did the author seem like they were personally knowledgeable about the subject matter?
15. Did you notice any errors in the information provided? 

Don’t skip feedback

Writing in isolation may feel “safe,” but feedback can offer insight that you might not see because you’re so close to the project. Criticism is hard to hear, but when it’s constructive, it can help improve your writing and make the book more successful. 

When looking for others to provide feedback, look for those who have your best interests in mind, in other words, like-minded people who want you to succeed. This can be in the form of writing groups, beta readers, and critique partners. You can also look for paid support through book coaches, editors, writing workshops, and contests. 

Whichever form of feedback you choose, remember that this is your story first. Know the outcome that you want and find constructive feedback that supports your ultimate goal of creating the best book possible that reflects you as the author.