Surviving the “gift” of feedback on your writing

You’ll be better for it, I promise! [The Writer’ s Life]( February 7, 2024 "The trouble with most of us is that we'd rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." – Norman Vincent Peale Hi {NAME}, Remember the old red pen? Assignments returned by teachers and editors bleeding with edits and notes. Early on in my career I remember thinking, "Oh look, there's a full sentence that made it!" 😜 But today? After 25+ years having my copy torn apart … I love feedback. And I promise if you don't right now … one day you will too. I'm not saying it doesn't sting when something I poured my soul into … doesn't quite land how I intended. But here's the reality … No copy is ever "perfect." In fact, I've never NOT made edits to copy or content I've been asked to review. Ever. Even when the writer is one of the most talented in the world … The copy can always be made better. He or she knows it and WANTS the feedback. The ability to receive feedback is something I look for in any writer who works for me. This writing game is collaborative … You and your clients both want it to work. It's also why feedback is such an important part of AWAI's methodology for teaching. Feedback makes you a better writer! In today's issue below, AWAI Success Tammy Powell gives you advice on how to receive (and give!) feedback. It's also baked into our [brand-new Writing LABS](, so you can get comfortable with getting and giving feedback. If you haven't yet signed up for the first one, do it now … You will be a better writer this month, guaranteed. [See for yourself!]( And remember, when your draft comes back filled with edits … You gain clarity. Feedback helps you improve as a writer or gives you clarity about the clients' audience, products, or services … which will make future assignments go WAY smoother. You learn the value of resilience. No matter how much red you see, you WILL survive it! (I promise. 😁) And you become a better writer. That's the real value in feedback. Nobody gets it right on the first try … Even the best of the best! As Master Copywriter Carline Anglade-Cole says in the title of her book, "Your copy sucks. You don't!" Even the veteran, award-winning, wealthiest writers get feedback on their writing. So, the next time you get notes on how to improve your copy, embrace it. It just means you're a professional writer. And the copy — and you — will ultimately be better for it! To your success, Rebecca Matter President AWAI P.S. Katie and I have been training some newer writers to focus on five skills that improve copy — whether it's something they wrote or someone else. They're easy to learn skills that can have a massive impact on your writing. So, we thought tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET, [we'd jump on a Facebook live to share them](. We'll also answer any questions you might have, so plan to join us live! How to Get Free Stuff as a Writer Imagine scoring free vacations … dinners out … gym equipment … house repairs … relaxing spa getaways … Barefoot Writers have a hidden avenue to land incredible bonuses — at zero cost … On top of enjoying total career freedom. Discover how it's done with our special report, 130 Amazing Perks and Freebies for Barefoot Writers (and How to Get Them!) — yours free with an $11 subscription to Barefoot Writer magazine. [Click Here Now For Details]( Your ALL-ACCESS Key — Just $1! Get instant access to this exclusive B2B writing community and ALL their private resources, including … All the success roadmaps … All the writing templates … All the articles … All the how-to videos … All 150+ training webinars … The Forum, the Job Board, the tutorials, the tools … And much more! [Go Here for More Details]( How to Give and Receive Writing Feedback By Tammy Powell [Woman giving positive feedback on computer to man] Between critique groups, contests, and clients, my writing has received its fair share of feedback. Even with experience, sometimes it's hard to hear criticism after you put in all that hard work. But the feedback process is essential for writers to learn, grow, and improve. Today, I'd like to share some of my principles for using critiques to your advantage — while also maintaining your confidence as a writer. How to Use Writing Feedback to Your Advantage I belong to two critique groups for fiction writing. I've also entered contests and learned how to integrate revision requests from my copywriting clients. With all these different critiques, here's what I've learned to consider with any feedback on my writing … - Is the feedback thoughtful and constructive? Most of the time, writers genuinely want to help one another grow. However, sometimes you run across someone whose comments are hurtful rather than helpful. This might mean criticizing the writer and their abilities. It could also mean giving a bad critique for personal reasons, such as envy, personal conflicts, etc. The latter happened to me once in a fiction writing contest. One of the judges seemed to absolutely hate my book, giving it half the score the other judge gave it. Sure, fiction writing is subjective, and I accept that not everyone will like my work. However, for reasons unknown, that judge knocked off points for things that were NOT subjective, such as the formatting of my Word doc (even though my formatting was 100% correct!). They also left no comments, so I had no constructive criticism to explain their low score or help me improve. Fortunately, the contest added a third judge due to the wide discrepancies in my scores. That person gave me the highest score yet, so I felt happy and validated. However, I admit the low score — however irrelevant — still stung. Maybe you've had a similar experience while looking for helpful feedback on your copywriting but receiving harsh criticism in return. If so, I sympathize. My best advice is to intentionally focus on the good, helpful critiques. That way, the bad ones will eventually take up less and less mental space. - Does the feedback make sense? Was it helpful? Sometimes feedback hurts not because it's toxic or negative, but because it's a blow to the ego to realize we didn't do as well as we thought we did. To interpret this feedback honestly, I recommend spending time away from your writing — a week or just one evening, depending on your deadlines — after receiving your critique. After some time, the critique won't sting so much and you can objectively improve your writing. - Should you make changes or defend your original writing? Sometimes, this question is surprisingly difficult to answer, especially since everyone has different opinions. It may help to ask yourself why your reviewer or client suggested a particular change … For example, is it just a matter of clarity? Would adding a simple sentence of background information make your writing clearer, or does it require a larger fix? Figuring out what is behind the requested change may help you not only decide whether or not it's a change worth making, but also help you communicate better with your client. For copywriting, I do make most changes my clients request, unless there's a good reason for me to defend my original copy. After all, they are paying me to bring their vision for their company to life. When in doubt, you can also seek a second — or third, fourth, fifth, etc. — opinion. I've received conflicting advice on my work before, which just goes to show that writing is subjective and there's no one "right answer." Gathering multiple opinions may help you feel more confident when making a decision. - Is there an area of writing where you struggle? After enough critiques, I noticed patterns about my own writing — including areas that needed improvement. Thanks to my critique groups, I'm more skilled at looking for those things, so my writing is now even better in my first draft. Why You'll Want to Have Critique Partners During my critique group meetings, I'm always humbled by the skills of my fellow writers. There are members at all experience levels. But everyone there is an expert on something, and the sum total of everyone's talents results in better writing for all of us. Some of the things my groups have helped me with include … - Grammar rules. I'm pretty good with grammar, but the retired schoolteachers who critique my writing always find things I didn't even know to look for. Sure, I break these rules for style sometimes — and in copywriting that's okay — but having a better understanding of the rules has improved my writing and helped me avoid embarrassing mistakes. - Eliminating extra words. Usually by my third draft, I think my copy is pretty good — until my critique partners take a crack at it and find tons of words to cut so my writing is sharper and more impactful. Having extra sets of eyes on your work can really help with this. - Clarity. As a writer, you have all the background information in your head while you're writing — especially if you've done a lot of research beforehand. Because of this, it's easy to write in a way that assumes your audience already knows what you know. Thankfully, critique partners can point out anything that's unclear. In addition to critiques on my own work being immensely helpful, I've learned a lot by listening to critiques of other writers' works. In fact, sometimes I learn even more than I did from feedback on my own writing. Plus, a writers' group is a great place for moral support. Everyone there has experienced rejections, and they can encourage you to keep going. How to Be a Good Critique Partner A good rule of thumb is to always treat others the way you would want to be treated. Be kind and helpful. Additionally, here are some specific tips to follow … - Give as much as you receive. Don't just go to a critique partner or group for your own work. Spend time thoroughly reviewing the work of others — give them your best efforts. - Use constructive criticism. Always focus on specific things to improve. For example, say, "This didn't grab my attention and maybe it would be better if you added a startling statistic," rather than saying, "This isn't very good." You could try a Peer Review structure to provide helpful input for improving the copy. - Try a compliment sandwich. List something you like about the work. Then suggest areas for improvement. Then list something else you like. - Be specific about what you liked. This can help someone just as much as talking about what didn't work for you. Reviewing the work of other writers can help YOU improve. It introduces you to different writing styles, which can expand your creativity and skills. How to Find Critique Groups and Partners A few common places include … - Online writing groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, and more. - Meetup groups, which used to meet in person locally but now offer meetings through Zoom because of the pandemic. - Writing conferences, whether online or in person. - Comprehensive training programs, such as Circle of Success and 10 Weeks to Pro. It's okay to try out a few groups until you find one that's a good match. While working toward your writing goals, don't give up! Feedback, while hard to hear at times, is an important part of the process. Use the feedback to improve — and keep working toward your dreams! Editorial Note: If you've ever wondered if your writing is "good enough" to warrant professional fees … Or if you'd like a powerful and effective way to quickly gain unshakeable confidence in your writing ability … Or if you'd like help developing impressive writing samples for your portfolio that show your skills stand up against the competition … You're going to LOVE our brand-new, first-of-its kind initiative we've launched for you. [It's designed to make you a better writer, faster.]( What's Hot at AWAI 🤓 [Grab our brand-new Writing LABS here!]( 🥳 We LOVE seeing our members succeed. [Check this out!]( 🤩 [From compton to career heights: success with freelance copywriting.]( 3 clients in one day … [Social media post comment about being contacted by three potential clients that came from LinkedIn and other Facebook groups] What a way to start the year, EG! Great job getting the ball rolling early and also leveraging your networks to get consistent work. Have your own story to share? Email us at mysuccess@awai.com, or [post it over in the Facebook group](, so we can celebrate your win too! Free Training: Inside the Ever-Growing Demand for B2B Writers [AWAI webinar The Surest Route to a Six-Figure Writing Income]Friday, February 9, at 12 p.m. ET 👇 [Access Instructions Here]( Featured Jobs You can find these jobs and thousands more on [WritersWanted.com](: --------------------------------------------------------------- Copywriter – Specialized Recruiting Group Full-time, Estero, FL This position is responsible for writing engaging print and digital advertising, marketing and editorial copy. --------------------------------------------------------------- Copywriter – FabFitFun Full-time, West Hollywood, CA Develop scripts for video advertisements, paid media videos and static ads. --------------------------------------------------------------- Senior Copywriter (Direct Response) – Maneuver Marketing Full-time, Remote (US) As a Senior Copywriter, you are responsible for writing homerun offers and angles for our range of supplements. 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