Feedback is one huge aspect of blogging that is rarely discussed. Whenever you submit or accept guest posts, feedback usually occurs; however people usually don’t put much thought into how they are giving this feedback or how they are going to accept this feedback. They know what they want to say, and they know what they need to do, but is there a polite way to go about feedback in this industry? As a full-time guest blogger, I would say absolutely.
Top 3 Ways to Give Feedback to Writers
Every blogger and every editor will have his/her own style when it comes to giving feedback, and this is of course completely fine. There is no “right way” to give feedback when it comes to blogging, but it is a good idea to really think about how you’re giving feedback and what offers the largest benefit. Below are a few different options and some of the results that come from these actions:
1. Fill the article with marks and ask the writer to make those changes.
This approach works well for some editors because he/she will be able to get an article that really fits in with the vision of the site. If you do this in a positive way and let the writer know that you liked the article but you need a few revisions, this can be a successful way to give feedback. However, this takes a lot of time for the editor and if the writer decides it’s not worth his/her time, you just lost some of your time.
2. Kindly tell writers why you have to decline the article.
Some editors don’t want to go through all the work of marking up an article for revision. In theory this seems like a great way to give feedback because you’re direct and the process is quick. However, some writers will not understand messages like this and will still try to fix the article. This could leave an editor reading over several articles and having to turn down a writer several times.
3. Simply say “no thank you” and don’t really explain why.
This is obviously the easiest method for editors, but it can come off as rude. Chances are a writer spent a great deal of time on an article so he/she wants to know why it was declined. This method probably only words if you were given an article that was blatantly for linking purposes or from a spam website.
So what’s the best way for editors to give feedback to writers? It’s all about what you see as the biggest risk. Again, there is no right way to give feedback; it’s just a good idea to always be conscious of what you’re doing, the consequences it will have on you, and how you make the writer feel.
How to Accept Feedback from Editors
This side of blogging is a bit more difficult to analyze because it comes second. How a writer reacts completely depends upon how the editor chooses to give feedback. In some instances, explaining to a rude editor why your article was great might be appropriate. The affect will likely be like in school: The teacher (editor) is always right. However, it’s important to stand up for your article and what you really believe is right.
In general, it’s best for a writer to take the feedback into consideration and really try and learn from it. If an editor asks you to fix an article and you believe the changes will help your article, spend the time making it happen.
How do you go about giving and receiving feedback when blogging? Do you find that a certain strategy has given you more success than another? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!