An Author Asks: Conflicting Feedback Has Me Confused! Help!
- Chelsea Tornetto
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
Welcome to our blog series:
An Author Asks!
Inspired by the dozens of emails we get everyday from hopeful authors, this series attempts to answer your burning questions about writing and publishing children's books...and remind you that you aren't the only one wondering!
If you have a question you'd like us to answer, email us at hello@athomeauthor.com with the subject line: An Author Asks.
We'll let you know if we choose yours to answer in a future post!
Dear At Home Author,
I have a manuscript that I have been working on for a while now and had some authors read it and give me feedback. I thought it would be good to get feedback, but now I'm more confused about making my book good enough like not having the paragraphs take away illustrations, making the story shorter, making it have more adventure, what information I can take out of the book, and making it so kids understand the book and like it.
How do I figure out how to make the right changes to the book?
How do you know when a book is ready for the next step in publishing?
Sincerely,
Confused Author
Dear Confused Author,
Being overwhelmed by feedback from critique partners and fellow writers is so common…especially for new writers! So don’t worry, you aren’t alone!
If you're a newbie to the kid lit world, keep in mind that there is a LOT to learn about writing children’s books. It’s much harder than you might have thought when you first started out. And for most of us, it takes years…not months….to learn the ropes and write something “good enough” to publish.
So, my first piece of advice would be to slow down, take a deep breath, put the publishing piece out of your mind for a bit, and just focus on learning the craft of writing picture books.
There are many ways to do that!
The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators is a great place to start.
Organizations like Boyds Mill offer some great workshops and webinars.
And of course, At Home Author’s Profitable Picture Books course is (in my humble opinion) the perfect place for newbies!
But, another tip would be to move from peer critiques to a professional picture book editor.
My husband teaches high school and he’s always telling his young students, “Anyone can give advice. What you need to look for is GOOD advice.” That’s so true in the writing world.
I am a huge fan of critique partners and peer feedback….but keep in mind that the people you’re connecting with (especially when you're just starting out) could be even newer to this industry than you are. Their feedback MIGHT be helpful…or it could make your story worse...and leave you even more confused!
So, if you’re getting conflicting feedback or are just feeling overwhelmed, it might be worth it to pay a pro who has more experience than you, and who you know is going to give you the “good” advice you need.
If you're looking for a picture book editor, you can get our free list of recommendations here.
As for your last question, “How do you know when a book is ready for the next step in publishing?” I actually JUST made a video about that exact topic for At Home Author’s YouTube channel! Here it is:
And if video isn’t your thing, here’s the blog post version.
In the end, discerning what feedback to take and what to leave is a skill that comes with time and experience. As you write more stories, each one will get stronger, and soon you'll find yourself feeling much more confident in your own vision and your own expertise.
So keep writing! And one day you'll be the one giving "good" advice like this to new writers!
Chelsea
