Build a Better Business Book has 33 reviews on Amazon. Of these, 32 are five stars, and one is one-star. This really pisses me off. And it’s not because I hate criticism. It’s because the bad review didn’t teach me anything. Hate a product? You can do better than this. If you truly think a…
A friend became discouraged and frustrated by feedback on his manuscript. And let’s admit it: accepting criticism is hard. Managing feedback is a common problem. How can you get helpful feedback without taking it personally? The key, as with everything else in writing, is to prepare by choosing carefully who you ask for help and…
We authors need support from others. It can be a lonely job, and one that’s subject to occasional self-doubt. If your friend is an author, here’s what you can say and do to help during the writing process. Providing emotional support Asking an author how things are going can sometimes feel like asking a friend…
As an editor, I frequently have to critique the work of others. Recently, the tables were turned and I received a critique of my positioning document from someone I trusted. Both experiences have made me consider what makes criticism effective, as compared to when it is painful or useless. How to receive criticism Here’s how…
It’s time to revise a previous draft — of a blog post, a report, a book chapter, or any factual content. You’re dealing with feedback from others, or maybe just your own better insights into what you wanted to say. Should you tinker with words — self-editing — or rewrite from scratch? How cognitive biases…
John Logan, the scriptwriter behind two of the latest James Bond movies, is worried that when Amazon buys MGM, it will ruin 007. But data and corporate control doesn’t necessarily ruin creativity. It all depends on who’s making the creative decisions. John Logan’s lament for 007 Here’s some of what John Logan, co-writer of “Skyfall”…
It’s your prose, lovingly crafted. An editor has now started tearing it apart. What’s your reaction? Are you angry? Sad? Hurt? Here’s how to deal with it. The context for this post is personal. For the last two weeks, I’ve been working on an op-ed about Facebook and similar sites for the Sunday opinion page…
Yesterday, in a writing workshop I was conducting, a woman interrupted me to tell me my explanation of the concept of flow was incomplete and not quite right. And a commenter pointed out an embarrassing grammar mistake in the title of my post. I had only one emotion in each case: gratitude. People seem to…
I hate bad prose. (Maybe you’ve noticed.) This affects the way I edit: with inspiration, with passion, instinctively, and relentlessly. All prose has flaws — I find them and critique them mercilessly. I can’t help it. And weirdly, people seem to like it. When a writer sends me something inadequate, I tear it apart. I delete…