Tailoring Feedback for Authors

1. The Principle of Editorial Flexibility

Great editing is not just about applying rules; it's a practice of "psychological and diplomatic flexibility." Different writers, with varying levels of experience and different personalities, require different approaches. Your ability to assess and adapt to the specific needs of each author and each manuscript is a critical skill.

Let's begin by exploring this core philosophy with an editor from The Atlantic.

As Stossel highlights, every writer and every piece demands a unique approach. Your first task is to assess: What kind of writer am I working with? How do they like to receive feedback? The two most important variables in this assessment are their experience and their temperament.

2. Adapting to the Author's Experience Level

An author's experience level significantly influences the kind of feedback they need and how they will receive it. Let's categorize this into a few common archetypes you'll encounter.

Based on Stossel's experience and general editorial practice, we can identify a few key author profiles:

• The Emerging Writer: These authors may be new to the publishing process. They are often eager to learn but may lack confidence.

  • Your Approach: Be encouraging and educational. Start by highlighting what they do well. When you suggest a change, explain the why behind it. Your role is part editor, part teacher.

• The Academic or Subject-Matter Expert: These writers are brilliant thinkers but may not be accustomed to writing for a general audience. Their prose can be dense and jargon-filled.

  • Your Approach: Be prepared for heavier intervention at the sentence level. Frame your edits as helping them translate their important ideas for a broader readership. They often appreciate a hands-on approach to the prose, as long as you respect their expertise on the subject matter.

• The Talented Stylist: These authors have a strong, unique voice and a mastery of prose.

  • Your Approach: Use a light touch. Your primary rule is the "editor's Hippocratic Oath: first, do no harm." Intervene only when necessary to enhance clarity or fix an error. Often, your feedback will be in the form of gentle queries rather than direct rewrites, so as not to "foul up their rhythm and voice."

• The Experienced but Difficult Writer: These authors may be set in their ways and resistant to feedback, even when it's needed.

  • Your Approach: This requires maximum diplomacy. You'll need to pick your battles, focusing only on the most critical issues. Frame your feedback carefully, always connecting it back to the reader's experience and the book's success.

This concept of matching your feedback to the author's stage of development is crucial.

For "adolescent" writers, praise and encouragement are fuel. For "adult" writers who want to build a career, honest, constructive criticism is a necessity. Your ability to discern which is needed is key.

3. Adapting to the Author's Temperament

Beyond experience, an author's personality—their temperament—plays a huge role in how they process feedback. A brief, direct comment might motivate one author but completely deflate another.

A helpful tool for thinking about temperament is the DISC model, which categorizes personality styles into four quadrants. Understanding where an author might fall can help you frame your feedback more effectively.

Let's break down how to adapt your feedback for each style:

• For the "D" (Dominance) Author: These authors are often direct, decisive, and results-oriented. They might be busy executives or journalists.

  • Feedback Style: Be direct and concise. Focus on the goal. Instead of "You might want to consider...", try "Shortening this chapter will increase its impact." They appreciate efficiency and respect expertise that helps them achieve their objective.

• For the "i" (Influence) Author: These authors are often enthusiastic, charismatic, and people-oriented. They thrive on positive interaction and may be very invested in the story's emotional core.

  • Feedback Style: Be encouraging and personable. Start with praise for their accomplishments. Frame suggestions in terms of reader engagement and excitement. They respond well to collaborative brainstorming.

• For the "S" (Steadiness) Author: These authors are often patient, cooperative, and prefer a stable, predictable process. They may be anxious about the revision process.

  • Feedback Style: Be calm, patient, and systematic. Explain your reasoning clearly and offer reassurance. Avoid surprising them with major, unexpected feedback; walk them through your thought process step-by-step. Build rapport and trust.

• For the "C" (Conscientiousness) Author: These authors are analytical, precise, and value accuracy and logic. They are often academics, researchers, or writers of detailed nonfiction.

  • Feedback Style: Be logical and provide details. If you're correcting something based on a style manual, cite the rule. Explain the logical inconsistencies in an argument. They appreciate well-reasoned, data-driven feedback.

4. Practical Techniques for Tailoring Feedback

Now let's synthesize these ideas into a set of practical communication techniques.

Start with Praise and Encouragement
Regardless of the author's experience or temperament, starting with genuine praise is almost always the right move. It reassures the author that you appreciate their work and are on their side.

Maintain Professionalism and Empathy
Your feedback should be honest and clear, but never rude or personal. Remember that the author is trusting you with something deeply personal.

Provide an Educational Framework
As we discussed, explaining the "why" behind your edits can be powerful. This not only helps the author accept the change but also improves their craft for the future. This approach is particularly effective with less experienced writers or those with an "S" or "C" temperament who appreciate process and logic.

5. Practical Application: A Tale of Two Authors

Let's put this all together. Imagine you are developmentally editing two different books and need to give feedback on a similar issue: a section in the middle of the book where the pacing sags.

• Author A: The First-Time Novelist. She is writing a passionate fantasy novel. Her emails are long and full of enthusiastic but anxious questions. She's told you she's "so nervous but so excited" to hear your thoughts. Her prose is vivid but often overwritten. (Temperament: Likely high 'i' and 'S').

• Author B: The Veteran Historian. He is a renowned expert on military history writing his first narrative nonfiction book for a trade audience. His emails are brief and to the point. He respects data and clear logic. He has mentioned that he finds storytelling "a different beast" from academic writing. (Temperament: Likely high 'C' and 'D').

Your Task:

Draft a short comment (2-4 sentences) for each author to include in your editorial letter, addressing the pacing issue. Tailor your language, tone, and framing to the author's experience and likely temperament.

My Approach:

Here are some examples of how you might tailor your feedback:

• For Author A (The First-Time Novelist):

  "The world-building and character work in this section are incredibly rich—I was completely immersed! To make sure the reader feels the rising stakes, we could explore tightening the pace here a bit. I have some ideas for how we can create more forward momentum while keeping all the wonderful detail, which I'm excited to discuss with you."

  • Why it works: It starts with enthusiastic praise, uses collaborative and encouraging language ("we could explore," "I'm excited to discuss"), and frames the issue in terms of reader feeling ("rising stakes").

• For Author B (The Veteran Historian):

  "The level of research and detail in this section is impeccable. To ensure the narrative tension matches the historical stakes, I recommend restructuring these chapters to accelerate the timeline and focus more directly on the central conflict. My analysis suggests this will improve narrative drive and reader retention through this crucial middle act."

  • Why it works: It leads by acknowledging his expertise ("impeccable research"), uses direct and professional language ("I recommend"), and appeals to logic and data ("restructuring to accelerate the timeline," "My analysis suggests").

Conclusion

You have now reached the end of your course in editorial publishing. We've journeyed from the broad landscape of the industry, through the analytical work of manuscript assessment, the structural architecture of developmental editing, the stylistic craft of line editing, and finally, to the nuanced and vital skill of author management.

Key Takeaways from Today's Lesson:

• Flexibility is your superpower: The best editors adapt their approach to fit the writer and the manuscript.
• Assess the author: Before giving feedback, consider their experience level (emerging, expert, stylist) and their likely temperament (D, I, S, or C).
• Tailor your communication: Adjust your tone, framing, and level of detail. Use praise to build trust, logic to persuade the analytical, and encouragement to support the anxious.
• Always be professional and empathetic: Your role is to be a trusted partner dedicated to helping the author realize the best possible version of their work.

Mastering these skills will not only make your job easier and more effective but will also earn you a reputation as an editor whom authors trust and are eager to work with again. Congratulations on completing this journey—you now have a comprehensive framework for excelling in the world of editorial publishing.