by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethspanncraig.com

It’s a scenario every writer dreads: you’ve sent your manuscript to several beta readers, and their feedback arrives with contradictions that leave you more confused than before. One reader loves your protagonist while another finds her unlikable. Someone thinks your middle section drags while someone else considers it the strongest part of the book. One wants more description, another thinks you should cut what’s already there.

After navigating this maze many times with my own manuscripts, I’ve found some approaches that help make sense of these contradictions without losing my mind—or my story.

Remember That Reading Is Subjective

Each reader brings their own preferences and expectations to your manuscript. The thriller enthusiast wants faster pacing, while the literary fiction fan craves more introspection. Neither one is wrong; they’re just reading through different lenses.

Sometimes it’s really helpful to note each reader’s general preferences before diving into their feedback. Knowing Reader A loves detailed world-building while Reader B prefers sparse prose helps me put their contradictory comments in proper context.

Look for Patterns Instead of Individual Comments

Try to shift focus from individual comments to patterns across multiple readers. If only one person mentions that a character feels flat, it might be their personal reaction. But if three out of five readers mention it—even in different ways—that’s a pattern worth addressing.

All Feedback Isn’t Created Equal

Not all feedback should carry the same weight, and that’s okay to acknowledge. I’ve learned to consider the source before deciding how heavily to weigh certain comments. Feedback from someone who regularly reads and understands your genre often deserves more consideration than comments from someone who rarely reads books like yours.

Similarly, specific feedback is generally more valuable than vague reactions. “I was confused here because the timeline jumped unexpectedly” gives me something concrete to work with, unlike “This part felt off.”

Find the Problem Behind the Suggested Solutions

Try looking past readers’ specific suggestions to identify the underlying problem they’re trying to solve. Often, different readers spot the same issue but offer different fixes based on their reading preferences.

If one reader suggests cutting a character while another thinks that character needs more development, the core issue might be that the character feels purposeless in the story.

Trust Your Vision, But Watch for Blind Spots

Your story vision should remain your north star, but feedback often illuminates blind spots you can’t see yourself. I always ask: “Does this feedback, even if I disagree with it, point to something I’ve overlooked?”

Develop a Simple Feedback Framework

To help organize contradictory comments, I use a simple framework:

Universal Issues: Problems multiple readers identified (highest priority)Critical Elements: Feedback affecting core story elements like plot coherence or character motivation (high priority)Stylistic Preferences: Comments about word choice, description level, or stylistic elements (variable priority)Personal Reactions: Subjective responses that vary widely between readers (lowest priority)

This framework helps me decide what deserves the most attention and which might simply reflect different reading preferences.

When You’re Really Stuck, Seek a Tiebreaker

When truly caught between contradictory feedback, I’ve found that bringing in a fresh perspective—often a professional editor—helps break the deadlock. A good editor brings both expertise and emotional distance, offering clarity when you’re too close to see the forest for the trees.

Remember Your Target Reader

Finally, when navigating contradictions, I always return to thoughts of my target audience. Feedback from readers who resemble your intended audience should generally carry more weight than comments from those outside that group.

If you’re writing cozy mysteries for readers who enjoy gentle puzzles and small-town settings, the feedback from your thriller-loving friend about “picking up the pace” might be less relevant than comments from a devoted cozy reader.

Instead of trying to please everyone, I’ve learned to use contradictions to clarify my own vision and make more intentional choices.

How do you handle conflicting feedback on your writing?

When beta readers disagree, how do you decide which feedback to follow? : #WritingTips #WritingCommunity
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