Reader feedback is a must-have for any author, whether it comes from beta readers or developmental editors. Peer reviews can help you identify blind spots, stress-test your plots, and help you meet reader expectations. But if you’re not careful, reading reader feedback can also have a negative impact on your mindset and emotional wellbeing.
Some forms of reader response put you in the spotlight, and focus on how your own personal experiences and beliefs shape your interpretation of a text. For example, subjective reader response considers how a literary work is meaningful to you as an individual and emphasizes the importance of your reactions to it. This critical approach can be problematic, though, when a reader’s own biases overshadow other aspects of the text such as its formal qualities and historical context.
Other reader-response theories take a more holistic approach to analyzing a text, and consider how it is experienced by different demographic groups. For example, a study might compare how Millennials read a poem with how Boomers or Generation Z do. Or it might compare how religious people read a novel with nonreligious people.
Some reader-response theorists believe that you are the only one who controls your literary experience, while others think that the text is largely in control and uniform (with only minor variations between readers). Whatever approach you take, it’s important to treat your readers with respect. They invest hours in helping you write a better story, so be sure to thank them by demonstrating clear communication and by showing appreciation throughout the process.