How brilliant (Level 5) writers respond to edits

You write things. People critique them. Sometimes lots of people.

As a writer, you then need to respond to those edits and create another draft.

The challenge is to make sure that the text becomes better after you edit it. This is way harder than it sounds.

There are basically five levels of response to an edit. The best writers write at higher levels, up to Level 5.

• Level 1. Accept or reject. Either fix the text the way that the reviewer suggests, or reject their suggestion. This tends to be quite shortsighted, because the fix you make could very well generate another problem or inconsistency.
• Level 2. Address the problem. The reviewer’s edit suggests a problem. Instead of asking “Should I make this edit?” ask “What problem made this reviewer want to change things?” Once you understand the problem, you can try to rewrite to fix it.
• Level 3. Address everybody’s edits. You probably have more than one reviewer. They may not all agree. Rather than just making edits one at a time, think about the problems that all the reviewers are citing. Then rewrite based on solving all of those issues.
• Level 4. Don’t forget to serve the reader. It’s very easy to get caught up in addressing critiques. If you’ve fixed all the problems the reviewers bring up, you may still be missing the point. Does the resulting rewrite still serve the reader, or did you lose track of that along the way? If you can address the problems in a way that serves the reader better, you’ve done a far better job.
• Level 5. Use the rewrite process to gain insights. Take a step back. These reviewers are telling you something important, even if they can’t fully articulate it themselves. Are they pointing to a problem with the objective of the document? Are they raising questions about the audience? Should you add a section? Reorganize? Or maybe delete a section that’s setting everybody off? This is a chance to reconceive what the document is actually about.

Why Level 5 writers are better

Writers who edit at Levels 1-4 are solving problems. Writers who write at Level 5 are using reviewers to further energize their creativity.

Often, edits at Levels 1-4 reveal other problems. This then requires more rewrites and more rounds of revision. The document can actually become worse as little fixes get tacked onto it. If the document does converge, it may not converge on the ideal solution.

Level 5 edits use review comments to generate inspiration. The challenge, of course, is that by reconceiving the document, they go off course and create something that’s just misguided. But if they are smart enough about synthesizing the reviewer comments, the reader’s needs, and their own insights, they can take the document to a new level.

Now the reviewers will say “This is much better.” So will the readers, eventually. This is where writers become leaders, because the reviews point them to a new destination.

Done right, this speeds up review cycles and creates a far better result.

Done wrong, it comes off as arrogant and misguided and undermines reviewers’ trust.

It’s time to tap into all your experience to get it right. Level 5 demands all your skill, talent, and experience.

But it’s worth it, when it works.