I was absolutely thrilled to receive my developmental edit of The Light Keeper. I was all but certain I was beyond that level of feedback. I had written and re-written this story again and again. However, I am a perfectionist, and I had this nagging feeling that I could still improve the story.

The feedback I received was largely positive, but some of the suggestions I received gave me a lot to think about.

 
The truth is, each person who reads your story will have different ideas about what you should do to improve it. You are the author. It is up to you and you alone to make any changes.

 
I was honored to have been selected for a new beta reading service provided by Auto Crit. I also received many great suggestions from my reviewer through that service on how to improve my manuscript.

So, how did I decide which feedback to incorporate? Aside from obvious grammatical errors and wrong word selections, I tried to look at similar complaints. Almost everyone wanted to see Sarah have a more prominent role in the final battle. I was shocked to see how this little side character had resonated with so many of my readers. I had my reasons for keeping her away from the battle but felt it would be a disservice to ignore what so many clearly wanted. I think the way I resolved that issue is true to the rest of my story but will also please those who wanted Sarah to be more important.

I also received many suggestions at a "convenience" I had during the final battle. I didn't understand this comment until I read my AutoCrit feedback, where they finally pinpointed why it was wrong. I can fix it now.

That being said, I also received many comments I disagreed with, felt made no difference in the story, or went against what I wanted for the story. Some were questions that I will answer in later books. The concern was that these were plot holes, but I know I left it open on purpose.

While I am grateful for all feedback, I want to be sure I am still telling the story I wanted to tell. Do not feel like just because someone made a suggestion that you need to make every change. If I did that, Yara would have been the main character.

I highly suggest you seek out beta readers, probably at least 3, and not just people you know who will pat you on the back. You don't always need to use a paid service, but there are advantages to going the professional route. You know they won't back out, and you can expect the feedback to be thorough.
I am nearly finished with my final edits, and I will be submitting to agents within the next few weeks.

Don't be discouraged by feedback; it will give you a chance to make your story stronger. I know it did for me. Keep on writing!