I've met some amazing people through #PitchWars and have swapped chapters with really talented writers. I know other people are swapping, too, so I just want to remind everyone that you might get feedback you don't like/agree with.

That's okay! But I've learned it's a good idea to sit on feedback for a few days, ESPECIALLY if it makes you defensive. Ask yourself: is it your ego? Or does it miss the point? There's a difference between feedback that isn't right for your book and feedback that touches a nerve.

If I get feedback that raises my hackles, the truth is that it's something I probably already knew deep down. Something that I'm already not confident about. And 99% of the time, it's something I need to fix.

Now, not all feedback is helpful. You know your book best. But I generally come at feedback with the attitude that the person giving it is trying to help me. So I always let feedback sit until I'm in the right brain space to receive it. I might not use it/agree, which is okay!

All of us entered #PitchWars because we want to learn. We want to be better writers. And part of that process absolutely means learning how to accept that we cannot control how our readers experience our book. One you realize that, critique becomes easier to receive.