Getting useful feedback

Better feedback = better final draft.

So what can you do to get good  feedback?  

Keep it specific 

If you send out a draft with a vague request for “feedback,” you can get back a jumble of comments: from stylistic griping to big picture stuff.  To get what you need, be specific: do you want comments on overall structure or on grammar?  

Tap into others' strengths 

Few people are good at spotting typos and commenting on big-picture stuff. Know the other person's strength when you ask for feedback.

Flag changes

If you are sending a revised draft back to the same reader, save them time by highlighting the parts that have changed.  You can offer a summary of what is new or mark changes on the draft.  

Post by Varanya Chaubey
Image By CEJISS (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons