Revisions Done Right: How to Give Feedback to Your Freelance Writers
Whether you’re a marketer new to outsourcing or have been working with a content marketing agency for years, partnering with a team of freelancers unlocks a wealth of benefits: specialized skills, diverse experience, and, most importantly, high-quality writing.
But what happens when you receive a draft that misses the mark? Not every piece will be perfect the first time around, especially if you’re working with writers who are new to your process. However, with the right feedback and guidance, they’ll know exactly how to improve moving forward.
Giving clear and constructive feedback to freelance writers is an essential step in the editorial process. Not only does it encourage them to deliver their best work, but it also saves you time and effort by avoiding revision loops.
As a content writing service, we understand the value of a strong freelancer-client relationship. In this guide, we’ll explore the importance of constructive feedback in freelance writing and why it’s essential to your relationship. We’ll also discuss the best ways to provide feedback so your writers are set up for success.
Why Giving Constructive Feedback is Essential for Freelance Writing
The relationship between freelance writers and clients is just like any other working relationship. Just as you expect your freelancers to be professional and respectful, writers expect the same in return.
By providing constructive feedback, you show that you care about working towards the same common goal: creating high-quality content.
As a client, you need to ensure the feedback you’re giving is clear, with actionable steps toward improvement. When you put in the time and effort to explain what you liked about their work and what missed the mark, your writers will feel prepared to work on the next round of revisions.
When feedback is only focused on the negatives without offering clear guidance, it can end up harming the relationship. You might get caught up in revision loops, delay project timelines, and even face writer churn.
Remember that freelancers aren’t mind readers. With the right constructive feedback, you can form a solid freelance writing team that’s excited to work with you.
5 Ways to Give Feedback to Freelance Writers
Now that we’ve outlined why constructive feedback is important, let’s dive into the best ways to provide feedback from clients.
1. Set Them Up for Success From the Start
Before your writers start their first draft, they’re given a content brief with essential project details. These include sections like content goals, SEO guidance, style requirements, linking preferences, and more.
If you haven’t already, make sure you’re sending your writers brand guidelines, style guides, and up-to-date samples (if available). This ensures that your writers have the right resources to deliver content that meets your expectations.
Since the content briefs set up project expectations for you and your writer, it’s important to fill them out comprehensively. If you miss any important details in the brief, your writers won’t know how to apply them to the draft.
Asking for revisions that deviate from the original brief can frustrate writers. It may appear like your direction is aimless, setting the writer up for additional, unnecessary revisions. It can also be a costly mistake, as you may pay for additional time or a change of scope fee. For the writers, it can lead to disrupted deadlines, burnout, and compromised quality.
2. Provide Clear Guidance
When it comes to giving feedback to freelance writers, you should be as specific as possible. Identify areas of the piece that need improvement and the actionable steps they should take.
For example, if you notice that a writer isn’t meeting your brand voice, highlight where exactly in the copy it’s lacking and why. You can also link them to an existing content piece as a good example they can reference.
It may seem counterintuitive at first, but making a revision yourself via track changes is very effective. It can sometimes be easier to show than explain what needs to change. The writer, seeing a specific example of how you revise, can better identify your quality expectations and apply them throughout the assignment.
3. Use the Right Tools
Sharing valuable feedback to freelance writers is also dependent on the tools you’re relying on. For example, our ContentWriters platform features an in-line editing tool (like the track changes mentioned above) to select specific passages of copy to revise or comment with your feedback. These changes and comments are saved and can be used as a historical reference for yourself or the writers. Popular word processing tools like Microsoft Word or Google Docs also have in-line editing capabilities.
Regardless of which client feedback tool you prefer, make sure you stick to it. Switching back and forth between different platforms can confuse both parties. Keep your workflow streamlined by ensuring all of your revisions are housed in the same place and that all involved are set up with the right access and permissions.
4. Communicate Effectively
In freelancing, feedback can sometimes get lost in translation. That’s why effective, consistent communication is key to maintaining a long-lasting freelancer-client relationship.
For both clients and writers, it’s important to be timely when responding to emails and to ask any questions right when they come up. If you’re partnering with a content writing agency, make sure your account manager or point of contact regularly updates you on project status, whether it’s through regular video calls or emails. On your end, make sure you’re updating your POC with any important institutional information or recent changes to your guidelines or strategy.
By creating an environment that’s open to communication, you can build trust and collaboration between you and your freelancers.
5. Keep it Professional
The way you deliver feedback to freelance writers is equally as important as the feedback itself.
We understand how frustrating it can be when you receive a draft that doesn’t align with what you expected, but addressing feedback with clarity and without editorializing can help get the writer there in the next draft.
If you’re upset by content quality, use constructive language that demonstrates your willingness to collaborate as a team. For example, instead of saying something like, “The tone here is all wrong. You need to fix this,” you can say something like, “This wouldn’t resonate with our target audience. Let’s adjust the tone to be more casual and less buttoned-up.”
If there’s an issue with subject matter knowledge, provide resources to make sure the writer is well-informed. Even expert, industry-specialized writers need confirmation on what types of sources or research are approved by your organization.
Using professional and direct language fosters collaboration and helps keep your team growth-oriented.
How Many Revisions Is Too Many?
One issue that you may face with freelance writing is feeling like you’re stuck in an endless revision loop. Although revisions are important to the content creation process, constant revisions can signal a deeper issue. So, what’s considered an excessive amount?
According to our recent LinkedIn poll, out of 152 freelancers who answered, 68% indicated they allow 1-2 revisions for their clients. Only 30% voted for either 3-4 rounds or unlimited revisions.
Keep in mind that a “healthy” amount of revisions is dependent on the type of project you’re working on. If the number of revisions is starting to feel like a lot, it probably is.
When you find yourself running into excessive revisions, take some time to think about how you’re providing your feedback. Are you giving clear, constructive feedback with actionable steps and suggestions? Is your content brief as detailed as possible for the writer? These are important questions to think about the next time you’re working on revisions.
Strong Feedback, Strong Results
Strong feedback leads to stronger workflows, relationships, and results in your content.
Getting feedback from clients that is clear and constructive makes a world of difference in freelance writing. Remember that you’re on the same team and working towards the same project goals.
If you’re looking for a writing service with a platform built to optimize content efficiency and improve content quality, tap into ContentWriters. Our platform features a range of tools to help maintain consistent communication with your writers. We also have a network of vetted, industry-specialized writers who cover a wide range of industries.
Reach out to our team to learn more about how our platform can help streamline feedback and scale your content needs.
Katy Wong is a Senior Content Success Specialist at ContentWriters, where she began her journey into content marketing in 2020. With a background in writing and editing, Katy now specializes in managing client and writer relationships, taking ownership of both short- and long-term content projects with a strategic and detail-oriented approach. She’s passionate about aligning content with SEO goals and ensuring every piece exceeds client expectations.
Katy is certified and has completed various SEO and content marketing courses, including Hubspot’s Content Marketing Certification, Growthskills’ SEO course, and Udemy courses.
