Feedback, Not Rewrites: Editorial Etiquette for Maintaining Voice

There is nothing more insulting than feedback that pretends to be helpful while quietly replacing your voice with someone else’s. It’s inefficient, it’s impolite, and it’s the fastest way to flatten a brand into something forgettable.

Feedback is not a power grab. It’s a service. And like all services, it has rules.

When feedback is done properly, it sharpens the story without hijacking it. When it’s done poorly, it turns collaboration into a tug-of-war and leaves everyone wondering who’s actually in charge. That confusion isn’t creative—it’s rude.

Advice from Joan: Feedback is not a power grab. It’s a service.

Here is the mistake I see most often: people confuse notes with rewrites. Notes ask questions. Rewrites issue commands. Notes respect authorship. Rewrites erase it. If you hired someone for their voice, etiquette demands you protect it—even when it needs correction.

Good feedback maintains the narrative spine. It understands archetypes. It knows when to call in the Sage and when to let the Creator finish the thought. It doesn’t shout over the Magician or undermine the Guide. It listens first, then speaks with intention.

If your feedback process creates tension, delays, or bruised egos, the problem isn’t sensitivity. It’s structure.

Here’s how editorial etiquette actually works:

Feedback Etiquette: How to Correct Without Overwriting

1. Assign a Voice Guardian
   One person—often the Creator or Magician—protects tone and narrative integrity. Feedback routes through them.
2. Notes Over Directives
   Phrase feedback as questions or observations, not instructions. “What if…” travels better than “Change this.”
3. One Archetype at a Time
   Sage feedback checks accuracy. Ruler feedback checks standards. Rebel feedback tests assumptions. Don’t stack roles.
4. Consolidate Before You Comment
   Multiple voices require synthesis. Raw group notes are discourteous and counterproductive.
5. Protect the First Draft
   Early drafts belong to the Creator. Excessive critique at this stage kills momentum—and morale.
6. Close the Loop Politely
   Final approval should be clear, written, and decisive. Silence is not consent.

Notice how etiquette does the heavy lifting. No one is silenced. No one is indulged. Each archetype contributes exactly what it should—and no more. That’s not rigidity. That’s respect.

This matters because voice is not cosmetic. Voice is the brand. Lose it, and you lose trust. Flatten it, and you lose distinction. Smother it, and you lose the very thing you hired for in the first place.

In a well-run collaboration, feedback refines the work without rewriting the author. The story gets better, not blander. Decisions land faster. And no one leaves the room feeling diminished.

That is editorial etiquette. Not deference, not dominance—but discernment.