You don't need advice from editors on rejected manuscripts

Article

TL;DR

Feedback names the problem accurately; the suggested fix is usually wrong — use the signal, not the prescription.

Key Takeaways

• Card took ‘too long’ feedback, found the real structural issue, won a Hugo — the fix wasn’t shortening it
• Users identify problems reliably; their proposed solutions are unreliable — separate the two
• Applies directly to product: ‘it’s complicated’ is true, the user’s suggested simplification may not be

Discussion

Top comments:

• [trjordan]: Users are right about the problem, wrong about the fix — always separate these
• [mwigdahl]: Zvi’s rule: listen to what’s wrong, ignore how to fix it

  If someone tells you what’s wrong, listen to them. If they tell you how to fix it, ignore them.

• [Silamoth]: Same in game dev: players nail the symptom, prescribe broken solutions constantly

Discuss on HN