19 Feb 2012, Posted by caburkes in Random Crap, 0 Comments Tagged Corey Burkes, NO, UNTIL, WATCH
Feedback: The Unveiling of You and the People Around You
Before I write my next statement, it should be understood that I seriously consider these journal entries as a personal point of view from my feelings at the moment. Could be on any topic but mostly around writing as this year is my launch year. Yippee!
So you would think I would tread lightly so i don’t offend potential customers.
Shit … then I wouldn’t be Corey Burkes and the stuff I write wouldn’t flow properly if I choked it at the point of a good bust, sort of speak. The whole point of integrity is being, saying and living who you are … change as you want, admit the changes that may be necessary and still keep to what you say generally.
So, let’s get to offending some folks.
Do you know the value of feedback on the work you do?
It actually means a lot. Not to just your soul, but your ability to make changes in a timely manner and the difference between looking like a fool or being a winner.
I’m not so much touching on the power of a review which I HIGHLY suggest you read from my author counter-part Daphine G. Robinson (Importance of Book Reviews).
I’m speaking about you giving your work to someone and asking them “What do you think?” with a ready pen and paper to make changes.
Now, some people are quick to find the flaws in no matter what you do. My sister does that with the speed of light. It’s her style and sometimes she’s right … but it’s a strange lifestyle, to me, to receive something and the first thing out of your mouth is a complaint.
But then, you put yourself in that position anytime you put yourself out there. I’m immune to it. got Teflon skin; as hard as a rock and negative reviews are my opportunity to fix things. My writing means a lot to me that much that I soak in any bad reviews and use them to fix issues. My art, as in 3D art, I admit, I get a little offended. Why? Not sure. Maybe because doing artwork takes more out of me than writing. with developing 3D art or even drawing, I have to work harder than most people who can draw out their ass as easy or easier than I write.
So if I have to sweat, then the review better be positive. LOL.
Writing, however, I’ve been doing it so long, I can write an original short story like a freestyle rapper. In fact, and this is my own opinion and I’ll prove it when this year is let out … I am to writing like Jay-Z is to rap. oooohhhhh…. What a bold statement. True … and I’m that confident.
So why don’t I go enter contests then?
Don’t get me started. I’m still being judged by one clown only and that’s the guy/girl who will have read this blog journal and saying “Imma screw that guy over.’ Never said i wasn’t paranoid.
Anyway, what pisses me off to the nth degree is if I give someone something to provide feedback on, I expect a response. Good, bad or indifferent. It’s one thing to be a customer and not provide a review because they have a pile of books to read … but chances are, if I give out my stuff early its to a friend, someone who is even on the project, or someone I trust.
Also, I don’t give my stuff to just ONE person. I usually always give something out to multiple people to gauge the temperature of the project or story in order to get multiple vantage points. Different opinions and the friend base is diverse.
But to give NO feedback is unacceptable cause it fucks with me timing. So here what happens… I hear NOTHING, so I will assume their too busy and I have to make an executive decision. And that’s fine. I have no problem with people being busy.
Here’s what I DO have a problem with. Let me give you the classic scenerio that SOOOOO MANY PEOPLE do to me. Makes me so fucking angry, makes me want to spit fire:
Corey develops a new idea for a story and works it into a novel. He passes it out to six of his people and asks them to read it and let me know what you think and judge for story flow. They all say okay. I give them time…like a month or two. Two moths later, I get two reports back. One good. One not bad, but changes would be good to make the story better. No word from the other four. I don’t beg or ask more than once (firm policy), so I move forward with what I need to do. The book comes out and the four others poke their fucking heads out of the dirt to tell me whats wrong with the story and what I didn’t do right and this problem and that problem and on and on and on. And I’m expected to smile and take it.
Fuck no. I told your ass to give me feedback within the first two months i gave it to you. So cool … you don’t have time. That’s fine. TRUST ME, I get not having time.
But you have time to ride my ass AFTER it’s published. Fuck you … that’s sneaky ass shit that only says ‘you’re trying to make me look stupid.’
Now, I could look at it like ‘if they failed to provide feedback in a timely manner that they have become common customers providing a ‘review’ that might be considered negative.’ But the point of giving anybody in my camp something early is because they are to be people MORE than a common customer.
Which is why, as this year started, that camp of early reviewing people narrowed to practically one or three people and any feedback I don’t get back from anybody (including people who are actually ON the project) are dismissed. Just not interested because what matters only is my decision to move forward, fix problems that I can catch or leave things as they are. I just wished I had it with more ‘opinionated data’.
Look, I get people are busy but I feel you got folks out there who don’t mind turning around telling you they ‘don’t get something’ or the problems with your work when it’s you … not them … putting yourself out there. So that’s the chances you take … i get that too … but I promise you … it’ll only bother you most when it’s people you trust to have your back. Not to ‘yes’ you and think it’s all gravy … but to give you honest and real feedback when you need it before you go to priunt, or go on stage, or write that song, or burn 1000000 CD’s or spend all that money on something that you hope is perfect but has a flaw that your friend didn’t want to tell you about UNTIL its in the stores and people are laughing at you … and then your friend and family kick back: “I saw that before but didn’t want to say anything.”
That’s when you need to choke that bastard.
Feedback is important because you get to see which fools are lying in wait … or people really there to help you.
My final on this is this: If I give anybody something early and ask for feedback, and you don’t give me any and I got to meet a deadline, don’t say shit to me when it’s online and running. Just keep your late-ass opinion to yourself cause it’s jacked up that you found the problem after the fact when I could have saved the issue.
But you know something. This comes from the division of people who DO and people who just WATCH. People who DO want to put their best foot forward. People who WATCH are waiting for you to bust your ass cause they would NEVER put themselves on that stage in front of people and take the chance of getting laughed at.
To all my ‘DO’ers … All of you not willing to sit still and let someone else get paid or tell great stories or have the hot song for the summer … stay strong. I feel you. Get you success and let that be your feedback. If you can sell one, you can sell two. If you can get one great review, you can get two. If you can get one great gig, you can get two great gigs. Then let it all mount up and build off of what you did right once to keep it rolling … and let that be all the feedback you need, backed with inner confidence, you won’t need third-party opinions of anything you do.
Corey A. Burkes Author/CEODesktopEpics Entertainment
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