Are the two people actually answering the same question?
Start here, then go back to the page and see what the manuscript gives you.MANUSCRIPT PROBLEM
What should I do when my editor and beta readers disagree?
An editor and a beta reader may be talking about the same passage from completely different angles. One may be naming a craft problem; the other may simply be telling you what happened for them as a reader.
BEFORE YOU CHANGE ANYTHING01 02 03 04 05
We would not solve the disagreement by deciding who has the bigger title. First find out whether they are even making the same kind of claim.
FIVE QUESTIONS
What we would look for first
Is one response preference while the other identifies a craft mechanism?
Start here, then go back to the page and see what the manuscript gives you.Do other readers corroborate either response?
Start here, then go back to the page and see what the manuscript gives you.What manuscript evidence supports the concern?
Start here, then go back to the page and see what the manuscript gives you.What decision are you trying to make?
Start here, then go back to the page and see what the manuscript gives you.WHERE A DEEPER READ HELPS
Stay with the reaction before deciding what to change.
We would put the comments side by side, translate what each person is actually saying, and then return to the pages. The goal is not to pick a winner; it is to find the useful question underneath the disagreement.
A POSSIBLE NEXT STEP
Bring the question, not a diagnosis.
You do not need to arrive knowing which editorial service you need. If you want another pair of eyes on the actual manuscript, this is the route that fits the question above.
IF YOU ARE STILL NOT SURE
That is useful information too.
Sometimes the most honest starting point is simply, “Something isn't working and I cannot quite tell why.” You can start there.