Ask for one specific thing, not for feedback
'Any thoughts?' reliably produces nothing usable.
Do this
Ask a narrow question about a specific element and invite a concrete change: 'what is the weakest paragraph here', 'what would you cut', 'where did you lose interest'. Ask for advice rather than feedback where you can.
Why it works
General requests produce vague, socially safe answers because people avoid unsolicited criticism. Framing the request as advice rather than feedback shifts the responder from evaluating the past to improving the future, and experiments show it yields more specific and more actionable comments.
Where it fails
Specific questions can miss the real problem entirely - if you ask about paragraph three, nobody will tell you the premise is wrong. Balance narrow asks with an occasional open one from someone you trust to be blunt.
How you’ll know
Usable feedback names a location and a change. If you cannot act on it without a follow-up question, the ask was too broad.