To me… that is the most horrifying and yet more exciting words in my life right now. Horrifying because I have no idea what they think about my book. Exciting because, hey – someone read my book!
It is even worse when it is someone you are working with because you will see them day in
and day out, thinking what they thought of your book. If they read your book and told you that they enjoyed it you find yourself thinking, “did they really enjoy it or are they just being nice?” I mean, they have no reason to lie to you but at the same time maybe they are just being nice because they are going to see you everyday and don’t want you being reminded that they are the person that hates your book. At the same time you may get those readers that talk to you about your book but talk in such a way that you don’t know if they enjoyed it or not. They compliment the book but fit in suggestions on where it could have been better… avoiding stating what their opinion is about your work and leaving you trying to decode their words.
Maybe it is the socially awkward introvert in me? Maybe I’m not giving myself enough credit because I can see every time I re-read my work where I can improve? I don’t know… but I shouldn’t be focusing on the negative. If anything, I should be focusing on the fact that I got one more person outside of my family and friends to read my book. This is one more person that can suggest to other people who are looking for something to read to read my book.
Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy hearing people say those words. I’m excited to hear what people thought or where I can improve in the next book. There is a sense of completion that comes when you hear those words and it sinks in every time some says those words that you actually wrote a book people are reading.
I don’t know… am I alone with this or do others feel the same way? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂
October 27, 2016 at 12:52 pm
What I hate most are the people who read it and then don’t tell me anything, which leaves me thinking they hated it…..
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October 27, 2016 at 4:27 pm
Well it is hard to hate a well written book like yours. Maybe they don’t know how to tell you they liked it. Maybe they don’t know if you’ll think what they are saying is genuine… I don’t know. *Shrug*
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October 27, 2016 at 6:44 pm
Kind thoughts, Dee, but in many cases these are people I worked with for years and had no problem sharing professional opinions with me….I think perhaps it’s more that it’s too far out of their reading comfort zone to know what to say (or they got bored and didn’t finish, and don’t want to tell me!)
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October 27, 2016 at 7:01 pm
Ah. Well, I don’t know what I can say in regards to that. It would be nice to get the opinions of people you know and trust to let you know their thoughts on your work but at the same time with the amount of people who have read your book, reviewed and rated your work… the readership consists of good/ excellent reviews. Like you said, it may not be something that they normally read and don’t know how to talk about it… but your book is rated 4.5 stars because people enjoy it. 🙂
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October 28, 2016 at 12:45 pm
🙂
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October 27, 2016 at 2:01 pm
I hate the social situations where people say they’ve bought the book and haven’t read it yet before reeling off a list of reasons why. It’s always so awkward and I never know what to say.
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October 27, 2016 at 4:25 pm
Yeah… I have had that happen. I just tell them no rush and that I look forward to hearing their opinion. But it still is awkward that they give you a list of excuses because you’re not sure if they are doing it because they want to make sure you don’t feel bad that they haven’t read it yet or they don’t want you to think they are a bad person… I don’t know. XD
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October 27, 2016 at 2:39 pm
I am not a writer (outside of my blog 🙂 ) , but I have several friends who are and all of them ask me to read their drafts! I make sure they know in advance I will read as soon as I can and that I will be as honest as they want me to me. haha! Some of my friends want super straightforward and blunt, others need it very constructive and lighthearted, but in either situation, I try to be honest. What book did you write? 🙂
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October 27, 2016 at 3:55 pm
I ask a few of my friends to read my drafts or beta read and they say they’ll do it, get the copy and never complete the task… then I have others that deliver before the due date and do an amazing job at it. XD
As for what I’ve written, Child of the Light, which is a young adult fantasy adventure. It is the first book of a six book series focused towards a group of children chosen by the Gods to change their world for good or for worse. The thing is they don’t know and it is all up to them to decide. 😛
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October 27, 2016 at 3:58 pm
Oh wow! Love the premise!! What formats is it available in??
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October 27, 2016 at 4:23 pm
EBook and paperback. You can find it on smashwords. There should be a book of prophecy six page at the top of my blog on the homepage if you are interested. There you can find the links. 🙂
The EBook on Amazon isn’t free unless you have Kindle Unlimited. If you don’t have that I’d suggest smashwords. 🙂
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October 27, 2016 at 4:32 pm
Great thanks!! I’ll check it out 🙂
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October 27, 2016 at 4:35 pm
Book 2 is also coming on Dec 20th of this year. 🙂
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October 27, 2016 at 4:38 pm
Oh good timing for me then! Hahaha
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October 31, 2016 at 1:31 pm
Oh man! I get a very nervous feeling every time I get an email back from a beta reader because they are those people who ‘read me book’, but I look forward to their brutal honesty. Actually, in this last round, I was hoping for lots of constructive criticism… and I got almost none. 0.0 I’m not sure if that meant the book was ready or if it was just a ‘nice’ read and there was no hope for it. It’s a very nerve-racking experience, but I agree with you on the people you know.
I was talking to one of my friends about my book because she does science and I wanted someone sciencey to help back up my world-building. (because as a writer, I might be jaded and ignoring the sciencey facts), and then she was all ‘can I read your book?’ And I wanted to be all ‘NOOOOOO!!!!’ Worst part was when she came to me a couple days later and was like ‘I started reading your book.’
‘oh really?” *starts walking in the opposite direction*
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October 31, 2016 at 1:47 pm
I know the feeling. I am starting to get back my beta readers opinions and suggestions. Every time I see an email from them I have a mild freak out thinking, “This is it, they are going to tell me this sucks and I have no time to start over!” Then I open the email and find they have only made two or three suggestions on where to improve. That’s when I think the same thing as you… did they just read it for it being a ‘nice’ read or does it have no hope? I know that isn’t the case. The people beta reading for me have read my other book and wanted to beta read this book… but you still can’t help the thoughts from creeping in.
Whenever I hear someone I know tell me they’ve read my book I also want to run in the opposite direction… XD
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