Before getting your novel published, you're supposed to get beta readers. These are people who will read your early drafts, give you feedback, and help you have a better novel.
Sometimes it works great. I've had very positive experiences with critiquing.
I've also had negative.
With my last project, it was mostly negative. So it makes me doubt the whole process.
I had a paranormal young adult novel.
I showed it to my sister. She enjoyed the first few pages. Then she got to the paranormal bit and she lost interest.
I went to a critique group. The man there was bored with the teenage angst stuff and told me I needed to get to the fantasy stuff much faster.
I submitted some chapters to an online site. One of the readers thought the fantasy stuff was way too silly. Now he could have been fine with fantasy, but thought my version of fantasy was silly. But from the tone of his review, I got the idea he simply doesn't like that type of novel.
Wait. I just went and retrieved the review. The reviewer says The dream stuff is continuing and continuing. It’s just too out-there and silly for me. I’m having a hard time staying with this.
But the thing is...the whole novel is about dreams!
Then at the end of the review he says, okay, finished. Once again the writing is good, but I’m not sure the game of discovering what is real or fantasy is enough to hold the reader’s attention. Good luck with this.
He could be a guy who likes fantasy, and he thinks I just totally suck at writing it. But I get the idea he just doesn't like novels with supernatural elements.
It's like me reading a novel about sports and saying Your writing is good. I just don't know if all this sports stuff is going to hold the reader's attention.
If the reviewer is not a fan of young adult paranormal fiction, his opinion isn't going to have much merit.
But let's say he is a fan. That doesn't mean his opinion is gospel. I love women's fiction. But if I dislike a particular women's fiction book, it doesn't mean it's a bad book. Books attract a wide variety of opinions.
Therefore, I don't think it's helpful to have beta readers to tell you whether or not your book is good or not. I can have twenty people read my book and say it's awful. But then there can be a hundred people I didn't use as Beta Readers, and they might love my book.
I think what IS helpful is finding someone who says, I totally love your book. The only thing I would change is... Or....I totally love your book, but I'm a bit confused about this part.
Anyway. I shall probably try to find beta readers. Hopefully it will be a positive and helpful experience.
Sometimes it works great. I've had very positive experiences with critiquing.
I've also had negative.
With my last project, it was mostly negative. So it makes me doubt the whole process.
I had a paranormal young adult novel.
I showed it to my sister. She enjoyed the first few pages. Then she got to the paranormal bit and she lost interest.
I went to a critique group. The man there was bored with the teenage angst stuff and told me I needed to get to the fantasy stuff much faster.
I submitted some chapters to an online site. One of the readers thought the fantasy stuff was way too silly. Now he could have been fine with fantasy, but thought my version of fantasy was silly. But from the tone of his review, I got the idea he simply doesn't like that type of novel.
Wait. I just went and retrieved the review. The reviewer says The dream stuff is continuing and continuing. It’s just too out-there and silly for me. I’m having a hard time staying with this.
But the thing is...the whole novel is about dreams!
Then at the end of the review he says, okay, finished. Once again the writing is good, but I’m not sure the game of discovering what is real or fantasy is enough to hold the reader’s attention. Good luck with this.
He could be a guy who likes fantasy, and he thinks I just totally suck at writing it. But I get the idea he just doesn't like novels with supernatural elements.
It's like me reading a novel about sports and saying Your writing is good. I just don't know if all this sports stuff is going to hold the reader's attention.
If the reviewer is not a fan of young adult paranormal fiction, his opinion isn't going to have much merit.
But let's say he is a fan. That doesn't mean his opinion is gospel. I love women's fiction. But if I dislike a particular women's fiction book, it doesn't mean it's a bad book. Books attract a wide variety of opinions.
Therefore, I don't think it's helpful to have beta readers to tell you whether or not your book is good or not. I can have twenty people read my book and say it's awful. But then there can be a hundred people I didn't use as Beta Readers, and they might love my book.
I think what IS helpful is finding someone who says, I totally love your book. The only thing I would change is... Or....I totally love your book, but I'm a bit confused about this part.
Anyway. I shall probably try to find beta readers. Hopefully it will be a positive and helpful experience.
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