Writing Wonders and Woes #Fan Mail #Critics

Reader Responses: Good, Bad, and In-Between

How much importance do you give reader responses to your manuscripts? How do praise or criticism affect your opinion as to he work's worth?

 One of the things that Rudyard Kipling says in his Poem "If" will help a boy become a man is: "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat these two impostors just the same. " 

 

We all like to be patted on the back but would do well to heed his advice. And to remember: we are not going to please all the people all the time

 

Examples:

1. My one and only Biblical novel, Belated Follower, generated more and higher reader praise than all my other books in print at the time. Yet one reader did not like it at all. Why? "Too religious."

Note: I'm not sure what she expected from a clearly-marked Biblical novel.


2.  My books are noted for being squeaky clean. So my editor and I were stunned to receive a letter to this effect.

 
"Colleen L. Reece was my favorite author. I trusted her, until she included terrible language in her latest book. If this is the kind of thing your company is going to publish, I will never read anything you issue again." 


I went back and read the book. So did my editor. There wasn't even the mildest profanity. We read it again. Nothing. We finally figured out the only word she might mean was "jackass," as in donkey/mule. 


I wrote asking her to please let us know the page number, adding,"If we don't know what it is, we can't promise it won't be repeated.' No response came. 

My editor sighed and said, "Well, such letters
keep us humble!"

Evaluating reader and critic response

 

 1. Who are making the comments? Well-meaning friends can only give you their opinions, colored by what kind of books they like to read. I am not strong for fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, etc. My standard comment to students is, "If you impress me in those genres, you will know your work is good."

 

2. What are their qualifications? It is easy to find people to comment. It is not always easy to discover those who can and will be honest without tearing work down (never helpful). Be especially careful if you are in a critique group. Praise or criticism from those who are not writing and studying to improve their skills is not constructive.

 

3. Evaluate the good, the bad, and the in-between. Are the comments valid? Do they fit your overall plan for your book? Will they help move the story forward? Are they objective? Back when editors did a whole lot more editing, I disliked being assigned to another romance novelist. Too often, suggestions were nothing more than picky comments stemming from, "If this were my book I would write it this way."

 

4. Welcome constructive criticism, but only from those you trust. A good friend and I proof and edit for each other. We look with eagle eyes, ask questions for clarity, find typos, but do not attempt to shape each other's stories unless asked to brainstorm or suggest alternatives for trouble spots.

 * * *

 Final word. I am currently mentoring a talented young woman. She is determined to succeed and beginning to sell.

 

Why? She asks insightful questions. Listens. Learns. Puts into practice the  knowledge I have gained over forty years of writing, editing, selling. I am proud of her. She deserves to win in the writing game.

Crows'-Nests and Mirrors