This week one of my dearest friends finished my first MS and called me to go over her notes. That’s right people, she had 5 pages of detailed, chapter-by-chapter notes. We were on the phone for 2 hours. It was amazing. So first I want to publicly tell her THANK YOU!
Secondly, I wanted to talk about this process for me. I have not yet had that kind of feedback. I’ve had “I liked it all except this one part” with no real explanation as to why. And I’ve had “It was great! Can’t wait for the next one,” with no suggestions for improvement. While I appreciate every single person who took the time to read my book, I was always hoping for more of a detailed list.
I finally got it and I’ve got to tell you, it feels great. I got five golden pages of things I screwed up! Typos, questions, awkward moments, hard-to-understand passages, EVERYTHING. So I’m finally excited about this book again. We talked through each chapter and I found solutions to the two parts of this book that have been constantly giving me heartburn.
I swear I’m not a glutton for punishment or anything like that, but I found I really enjoyed the critique.
How about you? Do you like hearing what people liked and didn’t like about your book? Do you savor the constructive criticism? Or is that the hardest part?
Also, don’t forget to enter my Giveaway! Three winners will be announced next Monday so check it out, tell your friends, and put your name in the drawing!
Happy Wednesday all!
You never hear of anyone publicly thanking a friend for writing 5 pages of honest critique of a book that is your baby. You blow my mind sometimes Kadie Kinney! :)
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, sometimes I like honest critique, but most of the time I just want a pat on the back and compliments. Is that lazy of me? Probably. But, I do always go to a trusted friend/mentor and want honest feedback about my teaching methods and material delivery. That is probably the only time I always want honesty.
You know, you've just given me permission to have no mercy on you. Excited to read you book!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to work on the google doc thing tonight.:)
One easy way to critique a document is to have a word document opened along with the manuscript you are reviewing. That way, you can easily go between screens to type what questions, comments, or suggestions you have.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are so accepting of critique. I know that I have a hard time accepting criticism; I'm glad that you are able to see it as an important help aide in your journey of getting published! I can't wait to see your book on a shelf for me to buy and I can't wait to read more of your works!