Would you tell a friend their book is awful?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, plot twist!

I’m the author. My friends have given polite, vague congratulations, minus one who told me who awful the book is.

Was just curious if the rest were lying, and it seems like they were. Pretty depressed now.

I'm an author too. The likeliest thing is they didn't read it. Publishing a book made me realize how few of my friends read at all.

Yeah, I am a reader, but don’t have time/energy to read something that isn’t in my interest. So even if a friend wrote it, it’s no guarantee I would read it, much less offer valuable or accurate feedback!

Good luck!!

+1 and I think it's highly likely that they polite friends never read the book.

Well let me suggest to all of you that if you ever have a friend who publishes a book, that you gush with them over the fact that the book exists - you don't actually have to read it to do that. Do SOMETHING to show how excited for them you are. Authors are worst case scenario people who will always assume if you say nothing it means you hated the book - just say something supportive. You can say you haven't had a chance to read it yet - that's fine. But buy a copy. Share the photo on social media and tag your friend = say how proud you are of your friend. Do something to show that you are actually a friend and not just some negging robot who exists to cultivate self-doubt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, plot twist!

I’m the author. My friends have given polite, vague congratulations, minus one who told me who awful the book is.

Was just curious if the rest were lying, and it seems like they were. Pretty depressed now.

I'm an author too. The likeliest thing is they didn't read it. Publishing a book made me realize how few of my friends read at all.

Yeah, I am a reader, but don’t have time/energy to read something that isn’t in my interest. So even if a friend wrote it, it’s no guarantee I would read it, much less offer valuable or accurate feedback!

Good luck!!

+1 and I think it's highly likely that they polite friends never read the book.

Well let me suggest to all of you that if you ever have a friend who publishes a book, that you gush with them over the fact that the book exists - you don't actually have to read it to do that. Do SOMETHING to show how excited for them you are. Authors are worst case scenario people who will always assume if you say nothing it means you hated the book - just say something supportive. You can say you haven't had a chance to read it yet - that's fine. But buy a copy. Share the photo on social media and tag your friend = say how proud you are of your friend. Do something to show that you are actually a friend and not just some negging robot who exists to cultivate self-doubt.

^ And if you see the book at a B&N or another bookstore, take a picture. Share the picture with your friend. You really have no idea how lonely and frankly terrifying it is to be a writer. Having people on your side makes a huge difference. Just be kind - that's all.

[Anonymous]

Of course not! I would gush about their success, as any true friend would do. We are here for a short time and our purpose is to lift each other up. Do you really think conveying a subjective and brutal review would be helpful? No you don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, plot twist!

I’m the author. My friends have given polite, vague congratulations, minus one who told me who awful the book is.

Was just curious if the rest were lying, and it seems like they were. Pretty depressed now.

I'm an author too. The likeliest thing is they didn't read it. Publishing a book made me realize how few of my friends read at all.

Yeah, I am a reader, but don’t have time/energy to read something that isn’t in my interest. So even if a friend wrote it, it’s no guarantee I would read it, much less offer valuable or accurate feedback!

Good luck!!

+1 and I think it's highly likely that they polite friends never read the book.

Well let me suggest to all of you that if you ever have a friend who publishes a book, that you gush with them over the fact that the book exists - you don't actually have to read it to do that. Do SOMETHING to show how excited for them you are. Authors are worst case scenario people who will always assume if you say nothing it means you hated the book - just say something supportive. You can say you haven't had a chance to read it yet - that's fine. But buy a copy. Share the photo on social media and tag your friend = say how proud you are of your friend. Do something to show that you are actually a friend and not just some negging robot who exists to cultivate self-doubt.

I'm the pp. I have a number of friends who have written books. I always buy a copy and leave a glowing review on Amazon. I always attend a local book release party or reading. I always congratulate them. I may or may not actually read the book and I would probably feel uncomfortable if the friend asked me what I thought of the book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, plot twist!

I’m the author. My friends have given polite, vague congratulations, minus one who told me who awful the book is.

Was just curious if the rest were lying, and it seems like they were. Pretty depressed now.

I'm an author too. The likeliest thing is they didn't read it. Publishing a book made me realize how few of my friends read at all.

Yeah, I am a reader, but don’t have time/energy to read something that isn’t in my interest. So even if a friend wrote it, it’s no guarantee I would read it, much less offer valuable or accurate feedback!

Good luck!!

+1 and I think it's highly likely that they polite friends never read the book.

Well let me suggest to all of you that if you ever have a friend who publishes a book, that you gush with them over the fact that the book exists - you don't actually have to read it to do that. Do SOMETHING to show how excited for them you are. Authors are worst case scenario people who will always assume if you say nothing it means you hated the book - just say something supportive. You can say you haven't had a chance to read it yet - that's fine. But buy a copy. Share the photo on social media and tag your friend = say how proud you are of your friend. Do something to show that you are actually a friend and not just some negging robot who exists to cultivate self-doubt.

I'm the pp. I have a number of friends who have written books. I always buy a copy and leave a glowing review on Amazon. I always attend a local book release party or reading. I always congratulate them. I may or may not actually read the book and I would probably feel uncomfortable if the friend asked me what I thought of the book.

If you disliked it, or haven't read it, just tell them you haven't gotten to read it yet but you're so excited for them. Hopefully they will not push you.

[Anonymous]

OP - congratulations on your book. It’s a huge accomplishment. How were the reviews? I would guess very few of your friends read it, and probably there is something going on with the person who was so critical. I can’t imagine saying something like that to anyone let alone a friend. But even though I’m a big reader, I am kind of selective about what I read because I am very busy (like most people!) so if you wrote a very tragic story, I probably would not read it unless you were my BFF. But I’d be impressed!

[Anonymous]

NP. As a writer, I'm really happy when somebody raves about my draft. But it's not very useful to me and I actually want constructive criticism. If you're thinking something isn't working, then probably others and agents are too, so let me know.

I was taught this formula for critiquing others' work:
(1) Start with what you like, what's really working. If the author seems to be looking for validation, lay the praise on thick.
Only after this, (2) offer constructive criticism. "Get rid of character X, I don't see the point of her" is useless. Instead, "I wasn't sure how character X fit into the plot, could you make her more relevant by highlighting her relationship with Y" is helpful. Even if, as the author, you don't think that suggestion would work, it still gets you thinking about the problem with X.

[Anonymous]

No.

Unless they are asking you if they should quote their day jobs to be a writer

[Anonymous]

I hope your book is a novel and not a book about yourself and how you went through a hard time with X and came out on the other side and now want to give all of us advice. I have about 5 acquantainces/friends/family members writing blogs and books like this, and *barf.* They are not people I would take advice from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, plot twist!

I’m the author. My friends have given polite, vague congratulations, minus one who told me who awful the book is.

Was just curious if the rest were lying, and it seems like they were. Pretty depressed now.

I'm an author too. The likeliest thing is they didn't read it. Publishing a book made me realize how few of my friends read at all.

Yeah, I am a reader, but don’t have time/energy to read something that isn’t in my interest. So even if a friend wrote it, it’s no guarantee I would read it, much less offer valuable or accurate feedback!

Good luck!!

+1 and I think it's highly likely that they polite friends never read the book.

If they didn't read it, it's probably because they skimmed the first few pages and it was bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like movies I find books to be very subjective. There are books (and movies) that I really hated, but many others liked and vice versa.

So you saying her book is awful - which is an objective statement- isn't fair.

It's poorly edited, lots of typos, a few glaring plot holes, some consistency issues. Yes, it's published by one of the Big 5 (or 4 or 3 or whatever they're done to now). I was honestly surprised at the quality.

Does your friend’s first name begin with an H?

[Anonymous]

I've never written a book, but I do have a blog. It was similar when I transitioned from writing privately, to an ever -growing group of friends and acquaintances, to being more public.

When it became more professional and public, I lost a certain group of readers. I think they had enjoyed the intimacy of reading my stuff privately, and for them, once it was public, it didn't feel special enough.

Op, be proud of yourself. You wrote a book! It was actually published! I have no idea what it might be about, but that doesn't happen every day. I am happy if even one person reads what I write, and I'm sure you have thousands

[Anonymous]

It hasn't been established if this book was published or self published. I would like to know that, actually. OP didn't say unless I missed that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. As a writer, I'm really happy when somebody raves about my draft. But it's not very useful to me and I actually want constructive criticism. If you're thinking something isn't working, then probably others and agents are too, so let me know.

I was taught this formula for critiquing others' work:
(1) Start with what you like, what's really working. If the author seems to be looking for validation, lay the praise on thick.
Only after this, (2) offer constructive criticism. "Get rid of character X, I don't see the point of her" is useless. Instead, "I wasn't sure how character X fit into the plot, could you make her more relevant by highlighting her relationship with Y" is helpful. Even if, as the author, you don't think that suggestion would work, it still gets you thinking about the problem with X.

You can do it even more tactfully than this, and hopefully if you were a professional editor or agent (as I was for years) you would do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It hasn't been established if this book was published or self published. I would like to know that, actually. OP didn't say unless I missed that.

She said it was published by a big publisher

Either way, once a book is out there is no reason for you to offer your critique. You should only ever do that if you're asked to read a draft and have actual constructive things to say - not, I hate how you write, but, I got lost between chapters three and four where the character did XYZ thing that didn't seem to make sense in the time frame.