I’ve been putting the finishing touches on Cat-Eye Witness—the 2nd in the Klepto Cat Mystery series for a few months now. I announce to friends and family that it’s done. Then I find myself editing it again—doing more minor revisions.
I’ve incorporated suggestions from seven readers and a proofreader into the final manuscript. I’ve read it through and did more editing at least two dozen times. I am ready to publish it—as soon as the cover art is completed.
Is it a good idea to farm your novel out to readers before publication? Many novelists like to (and probably should) invite people to read their stories before they are deemed finished. The benefits can be many—you receive validation, serious problems with the story or the characters may be identified, punctuation errors and typos will be caught. However, you might also receive some negative feedback—“your characters are not likable,” “they’re shallow” or “your story isn’t believable,” for example. The level of your attachment to your story and your characters will determine whether you can accept truly constructive criticism or not.
But what about the criticism that seems to be based on the other author’s or reader’s own vision?
There are hundreds—maybe thousands/millions—of ways to write a single story. And I’ve seen authors allow the opinions of others to interfere with the story they want to tell in the way they want to tell it. The thing is, every author and even many readers have an opinion about how they would engineer a story. Seldom are the visions of others relevant to your story—your way of telling your story. It’s a fine line between staying true to your story and listening to/accepting the valid suggestions of others.
An author who farms his/her manuscript out to be critiqued before publication must prepare on many levels. He needs a thick skin. He must detach enough from his project so he can view it without emotion. He must also be able to separate useful suggestions and critique from emotion-driven opinions.
Read my first attempt at a novel—Catnapped, a Klepto Cat Mystery. It has been revised for your Kindle. It’s just $2.99 at http://amzn.to/14OCk0W