When I was a third way through my recently self published first book, I approached two friends to read it. I chose them as people who were not afraid to give an honest view, who were intelligent and thoughtful in how they assessed things.
I said a few things to them, and I quote below what I wrote. They seem a bit funny to me now ... but essentially I will ask the same when I am writing the next one.
Your task is this:
- Please try to read as a stranger ( I know that that is the hardest thing!)
- It's probably NOT your genre.
- My main aim is approach it from the bottom up ... as it were, as in just how bad is it ?
- Is it like, all over the place, flawed, weird, superficial, really hard to read, rambling, too much.
- You DON'T need to like it. In fact I'd rather you don't even think about liking it or not liking it. That is too subjective. In fact if you liked it I would find it weird, considering your normal tastes.
- Basically I am asking for the impossible ... of course I know that !
But what the hell ...
- I am NOT depending on your view ! So don't feel ANY pressure.
- "Meh" would be a perfectly acceptable conclusion
- My over riding question is this: “If you picked it up while looking for something entertaining to read on a flight or journey or something .. After you read it would you look back on it as an acceptable professionally written book ? Even if you didn’t enjoy it 100%?know.