My friend wrote a romantasy book. She’s absolutely thrilled about it and really wants to publish it. However she was really bummed because none of her friends were reading it. Romantasy isn’t my genre, but I thought how terrible it must be for someone to pour your soul and heart a book and it never been read by anyone, so I agreed to read it and give her feedback on it. Plus, she’s been working on it for so long. I’ve started it, and it’s really not good.
It’s not really bad, either,it just feels very wattpad. Like something written by a teen who’s read some romantasy, but maybe not enough. I really thought her writing would be leagues better, since she’s been doing it for so long even if it was for this single book. I think she’s gonna get her heart broken with this cause she would need to rewrite the whole book for it to be publishable, and that’s not even taking into account the actual story. It just feels like a hobbyst’s fist project, which is fair, but her expectations on this are so high. Telling her the truth will crush her. Lying would set her up for massive disappointment. So what should I do?
I agreed to read my friend’s book to give her feedback and it’s not good
r/Advice
Comments
Lying will kill her dream slower but truth told kindly might just save it. If you care be honest with love praise the passion and point her toward growth.
This is always a minefield. I’ve done this for people before, and it can really backfire if the person is sensitive or doesn’t take criticism well.
Thing is, if the book is as mediocre as you say it is, its not bad. Most authors have to go through their book several times, and do several revisions. This is part of what being an author IS, and what makes them better.
If you think she can take the advice, let her know as neutrally and nonjudgmentally as you can what needs word. What doesn’t work. And be SURE to mention what she does well, so it doesnt seem like a huge pile of criticism.
Good luck.
Oof, that’s tough. Best thing you can do is be kind but honest. Focus on what does work, then frame critiques as “this part could be stronger if…” instead of “this sucks.” It’s her first big project… feedback should help her grow, not crush her
Romantasy is my genre. I spend time in r/fantasyromance . I see recommendations with lots and lots of upvotes and several replies sharing the love of the book. Occasionally, when I actually read the recommended book, I am in disbelief that it was written by an actual adult as opposed to a middle schooler but yet the book is selling and being loved by many. All that to say if it’s “not really bad”, it might be somebody’s cup of tea. You’d be surprised what flavors are.
Okay, as a creative myself, let me offer some tips:
First, she likely is not at all steeped to criticism, even friendly criticism. So you want to tread super light.
The first thing for you to remember is that first drafts are drafts: the work of writing comes on re-writing: reimagining, re-crafting, exploring new aspects of a scene. In other words… a first draft is a draft of potential.
Successful writers come to understand this and grasp that early drafts are tools to explore until they find what the final story will be. I don’t think your friend is at this point yet, but you can (and should!!) push her to think about your comments with this in mind. And you should also give notes about the areas you think do have potential- like actually- if they were developed and tightened and explored further. Encourage her to make changes in the things you think are good(-ish)– this will also encourage her to deepen her own relationship to craft.
Be specific about notes about structure. Structure is a great thing to comment on for early drafts and for people who aren’t terribly seasoned. Give actual comments about storytelling design – what was set up and paid off well; what was not set up well or didn’t resolve well. Think about what you could recommend structurally to adjust the storytelling- maybe there’s a character that needs to be introduced earlier; maybe there’s stakes that you think you u swear and, but they need to be made much more clear much earlier. Maybe there’s a reveal that she could withhold longer to build tension or to activate a twist more completely.
Try to avoid saying what you like and didn’t like. It’s a strange thing to say, but in reality, what you actually like is that your friend is so creative and bold to try to take this on- so you want to support that. She wants you to like the writing and story because it will make her feel good- but if you’re being honest about it what you want to do is push her to push further with it.
Always offer things you appreciate about it- but offer them as instructions and guidance to pursue further. Maybe you like the writing that introduces a character with a dynamic energy- point that out, but then also point to a specific instance of another character’s introduction that falls flat for some reason. This gives her information as to what is working, rather than only what is not working.
Ultimately, if she wishes to be a serious writer, your comments can become the most important she’s had: somebody who has attended closely to her project and offered honest and constructive thoughts.
She asked you to read it not be her editor. You read it, it was good, my favorite part was xyz. She can submit it and be rejected by strangers, you don’t have to be the bad guy here.
You said already it isn’t your genre, so your opinion is already against what she wrote. You would be surprised what’s popular in romantasy.
This is what you say, very carefully, you say
” what kind of feedback were you looking for?”
And do exactly that and nothing else. If they respond with only a sentence, then you respond with only a sentence.
There is the truth, and then there is “the truth”. And the truth is, you’re not a book editor, and it’s not a genre that you enjoy. So just tell her that you did read it, gush over the parts you did like, and suggest she get someone who knows what they’re doing to evaluate it.
Something like “I just finished your book, thank you so much for trusting me to read it! I really like [insert whatever parts of the story, characters, writing, etc, that you actually did like]. But it’s not really my genre and you’ve put SO much work into this that you deserve feedback from someone who knows what they’re talking about. Do you intend to submit it to any publishers?”