Question?

Geist · Jun 17, 2007

Once a manuscript is ready to send to an agent, do you think it's alright to let family and friends read it? It seems like if it's ready for an agent, it should be ready for anyone else, too. I mean, the limited number of people who would see it wouldn't hurt its publication, right?

What do you think?

Edward

gp101 · Jun 17, 2007

Geist said:
Once a manuscript is ready to send to an agent, do you think it's alright to let family and friends read it? It seems like if it's ready for an agent, it should be ready for anyone else, too. I mean, the limited number of people who would see it wouldn't hurt its publication, right?

What do you think?

Edward

Most family and friends will be way too willing to tell you how wonderfully talented you are before giving you an honest opinion on your work. If you're looking to simply avoid embarrassing yourself if you fear your offering might not be up to par, then you shouldn't be sending it out to agents. Get some beta readers (some folk who read a lot in your genre and are willing to give honest feedback, as well as some other strugggling writers like on our SYW boards) to give you feedback, make whatver revisions you feel you need to, then mail it out. And if you have to, this is the time you could give it to family. Personally, my family won't get it till a publisher says they're publishing the book.

johnzakour · Jun 17, 2007

It won't hurt or help its chances of publication. Unless of course some member of your family is an agent or publisher.

Toothpaste · Jun 17, 2007

I let my parents see it before the agent does. But they are my first set of editors, my father is the king of Grammar. I think, like with everything, it depends. On you, on them, and your relationship.

seun · Jun 17, 2007

I'm lucky to have friends who are very keen to read my stuff. Sadly, most of them aren't so keen to actually read it when I give them a copy.

Before it goes to an agent, it goes to my girlfriend, a good mate and I'll post a sample or two here. I get honest feedback from all angles, make any neccessary changes and then go for the agent.

Ziljon · Jun 17, 2007

Geist said:
Once a manuscript is ready to send to an agent

Edward, I'm not sure you can say it's ready to send to an agent if you haven't let someone else read it. There are so many things they will find, little typos you've missed, the wrong use of the word where or were, things they won't understand and will need clarification.

But just one person's opinion should not make you change anything, that's why you should try to get a few people to read it, but that's not so easy when you try. You parents may be very supportive--and that's good, but they also may be super harsh. Either way, they another set of eyes.

julief · Jun 17, 2007

If you'd like your family to read it, then I see no problems in letting them. Although, you might get upset if they find errors, etc., since you're already sending it to agents.

Now, my mother reads my WIP as each chapter gets written. she's really great at telling me what she doesn't understand, what she still wants to know, and what she didn't like. And when I get stuck, it's really nice to bounce around ideas with someone else who knows the story and the characters.

Sandy J · Jun 17, 2007

Geist said:
Once a manuscript is ready to send to an agent, do you think it's alright to let family and friends read it? It seems like if it's ready for an agent, it should be ready for anyone else, too. I mean, the limited number of people who would see it wouldn't hurt its publication, right?

What do you think?

Edward

I have a ton of beta readers. Friends mostly, but then I joined a critique group that has been extraordinarily helpful. I was hesitant to let my family know I wrote, let alone have them read it, because I thought they might think I was being a bit strange for suddenly starting to write books. Once I clued them in, my family has been great in offering help and suggestions. I can't imagine sending anything to my agent without SEVERAL people taking a gander at it.

Claudia Gray · Jun 17, 2007

It all depends on the attitude your family and friends are likely to take, and your attitude to their opinions. If you think they'll be excessively cheerleadery or far too negative, skip it. If you think they're discerning readers and will give you honest feedback, I say go for it. You need to know what a few readers will think about your book and the questions they'll ask; it's great input.

ChaosTitan · Jun 17, 2007

Letting family and friends read it won't affect the submission, if they are just reading it to reinforce the idea that "it's ready" for agents.

But as others have said, if you want good and honest feedback on the manuscript, you need a couple of impartial beta readers. More than anyone, they can tell if the book is truly ready for agent submission.

Jamesaritchie · Jun 17, 2007

Geist said:
Once a manuscript is ready to send to an agent, do you think it's alright to let family and friends read it? It seems like if it's ready for an agent, it should be ready for anyone else, too. I mean, the limited number of people who would see it wouldn't hurt its publication, right?

What do you think?

Edward

It does no harm, but it probably won't help, either. One problem I have with letting other read your work is that you may come to depend on them to find problems you should be able to find yourself.

And the biggest danger is that you may believe whatever they say, and whatever it is, they're probably wrong.

Shady Lane · Jun 17, 2007

My parents still haven't seen my book that's coming out in September...

What they don't know won't hurt 'em.

Gillhoughly · Jun 17, 2007

Depends just how nice or how utterly dysfunctional your family and friends are.

I never let them see my work until it was in print and even then they just looked at the cover and tsked at it.

My elderly mother is under the impression that (despite my having been married) I'm still a virgin, so the sex scenes would have just freaked her.

One of my "friends" read a recent novel and made a point of informing me that I used the "F" word THREE WHOLE TIMES in the book. Gasp! Apparently she was so shocked she never finished the final climactic gun battle that was going on in that scene. As the characters were under stress, the use of the *word* was appropriate.

*sigh*

Let other writers you know give you feedback instead--BEFORE you send the book off to the publisher.

If you've got a nice, mentally healthy, well-balanced and loving family...send me their address, I'll want to be adopted by them.

mscelina · Jun 18, 2007

Gillhoughly said:
Depends just how nice or how utterly dysfunctional your family and friends are.

I never let them see my work until it was in print and even then they just looked at the cover and tsked at it.

My elderly mother is under the impression that (despite my having been married) I'm still a virgin, so the sex scenes would have just freaked her.

One of my "friends" read a recent novel and made a point of informing me that I used the "F" word THREE WHOLE TIMES in the book. Gasp! Apparently she was so shocked she never finished the final climactic gun battle that was going on in that scene. As the characters were under stress, the use of the *word* was appropriate.

*sigh*

Let other writers you know give you feedback instead--BEFORE you send the book off to the publisher.

If you've got a nice, mentally healthy, well-balanced and loving family...send me their address, I'll want to be adopted by them.

*Snort!*

My critique group and beta readers give me lots and lots of criticism with great joy. There are a couple of them as a matter of fact that I think really enjoy nitpicking me to a leprous state of decay, but that's okay. At least I know before I ship off a ms that it's in a good state for submission. My family?

BWAHAHAHAHA!

I'm with gilloughly on this one. I wouldn't show my stories to a member of my family if you paid me. As a matter of fact, they'd have to buy the book in order to read them. As the only book-minded person IN my family, handing them a manuscript would be akin to giving them a new, extra-thick coaster for the end tables. Love them dearly but....thank you, no.

christinex · Jun 18, 2007

Gillhoughly's comment made me laugh, because when I handed my last novel off to my mother, I warned her, "The sex is a little more, um, explicit in this one."

She raised an eyebrow at me and replied, "How exactly do you think you got here?"

That said, I have friends who are writers look at my stuff, and family members as well, if they have the time. I also have a friend who's a librarian who sometimes looks over my my work, because she reads a lot for her job and has a pretty good grasp on what's currently out there. I don't see anything wrong with getting feedback from a variety of sources, especially since they will catch things that you might miss. I'm a professional copy editor, and even I overlook some things in my manuscripts just because my mind automatically fills in missing words or typos.

julief · Jun 18, 2007

Yeah, my mom's a librarian. Reads a lot. She's actually the one who orders the books for the libraries in town. So I tend to trust her opinion.

sassandgroove · Jun 18, 2007

No. Whenever I've let non writing friends and family read my stuff they either don't get it or just say it's good with no feedback. Or worse, they say something cruel becuase they don't get it.

Steve W · Jun 18, 2007

Hi,

I let people read my work as soon as I'm comfortable to do so. Sometimes it's the first draft, sometimes it's the 6th or whatever. I've stopped expecting any useable feedback, so just let them enjoy it for what it is.

Cheers,
Steve

JoNightshade · Jun 18, 2007

I sometimes let my mom read my stuff, and as far as I know she hasn't had any objections to my renditions of sex. But I still feel HIDEOUSLY embarrassed that my mother has actually READ sex scenes, by me, her daughter. ::Jo hides under bed::

Southern_girl29 · Jun 18, 2007

I don't let my mom read anything by me. She's very critical and would find something wrong even if there wasn't anything there. Sometimes, you just need your mom to be nice, even if it's not helpful.

I have two family members I will let read my stuff. They will be honest, fair and critical. It works out well. A friend of mine, who is also a co-worker, was the first beta reader for Psychic Straits. He pointed out a huge problem, which I pretty much knew was there but didn't want to have to face up to. I'm glad I let him read it.

I don't see a problem with it if you know they'll be fair. Fair means being honest enough to tell you if your WIP needs work, but it also means telling you what is good, too.

Question?

Geist

gp101

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

seun

Horror Man

Ziljon

Tortilla di Patate

julief

Hardly here

Sandy J

In a state of denial...

Claudia Gray

ChaosTitan

Around

Jamesaritchie

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

Gillhoughly

Grumpy writer and editor

mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

christinex

julief

Hardly here

sassandgroove

Sassy haircut

Steve W

JoNightshade

has finally arrived

Southern_girl29