This seemed the most appropriate place to post this. I have a friend who presented me with a problem for which I can't safely advise. He's an older gentleman who isn't on AW, and doesn't go online much, so I told him I would present his problem here to see what AW's many learned people might think.
Over the last few months he emailed the first few chapters of his ms to several anonymous--but experienced--beta readers around the world, all of whom seemed initially enthused when they received his sample query. Out of the ten he sent chapters to, only three ever contacted him again.
Those three presented extremely helpful constructive criticisms, and were eager each time for new chapters to be sent. When they finished reading his ms, they all came back with positive comments, telling him how good his story and writing is, that it was a fascinating and enjoyable read (one even using the word 'excellent'). Two of them thanked *him* for the privilege of letting them read it, with the same two saying how they would love to beta the sequel when he gets it done.
The problem is, because so few followed through with reading his first few chapters, he now has doubts about how good it might be, in spite of the glowing comments he received from the ones who did finish. Because we're friends who read and write in very different genres, we don't exchange mss for betaing (leaving that to impartial strangers), so I don't know if there is a issue with it, though what I've seen of his writing tells me that he's certainly capable.
Could this just be a case of not being able to please everyone? For example, a beta's personal preference interfering, like someone not liking the POV, or even someone's life getting in the way of betaing, etc., and then not being courteous enough to tell him (with little of this reflecting on the quality of his ms)? He's eager to start querying, yet hesitant until he's more certain of its quality. What he'd like to know is if he should disregard the non-responders, and go with the opinions of those who made it to the end and enjoyed it?
Have any of you experienced similar circumstances? And did it still have the positive outcome of you acquiring an agent? Thank you for reading this far, and I told him I would print off all your responses for him to study.
Over the last few months he emailed the first few chapters of his ms to several anonymous--but experienced--beta readers around the world, all of whom seemed initially enthused when they received his sample query. Out of the ten he sent chapters to, only three ever contacted him again.
Those three presented extremely helpful constructive criticisms, and were eager each time for new chapters to be sent. When they finished reading his ms, they all came back with positive comments, telling him how good his story and writing is, that it was a fascinating and enjoyable read (one even using the word 'excellent'). Two of them thanked *him* for the privilege of letting them read it, with the same two saying how they would love to beta the sequel when he gets it done.
The problem is, because so few followed through with reading his first few chapters, he now has doubts about how good it might be, in spite of the glowing comments he received from the ones who did finish. Because we're friends who read and write in very different genres, we don't exchange mss for betaing (leaving that to impartial strangers), so I don't know if there is a issue with it, though what I've seen of his writing tells me that he's certainly capable.
Could this just be a case of not being able to please everyone? For example, a beta's personal preference interfering, like someone not liking the POV, or even someone's life getting in the way of betaing, etc., and then not being courteous enough to tell him (with little of this reflecting on the quality of his ms)? He's eager to start querying, yet hesitant until he's more certain of its quality. What he'd like to know is if he should disregard the non-responders, and go with the opinions of those who made it to the end and enjoyed it?
Have any of you experienced similar circumstances? And did it still have the positive outcome of you acquiring an agent? Thank you for reading this far, and I told him I would print off all your responses for him to study.
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