There
is something worse...
Than a rejection
from an agent…
It’s
when a friend requests to read your manuscript…”
And
you say, “Are you sure? You’re so busy.”
And they say,“Of
course I’m sure. I can’t wait to read it.”
So you
send them an on-line copy…
Thinking
they’ll read some of it that night.
The
next day comes…
Nada.
You
wait a week.
You
want to call them up and ask:
Did you
read it yet? Didya? Didya? Didya?
But
you don’t ask.
You
wait some more.
And
wait. And wait. And wait.
And
then finally you ask, “Did you read it yet?”
“Oh
yeah. I read the first chapter.”
(how
long were you going to make me wait to tell me?)
And
then all you’re consumed with:
Well?
Did you like it? Didya? Didya? Didya?
Truthfully?
Waiting
for a response from an agent? Expected.
Waiting
for a friend to respond? Excruciating!
From
now on…
I’m
not going to let friends or family…
Ever
read any of my manuscripts again…
Because
besides the waiting…
Will
they even tell me the truth?
Or only
what they think I want to hear?
Thoughts?
(please don't make me wait)
Always,
Em-Musing
10 comments:
Sadly, this never changes. Waiting for agent reads, publisher reads, reviews ... and then the next book. Even now, I'm waiting for a dear writerly friend to read one of my mss, and I'm forcing myself not to email her and ask how it's going.
I don't do that well with waiting for people, so when I'm waiting, I write like a fiend to get my mind off the thing I can't control. Now I have so many projects that I'm always waiting for something--but I always have something else to occupy my time and my mind.
Hang in there!
Yeah, it's got to be someone you know for sure is going to read it.
Waiting for agents is part of the business, but waiting on a friend or family can feel like torture. I don't now if they will ever tell us the truth. I tend to believe they tell us more, or what they think we want to here. Good luck!
This is sooooo true! I love this line: Waiting for a friend to respond? Excruciating!
I concur about not sharing work with family and friends (unless they're your writing friends). If they don't like it, it hurts a lot more.
Even worse is giving them a copy after it's published for FREE and they never say anything. Finally you ask and they say they haven't had time!
I have a very good friend who finished his manuscript, gave me a copy to read and I still haven't gotten past the first chapter. I'm blaming my ADD.
I have to bully my husband into reading my blog posts. I do this by with holding sex. It works every time.
I am a fellow writer so I feel your pain. You get so excited about what you've written you can't imagine somebody else not being equally excited to read it and then get right back to you...with praise or an honest critique.
However the truth is creating a piece of art or writing a book and hoping you get fast, honest reviews is like trying to pick out underwear for someone! They usually thank you and put it in a drawer never to let it see the light of day again!
Hang in there, you've got talent and tell a great story!
This is such a true post! I totally understand what your going through.
www.modernworld4.blogspot.com
I gave books to friends of mine months ago. Still waiting to hear if they've read them. I stopped asking.
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