Reply To: ETA: Next book
So here is my problem then Rosver.
You were in the beta reader program. All you did was complain about how useless and boring the parts you didn’t like were.
I got very little from you in terms of what you did wantd to see, only what you didn’t want to see. [b]When you gave me specific examples[/b] [i]I tried to work to correct those,[/i] sometimes, I could, sometimes I could not. But, really, you gave me very little in the way of corrective advice, just complaints about what you didn’t like with no good strong suggestions for fixing them or improving the story.
I practically begged you for ways to make it better, so you liked it more. But got silence.
And as far as the straw man, well, maybe it’s the difference in languages, but to me, it sounds like you are calling everything you don’t like, stupid, useless, pointless and boring. That’s the message you are telling me. You don’t tell me why, or how to improve it, you just complain.
Clearly Rosver, you are very bright, very analytical and [i][b]I listen to you[/b][/i]. And you had a HUGE opportunity to shape the book in the beta program, and you chose not to do so. You just complained about the lame crap you didn’t like without giving me sufficient feedback to work with.
One thing that annoyed me in your goodreads review is that you brought up complaints there that you never brought up in the beta session. I consider that a breach of beta reading protocol. You should have brought all the complaints up. If I didn’t address them, or I did things without giving you a chance to weigh in, then complain about them in your review. But don’t bring up new stuff after the fact.
So, given all the attention I paid to you, and the opportunity you had. You have some responsibility for not getting what you wanted. That’s why I have the beta program. True, I won’t be able to even satisfy all the beta readers, but it’s an opportunity to build consensus around the things I can change/fix/improve and still keep the story on track.
Here’s a suggestion, anyone can write, anyone can publish on Amazon or Smashwords. Why don’t you try writing a book that you like and putting it out there? Then get feedback and complaints and try to deal with it to make your story better.
I think that will give you a lot of perspective and help you improve your analytical skills and the advice you give. Because, yes, I do want to hear what you have to say, but I need you to give it to me in an actionable manner.