By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about gaining distance from our books. I really feel that’s vital to both editing them effectively, gaining a critical perspective of them, and learning from negative feedback.
One way to gain distance from our books is to write another book. The authors I know who wrote one book (and were traditionally published), fell into this “only child syndrome” with their book…they helicopter-parented it and were genuinely hurt over poor reviews. Hurt to the point where they were immobilized and couldn’t move forward with writing again.
Another way to cultivate this distance is to adopt the most businesslike attitude we can about our books. Because, if we’re sticking with publishing as a career…it is a business. I think that’s where writers got off-track so many times in the past. We didn’t understand our contracts, we didn’t understand the nature of the industry, we didn’t understand our responsibility to our book…which is to promote ourselves as a brand and work on the next story.
As a business, there’s a research and development angle. Knowing what resonates with our readers and what they dislike about our books helps us to improve the stories and secure our readers’ loyalty to a series. I’ve gotten positive and negative feedback on all my books and keep track of it on very basic spreadsheets. I think studying the reviews/feedback this way helps us maintain distance from the work…otherwise, reading our reviews can be extraordinarily painful. But getting something positive out of a negative review can help make my next book better.
I get emails and Facebook messages from readers. I read each book’s highlights on the book’s product page (the text that readers highlight or comment on with their Kindle device). I sometimes venture onto Goodreads—although you really do have to be strong there because reviews can be particularly vicious on that site.
What readers like helps me, too. They frequently have suggestions about plot developments they’d like to see happen in future books. I’d be crazy not to listen to these, but it does reach a point where I realize only I know what’s best for my stories. I’m not writing my own fan fiction, here. But I can see trends, if many readers are interested in certain plot points. Relationship arcs, story arcs…whatever piques reader interest the most. And it frequently does influence my writing. There definitely seems a shift to me in publishing toward a sort of crowdsourcing of ideas in writing. Sites like Wattpad, where authors release stories chapter by chapter and readers give feedback are influencing this trend, too.
If you go this route, I’d collect this information over a period of time and probably not on days where we’ve just had a rotten writing day or are feeling insecure about our ability. One thing does help—keeping a Word doc with copy/pasted positive feedback or reviews or emails. This can really help, especially if you’re dealing with a crop of bad reviews (sometimes they go in cycles).
How do you keep a professional distance from your book?
And…Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends. I’m going to take the remainder of the week off from blogging to celebrate the holiday—and be Doctor Mom to my teenager who is getting his wisdom teeth out. :) I’ll be back again on Sunday with Twitterific.
Elizabeth – You’re so right about needing to keep enough distance from an individual book to make wise decisions. And part of that is seeing one’s writing as the business it really is. I think it’s entirely possible to do that without sacrificing artistic integrity if I can call it that. In fact, I’m writing a paper right now that explores some of the market-sensing things you mention as ways to help writers be aware of and adjust to the market. That too is a way to keep the right distance from a particular book. And business issues aside, keeping that distance helps us to focus on getting better as writers and not being dissuaded by rejection, a poor review, etc..
Thank you for this post!
I can usually get the distance I need by writing another book or spending a lot of time on another project, but this last project has been a real bear.
Part of it is because I wrote it after recovering from having a baby and getting used to not having sleep ever. Part of it is because while the book was originally supposed to be a romp through the zombie apocalypse, it turned into a very serious novel about death and loss, while I was still dealing with my own personal loss.
I edited the first draft, but I’m still not sure where to go from here. Sometimes you just have to make the best guess you can and hope for the best.
Happy Holidays!
I’ve always read reviews and tried to learn from them. The ones that state clearly what they liked or didn’t like help me to make the next book better. And give the fans what they want. And I’m aware I can’t please all the fans all the time. I just have to please a large section of them!
Alex–Excellent point! We *can’t* please everyone…we only need to please *many* readers.
This ties in really nicely to Rachelle Gardner’s post today, Your Artist Self and Your Business Self.
http://www.rachellegardner.com/2013/11/artist-self-business-self/
This is a tough, but important, lesson. And I agree, the best way to build a distance from one book is to start another. That’s why I’m already writing the start of one new series and doing research for another, even though I haven’t started edits on Final Hope yet.
I love your point about watching what readers ask for. And it is vital to recognise the difference between what some readers want, and what will make for the stronger story. Sometimes, you have to disappoint readers, because the end payoff will be so much more satisfying.
Caroline–Oh, I hadn’t seen that link yet. You’re right…it does tie in well. :)
Margot–I think that’s the usual argument against this approach…artistic integrity. I do understand it. For me, though, and my books, I’m like you–taking a more commercial approach.
Paul–You’re really working hard! Yes, the more books, the merrier.
And…right. I can think of one storyline I keep hearing from readers that they’re interested in…and it’s just not going to happen (not right for the story or the characters).
Elizabeth–Not having sleep and suffering from a loss…I can completely see that influencing our writing. Only natural for it to get dark. But is that darkness suitable for the story, the characters? If so…there’s definitely a market for those types of books (as I’m sure you know…Walking Dead being an excellent example).
Ugh…wisdom teeth…my teen son needs them out too :( I hope your boy does ok.
I’m not looking forward to the negative reviews, but I do recognize that they will happen. It’s a great idea to keep both good and bad comments in spreadsheets for further review.
Elizabeth–
You speak of using critical comments to better your work, but also of noting the positive things readers say. You conclude with the following: “I’d be crazy not to listen to them, but it does reach a point where I realize only I know what’s best for my stories.”
I think this is fundamentally important. Otherwise, writing from reviewers’ comments, spreadsheets, etc., turns the writer into a market researcher. I just don’t think really good books can result from such a process.
As for gaining distance, the ONLY way to achieve this for me is through the passage of time. The longer the time between me and the point at which I thought I was done, the better. That’s why your urging people to start another book makes perfect sense. Draft the second book without ever going back to look at the first. Once #2 is “done” (haha), then and only then do you allow yourself to go back to #1, to see everything there that you were blind to before. Or so it is with me.
Excellent advice, Elizabeth! I’ll be sending my clients here to read this – especially the ones who’ve only written one book and are agonizing over it instead of just letting it out into the world and starting the next one!