Beta testing my book?
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I finished the pages of my book but am now ovewhelmed by the technical process of scanning, making sure I cover all that is required and I wonder if it's really all that good anyway. The more I look at it the more I see things that I think might be wrong...........AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!! Are people (friends and family) just being nice to me? Has anyone "beta tested" their books by sending all or some of it out to a group of non-biased people to read ti and tell you what they do and don't like and if they would buy it? My husband suggested it might be a good idea. If I do it, should I send the whole book or just part. It's only 22 pages long as it is and a lullabye so it doesn't really have any action or anything. Just wondering what others have done. Thanks!
Marsha Ottum Owen
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@Marsha-Kay-Ottum-Owen Hey Marsha - i think we all have our own style and our style may appeal to different folk - if you beta tested with a group that was not looking for your style of work it would only reinforce the self doubt we all suffer from (this may end up being ran-tish so i apologize) i think when we are being creative we have to be very careful who we allow to judge our work or even share it with for that matter - creativity seems like a balloon that is easily deflated - we can deflate it ourselves by talking about an idea instead of doing it or sharing it with the wrong person who may prick our balloon with their ambivalence - there are a lot of people who are excited about art and their are people that are not - the folks that have not opened their minds to art (yet)are not our audience - i am a huge C.G.Jung fan and he looked at this statement from the point of view of creativity - "mysteries profaned and made public fade and lose their grace, Therefore cast not pearls before swine, nor spread roses for the ass" - harsh maybe, but i would beg you not to beta test your book - what is your overall goal - what is your measure of success? - Finish your book! - you have put so much time and love into it - Finish it and move on to your next goal - if the book gets you a publishing deal, great - if not, move on to the next project - (my goal is to make a body of work that i am excited about and proud of) - you should be proud of your work - i have many children's books (my daughter is 5 and my son is 10) and your work would easily fit on one of our bookshelves - keep doing what you love and enjoy the support of your family and friends!
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Thank you, Kevin. I appreciate your "rant-ish" reply. I have put a lot into my b ook and some people do like it. My 2 year old grandson in particular, even in it's dummy stage wanted me to read it. He is most important to me. Thank you so much. I will go forward and do it for myself and not worry too much about others. I just might need to do it on a smaller scale
I think I could do 250 and eventually sell them all. That might be the safest way to go as far as financial expenditures go and if it does better, I can always print more. Thank you again. -
We all have people who are better than we are, we truly have to believe in what we are doing and ourselves to go forward or to get any better! with occassional, "Oh, I'm not very good," I press on to become something better than when I started! go with the grandson!
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Thanks, Russ
I will go with the Grandson
