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My Friend Asked Me to Critique His Latest Unpublished Novel
It took seconds to know he’d made a big mistake
“Check this out,” Brian grinned, shoving his thick manuscript at me. I could tell how much it meant to him by the glint in his eyes. This was Brian’s fifth book; he’s had to use a vanity publisher for his previous four books, and he’s running out of money.
I’m not a book editor, but I’m a reader. When I walk into a bookstore, I pick up an attractive cover, read the blurb and the opening paragraphs. If I like it, I’ll open the book at random and read a passage to see if the writing remains engaging. I imagine you do the same, and, like me, you put the majority of books back on the shelf.
Brian’s book received the same treatment, and the brutal truth was that he had a zero chance of finding a traditional publisher. If I had picked up his book in a store, I wouldn’t have got past the first page.
First, his book wasn’t properly formatted. He’d chosen a font I didn’t recognise, the margins weren’t set properly, and he used single spacing for his text. He thought he would stand out by having a different style from everyone else, but instead, he made his book difficult to read.
Why do amateurs think they should try something different from the professionals? The…
