Choosing Readers Carefully

I’m waiting on my last reader to get me back an edit on my first novel. It’s a nerve-wracking wait. I know my book will (hopefully) be available for anyone to read someday, but right now I limit who gets to see it to a very small, very trusted circle. It’s a first draft—and it’s a mess. And even though I’ve developed a thick skin, I also know that too-critical comments could get me down and lessen my excitement for this project. Still, I do need readers who aren’t afraid to offer constructive criticism.

So the right readers for my first draft are carefully chosen. They’re people I know will be supportive, but who will still tell me what I need to fix and won’t just shower me with praise or criticism.

They’re also people who read and write in the same genre I do—so they know how a book in this genre is supposed to go, the conventions I’m working with, and what will likely appeal to my audience. They are my audience—the type of people who would read a book like mine. So I know they won’t dislike it just because it’s romance or fantasy, and they’ll “get” what I’m doing a little more than the average reader.

After they’re done with edits and I’ve gotten a chance to rework my draft, I plan to send out my draft to a wider circle. Some are also romance and fantasy fans but not writers themselves. Some are good friends but not regular readers in those genres. Their feedback will be more useful when I know my draft is stronger, and when I want to judge how the story flows to a reader less familiar with the work—as well as whether it has crossover appeal.

Occasionally someone in my life feels bad because I don’t want to show them my first draft for some reason. Naturally I hate hurting the feelings of people I care about, and I try to explain—but it’s not always easy. Because I’d love your feedback—how do you deal with that kind of issue?