I’ve been writing these blogs for six or seven weeks without any feedback. My publisher recently provided me with all the comments that have been posted so far, from I assume the world, at least from the “E” world or however the social media world works??

I’m told that my website is an author’s canvas that displays my creative work and shows my personality. So, it doesn’t show comments from the general public. Maybe to protect my fragile ego?? I received a bunch of extremely nice posts, and I’m a bit surprised with the positive tone and nature the comments expressed. It seems that my honesty about who I am, and my writing process was well received. I appreciate the feedback. I will continue to be openly honest.

I asked about seeing the negative reviews and was told there were not any. My publisher has been fantastic to me, and I have no reason to believe they are not being honest with me. But….. there is a small devil inside me who wants to call bullshit!!! Not everyone likes everything, I have used profanity, I have rambled, and not everyone cares about who my characters are based on.

When I finished writing the first book, I gave several friends the typed-out manuscript and asked them to give me truly harsh, honest feedback. I wanted honesty. I didn’t want to continue with the long process of self-publishing if my book was a pile of shit. Sure, just completing it was a major accomplishment for me, but I wanted it to be readable.

95% of my friends who actually read it gave me friendly feedback. “I loved it. I heard your voice. It made me laugh”  I loved hearing all those kind words, but were they truly honest?

When I think back now, I was asking a lot. Not only to take time to read it, but to also be a dick and criticize it, and then tell me all the bad parts they didn’t like. Luckily for me that person who will do that exists in my life.

I have a special relationship with my daughter; we are extremely close. She understood what I wanted and had no problem pointing out some major flaws in my original writing. After hearing so many positive remarks her brutal honesty stung just a bit. But she was 100% right, like she usually is, sorry Frank (her husband).  I went back and developed some character traits my book was missing.

Seeing so many positive posts brighten my heart, and it provides inspiration for me to continue and improve my writing. A harsh constructive criticism would not destroy me either.

Coop