How to Select a Good Reader for Your Manuscript
•Pick someone you trust, but not necessarily someone you know well. Sometimes a comparative stranger can be more helpful than a close friend.
•Pick someone who regularly reads the kind of book you’ve written (i.e., memoir, chick lit, mystery, history, etc.)
•Pick someone who actively engages their own creativity. It doesn’t have to be a fellow writer, it could be a musician or even a scientist, but if they use their own creativity, they are less likely to feel jealous of your ability to manifest a complete piece of creative work.
•If you do pick a fellow writer, see if you can exchange writing so that you are on an equal footing.
It’s probably a bad idea to pick:
•Your spouse
•Your sibling who has always been jealous of you
•Your mother who wishes you were a doctor
•A writer who has never finished a manuscript
It can also be helpful to be clear with the reader on the time frame you have in mind, and what kind of critiquing you are hoping for. You may tell them, for instance, that they don’t need to proofread, but you really want to know what held their interest the most.
Finally, after you have received their comments back, be sure to prepare yourself before reviewing them. And take time after reading them before deciding what to do. Sleep on it before deciding. A good brisk walk can help process the feedback. Don’t think the reader is necessarily right about everything. If you are confused or ambivalent, getting a second reader can help (but it can also confuse things further, so be careful). Remember that you are the author, and it’s your name that goes on the book, not theirs. In the end you need to trust yourself the most.