Good vibes only

(The one where I do a positivity read)

To become a writer is to have rejection become your constant mistress.

I can only imagine this man has had a setback of some kind. Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash

It doesn’t matter if you pursue self-publishing or traditional publishing, rejection is a feature of this career, not a bug. And as much as it hurts to hear that “no,” art isn’t meant to be for everyone. If you try to please everyone with your creative work, the only guarantee is that it will be bland and boring.

My friend

Amy Buchanan

introduced me to the concept of a “positivity read.” (This is your reminder to order her debut, Let’s Call a Truce). The idea is that once your book is past the editing phase, you have a friend read it and tell you only good things about it. How funny or poignant or spicy your book is. Good vibes only! This is not the time to tell a writer they have no idea how to use commas. That’s a copy editor’s job.

This may seem obvious, but authors spend a lot of time beta-reading and editing other writers’ work so it can be very hard to turn off that part of our brain. The amazing thing about a positivity read is that we get to just enjoy the ride. We get to experience the book as a reader, not a writer.

Do you remember the last time you fell so in love with a book that you ignored your family/responsibilities and had to gobble it down as fast as possible?

I do.

It happened when I recently did a positivity read for Erinn Salge. Her book was hilariously funny, and her prose was sharp and insightful. I can’t wait for everyone else to be able to read this amazing book one day.

So, when is the right time to do a positivity read? I can think of three different scenarios in the traditional publishing world:

1. You shelve¹ a book you love.

2. You go on submission².

3. You sell your book, but it will be two years before it comes out in stores³.

Please note that the positivity read takes place after many, many rounds of critique and feedback to make your book the best version of itself. Having that type of constructive criticism is critical to be a successful writer.

One of the strange things about being a pre-published writer is that there aren’t many people who read your work. You spend all this time perfecting a three-hundred-page novel infused with all sorts of details that are uniquely you, and then maybe a handful of people witness it.

There is something beautiful about inviting someone into this special world you’ve created. Having them understand the inside jokes or Easter eggs you included.

So the next time a friend experiences something like the scenarios I mentioned above, see if they would be open to you doing a positivity read. I guarantee you both will enjoy it.

I’m curious…have you ever done a positivity read?

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What I’m Reading

I am so excited to read Jessica James’ debut, For One Night Only. Two former bandmates (and exes) are thrust back into each others’ lives by fake dating for publicity. I picked it up at the adorable Meet Cute Bookshop in San Diego.

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What I’m Eating

I hosted our Sunday night family dinner recently and made this roasted salmon and light potato salad. They were so good!

1. You decide that you have taken a book as far as it can go, but it either doesn’t get you a literary agent or you don’t get an offer from a publisher.

2. Submission is when a literary agent sends out your manuscript to editors and you hope they offer to buy it. The process can be short or long, and is agonizing for everyone unless they miraculously go to auction after two days on submission (note: this doesn’t really happen).

3. In traditional publishing, there can be a serious lag time between acquisition and publication, and authors can start to wonder if their book is terrible (which is exacerbated after a few one-star Goodreads reviews).