Remember the Readers You Know

I have a friend who’s mother is VERY supportive of her career in freelancing (as is my own mother, but this story isn’t about me!). Said friend works on a number of personal projects as well, and has recently decided to self-publish a novel she’s been working on for about three years now. It’s a good option to self-publish, in her case, because of the subject matter of the book and because she has a very clear way that she’ll be able to sell copies. She doesn’t need a publisher.

Think about who will read your book if you're suddenly a published author. Image: sxc.hu

But I digress. My friend is having a hard time with this choice to publish because she doesn’t want to show the book to her mother. You see, the book is very sex-positive about a polyamorous lifestyle, and my friend’s mother is very Christian. To know that her daughter was engaging in something that she thinks is so very wrong could ruin their healthy relationship.

Moral of the story? Remember that people you know will be readers.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you throw away a perfectly good idea for a novel (or non-fiction book for that matter) just because you might offend someone. Before you publish, though, ask yourself the following two questions:

• Are there characters in the book that closely (and negatively) represent people in my own life?
• Is the subject matter of the book potentially offensive to people I know?

If you answered yes, you may want to consider revising the story a bit or publishing under a pen name. Whether or not they’re readers, people who know you will want to read your book. You’ll be a bit of a celebrity! If the drunken antagonist looks a little too much like your Uncle Bob when he has one too many beers or the wishy-washy sidekick has the same name as one of your friends, you could kill otherwise happy relationships in your life.

And if the topic of your book is highly controversial, you could find yourself unwelcome at your church, the PTA, or even family reunions.

Personally, I don’t think selling a few copies is worth it. Fiction comes and goes, but the people in your life who are important to you should matter more.