Yesterday, a writing buddy
asked me for my “brutally honest opinion”
about her cover.
My brutally honest opinion was…
the cover isn’t as good
as the story is.
It won’t help sell books
(the main purpose of a cover).
I gave her suggestions for improvements,
including examples of covers
from bestselling books in her niche.
My writing buddy replied with
a long list of reasons
why the cover was good enough
for that series.
She was irritated
because I didn’t love her cover.
I was irritated
because I spent time and effort
evaluating her cover
and giving her suggestions.
She likely won’t ask again.
If she does ask,
I certainly won’t give her
my honest opinion.
Honest opinions take
time, effort,
and trust.
Don’t ask for an honest opinion
unless you truly want one
and are prepared to incorporate
the feedback.