In Front of Fifty Thousand Screaming People is out with the beta readers. Well, maybe not all, as I have at least one more to get it to. I have begun to receive reports.
The first reports had to do with typos. Many typos. I knew that when I sent it out. My wife has read about 2/3 of the book and marked typos as she went along. I took her mark up and made some corrections, but not nearly all. So I knew the version going out to beta readers had typos.
From Nov 3 through Nov 8 my wife and I travelled to Rhode Island via Oklahoma City to attend a funeral. During that time, during gatherings of family and friends, I was able to talk face to face with two of these beta readers. One has finished the book, and gave it good praise (not glowing, but good). Of course, he’s a Yankees fan, so I was expecting him to not like—wait, don’t want to reveal too much of the plot. He has been feeding me e-mails pointing out typos, but I was able to get his take on the whole book.
He said, in answer to my questions, that the scenes in the new Yankees Stadium were believable. I was wondering about that, so that’s good feedback. One of his comments was that, at the beginning of the book, there was nothing to ground the book in time. Since it was talking about the Mafia, he thought it was set some decades ago. However, further into the book I have some references that make it clear the book is contemporary. If I can add some similar references much earlier, then the book will be grounded in time. He also thought I didn’t have enough ethnic names in the book for ball players. I can look at that easily enough.
The other beta reader I met with had read through chapter 26, so about 60 percent into the book. He of course mentioned the typos. He also said that the mob girl in the book, who is playing a role much out of character for her, is not believable. No, that’s not exactly what he said. He said it’s hard to believe she could effectively play the role she’s called upon to play by her gangster boss. I’ll review that, and see if there’s any way I can improve her believability. She undergoes the greatest character arc of all the characters.
So, the feedback begins. I have the book out with four other beta readers, and will send it to one more tonight. I’m looking forward to the wide range of opinions I’m likely to receive.