I have a tough decision to make

[HolySpearit]

My uncle is trying to make it as an author and as a marketing student looking for any experience to put on my resume, I made the mistake of volunteering myself to do the marketing for his book and even act as a middleman.   Buuut I should have read it first because as I'm reading it I can see that there's very little potential for it to be a huge hit.   The story is sci-fi and the idea is actually pretty good which is why I was excited about it and volunteered myself to help him, but his execution is very flawed. I'm halfway into it and the plot is still building up to the conflict, the characters are super basic, and it doesn't seem to have an antagonist...   I think every good story should have one or more protagonist and antagonist and great stories have characters that are so dynamic that the characters all have good and bad qualities. So I have two options: I can either tell him that unless he goes back and rewrites the whole story, he's not gonna make a profit. or I can keep that to myself and tell him I enjoyed it, waste my time and more of his money than he has already spent (thousands) and will have to spend to promote it.   This isn't only my opinion, before I even started the book, everyone I talked to in my family who read it told me how bad it was but I figured they were all just too old to really enjoy the sci-fi genera and I wanted to judge it for myself. It's hard because he is so passionate about the book that if I tell him what I think of it he will be crushed and probably resent me forever!! 

[Lsuboi89]

He might not be in the greatest mood when you tell him. But I'm sure an editor or someone would tell him the exact same thing. Your doing it because you care, not so much to be cruel. He will get that. I know my friend is a writer and she sends me her stuff to read and advice. Of course her stuff is really good, but I still tell her where improvements could be and we talk about ideas back and forth. Maybe don't tell him it sucks but more along the lines of tell him I think this part would be better if u did this, or added this.

It would be better for his future as well if u tell him now. If he's a new writer and releases a bad book, that will forever remain attached to him, and it will make readers not want to read his future works.

[HolySpearit]

He might not be in the greatest mood when you tell him. But I'm sure an editor or someone would tell him the exact same thing. Your doing it because you care, not so much to be cruel. He will get that. I know my friend is a writer and she sends me her stuff to read and advice. Of course her stuff is really good, but I still tell her where improvements could be and we talk about ideas back and forth. Maybe don't tell him it sucks but more along the lines of tell him I think this part would be better if u did this, or added this.

It would be better for his future as well if u tell him now. If he's a new writer and releases a bad book, that will forever remain attached to him, and it will make readers not want to read his future works.

 

First of all thanks so much for replying!   That's a really good point about not letting him taint his name by publishing a bad book. But is it really a matter of changing a few things here and there if the characters are undeveloped, the story is missing a "vilain" and only has one conflict that it slowly (and I do mean SLOOOWLY) builds up to? I do believe constructive criticism is more helpful than telling someone that their work is a flop but he would really have to change a wholeee lot.. he would have to go back and reread everything and almost completely rewrite it 

[JoshLee]

Just tell him, it's better if you tell him its bad then having him ask you why he's not getting positive reviews and why he isn't making money. It's better if you tell him immediately.

Think of it like a bandaid if you rip it off quick it will hurt, but after a while it gets better and you don't feel any pain anymore

Anyways good luck on what option you choose

[Urbanney]

This is like one of those situations where you tell your best friend that she looks ugly in an outfit rather than say she looks great and let her go out in it. 

 

Tell him the truth. Lying will do nothing to help him.

[Till The World Ends]

I have to agree with the rest. Just tell the truth, or it can get embarrassing at some point. 

[Far Beyond]

I have taken creative writing classes and enjoy writing myself. 

 

One of the first things we learn is how to take and handle criticism. If you cannot handle criticism in this line of work, then you will almost definitely not make it. Maybe he should enroll in a creative writing class...idk. But if you criticize his book, you must have constructive things to say. 

 

Idk if I necessarily agree w your assessment that a story needs multiple protagonists/antagonists though. Maybe some one-dimensional characters could be beneficial in addition to the more rounded main protagonist/antagonist.  It depends on the story. And if you haven't finished the entire thing, then maybe you miss an important story arch, metaphor, or theme. 

 

What is his training & passion? Had he been a writer all his life, or is this random? Maybe there are themes it explores that you are missing?

 

You should be honest....but you should also be honest with yourself. Are you a sci-fi fan? Are your family? What constructive criticisms do you & everyone have? If your family gave him the two thumbs up treatment, then you should talk to them too. If you doubt his work, maybe he just needs to refine it. Most authors spend countless hours on backstory of the characters and other details of the novel, and none of it will make it into the book. That time is spent visualizing who the character is, little subtleties, how they react, the entire history of their setting, etc.

[Term of Endearment]

It is how you tell the truth. If you want to help, give constructive critisism.. It may hurt, but it will also encourage him to work on it and aim to be the best..

[nanananana]

Make the right decision.