,A couple years back I attended a small writer's conference put on by a nearby writer's group. Personally, I LOVE writer's conferences...hanging out with writers and listening to them chat about writing gives me the warm fuzzies. :-)
That said, the focus on this conference was self-publishing, which was cool. I have a publisher but I still need marketing info, editing info, and of course, how to write better knowledge.
However, I almost fell out of my chair when I heard one of the speakers say it was okay to upload and publish a book with errors in it. He said there was no need to worry about trying to get it perfect because it didn't matter and you could always upload a new version anytime. I was sitting with my editor and we both looked at each other in shock.
Here's the thing...okay is NOT good enough.
That said, the focus on this conference was self-publishing, which was cool. I have a publisher but I still need marketing info, editing info, and of course, how to write better knowledge.
However, I almost fell out of my chair when I heard one of the speakers say it was okay to upload and publish a book with errors in it. He said there was no need to worry about trying to get it perfect because it didn't matter and you could always upload a new version anytime. I was sitting with my editor and we both looked at each other in shock.
Here's the thing...okay is NOT good enough.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to read a book that's riddled with typos, misspelled words, grammar issues, or plot problems.
One of the first things I do when considering a book purchase is to read the reviews. And if editing is a problem, I'll pass. No matter who it is. And I'll generally not buy any of that author's other books either.
Last night I was chatting with my daughter and she told me about a book she had purchased that still had editor notes in it. And when she looked closely at the cover, there was a place that said "enter text here." Really??? I mean, seriously?
Years ago, I bought a short story that a member of my writer's group had published. It was only .99 and I like to support fellow writers, especially if I know them. When I read it though...it was filled with typos and grammar issues. I emailed her and told her that she'd uploaded a rough draft by mistake...it was that bad. She replied that nope, she'd checked and it was the right version. I got a refund.
Here's the thing. Okay is NOT good enough. It's not. And you don't get a second chance to make a good first impression. We'll never get our books perfect but we should strive to get them as close as possible.
So, here's my question...how do you feel about books with editing issues? Will you buy a book you know is filled with typos and other issues? Are you okay with a book that's just okay?
One of the first things I do when considering a book purchase is to read the reviews. And if editing is a problem, I'll pass. No matter who it is. And I'll generally not buy any of that author's other books either.
Last night I was chatting with my daughter and she told me about a book she had purchased that still had editor notes in it. And when she looked closely at the cover, there was a place that said "enter text here." Really??? I mean, seriously?
Years ago, I bought a short story that a member of my writer's group had published. It was only .99 and I like to support fellow writers, especially if I know them. When I read it though...it was filled with typos and grammar issues. I emailed her and told her that she'd uploaded a rough draft by mistake...it was that bad. She replied that nope, she'd checked and it was the right version. I got a refund.
Here's the thing. Okay is NOT good enough. It's not. And you don't get a second chance to make a good first impression. We'll never get our books perfect but we should strive to get them as close as possible.
So, here's my question...how do you feel about books with editing issues? Will you buy a book you know is filled with typos and other issues? Are you okay with a book that's just okay?
