Writer as Reader

I've always been a critical reader--and not just in the sense of thinking about the subject of what I'm reading!

However, since I've started producing my own product, my experience as a reader has changed. I continue to line edit, usually with the response of "How could they have missed that?" but I now find that I am more critical of plotting, description, development and the myriad other small things that comprise a story. Typically it's with a "Huh?"

That type of response used to be almost exclusively reserved for product from small indie publishers. It was understandable because they didn't have a fleet of line and content editors and proofers. However, those types of responses are becoming more and more common in large press products. And I must give credit where due--it has become much less in small press product.

So these experiences drive me--as a small indie publisher--to create the best "physical" product I can, constantly seeking to have greater quality.

None of this is to say that my new awareness is focused entirely on the negative aspects of what I'm reading!

I often find myself re-reading a particularly lush and visual description or relishing witty and sharp dialogue. In these cases I take to heart that such moments are things to strive for in my own writing whereas in the past they were simply moments to enjoy.

Having become a "producer" versus simply being a "consumer" has made me both more aware of the quality of that which I consume and more driven to produce the quality that I want to consume.

'Til next time!