Author tips

I tend to read a lot of the new books on the market. Keeps with my small budget and I stick to free books. One thing I would like to stress to new authors is the importance of proofreading. I cannot underline the need for it enough. Some say, don't just get an English teacher to read the book, pay for a real proofreader. Well, that might be if you can afford it, but definitely having a half decent proofreader is a must.

One thing I can tell you is that multiple grammatical or spelling errors or misuse of words will result in less positive feedback and lower levels of scores on recommendations. I've seen some books not get read at all due to the fact that they have misused words or have grammatical or spelling errors throughout.

I've read books that sound reasonably well thought out, but the sheer number of errors and misuse of words ends up giving a poor viewing of the book. I've seen feedback on a book that the person refused to read it because they couldn't get past the errors. I'm a little more tolerant of this. But, I still find it unappealing to find a host of errors in a book.

So, be realistically unrealistic and if you can find someone with a good command of the English language, please have them go over it. Even if all they do is just remove the poor spelling, poor grammar and misuse of words before putting it up on whatever forum you intend to use. It will make for a better book over all and better reviews. Remember, you have to do what it takes to give your work of art the best chance to be read and understood. You want to have a best seller, not a cautionary tale :-)

Thanks for reading my blog and your interest in A & J PEI Treasures!