You need to review the raw manuscript first.... > Likes and Comments

I see oodles of posts about self-published authors asking for reviews AFTER the books are published, but none seeking to improve the manuscripts.

My experience has been that without feedback from insightful readers of my manuscripts, I can never produce a novel that sparkles. I publish with HarperCollins, but my editor only sees the novel once it has reached the point in which I think it is as perfect as can be.

Of course, book reviews have a different goal--promotion--but if the self-published books haven't gone through rigorous revisions and editing, there's really nothing worthwhile to promote.

I'm just saying (or offering an unasked-for advice.)

Talia said I'm just saying (or offering an unasked-for advice.)

For which I thank you and I expect a lot of other people will do so too.

What Talia has said makes absolute sense. Unfortunately, many new and inexperienced writers are so dazzled by having finished what is probably their first draft that they rush to get their work published. Modern technology makes self-publication easy, adding to the clutter. This is the mantra that experienced writers follow: revise, rewrite, share, revise and rewrite again and again, based on the inputs you receive. Then put the manuscript aside for a while. Reread with fresh eyes, and---if you are satisfied---look for a publisher.

Promoting shouldn't necessarily be asking for reviews on the author forum. It seems pushy and inappropriate. I like being able to "converse" with other authors about their experiences and their process without it becoming an ad for a novel someone wrote.

More unasked for opinion.

Talia, I would say that you are 100% correct in what you say, and thanks for your good advice to writers. I had almost 400 poems published in 2010, in five books, and they were published by an educational publisher of good acclaim. The poems were first market-researched in school classrooms, in different schools, right across the county in which I live. My publisher said that you need feedback from those for whom you publish BEFORE money is spent on having books published - and he was right and so are you.

Agreed. A furniture maker doesn’t nail five pieces of wood together and then try to sell it because it looks like a table.

Apparently, when I was offered a contract by Deep Read Press, I did NOT tell them I was consulting with a lawyer friend. It was immediately after I did so that they withdrew their offer.

So, the only logical conclusion I can come to is that they withdrew their offer for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Which mystifies me.

Jan wrote: "So, the only logical conclusion I can come to is that they withdrew their offer for absolutely no reason whatsoever.."

You consulted a lawyer and are not a naive writer.

Deep Read are NOT a traditional press and while I won't go as far to call them a scam...the hideous red font on their website couldn't be a more obvious and literal red flag. From looking at their site and books on Amazon it is clearly one unsuccessful author who cannot sell his books (probably due to their shoddy production values, those covers are the free Kindle create ones for starters) and for whatever reason is now trying to grab the rights to other authors' books. Why would you sign over your rights to someone with no knowledge of how to produce a quality book or market it?

Thank you, Mellie! You made my day,