The Problem with Self-Published Books...

[Cozen]

http://www.secretgeek.net/nonwriter.asp

This is a perfect place to read on what dos and don't to do on writing.

Most importantly I finally figured out that writing is a lot like singing. You either can or you can't. It's like the auditions for American Idol and too many times individuals don't believe they can't. Most advice is never heard and then arguments rise. There are a those who don't to be told the honest truth no matter how blaring the obvious is.

I truly dislike self published titles because they are almost 95% filled with grammar and spelling issues making it a rough draft (incomplete) that I paid $ for. I get more upset when I read the reasoning "I just write because it's my passion" (ect...). If that was the truly the case, go to Wattpad. I am a big supporter of those writers because they write because of passion. It's a free site for readers and writers to post their stories. The sites is for unpublished stuff and some of it's really good. They just don't ask me to pay for it.

[Kurt]

Philip wrote: "I have blogged about Grammerly and other software. I was very frustrated by it. I use Scrivener now, but it's not the end of the discussion. Finally, I have recently invested in professional edi..."

I thought Scrivener was just a word processing package. Does it also evaluate grammar and readability. When I went to the Grammarly site, those were functions they touted

[Kurt]

Martyn V. wrote: "Kurt wrote: "...but I've been looking for a blog that discusses the actual errors in writing and style. Sure we can say a particular book didn't flow, or throw out a couple tidbits about hanging pr..."

Well said.

[Philip]

Kurt wrote: "Philip wrote: "I have blogged about Grammerly and other software. I was very frustrated by it. I use Scrivener now, but it's not the end of the discussion. Finally, I have recently invested in p..."

It has limited grammar checking and I haven't found if it has readability indexes, but it's much better, for me that is, for writing. I mentioned the blog I wrote about software. Here it is.

http://phenweb.wordpress.com/2013/07/...

[Kurt]

Philip wrote: "Kurt wrote: "Philip wrote: "I have blogged about Grammerly and other software. I was very frustrated by it. I use Scrivener now, but it's not the end of the discussion. Finally, I have recently ..."

Just read your link. Excellent review. I won't be buying Grammarly (I was considering it).

I have a question ... I do all my writing on MS-word (I know, I know ... the antichrist of creative writing. I'm an engineer by trade, stick with what I know - really well!). Anyway, I have all Word's functions turned on (spelling, grammar ... everything.) Based on what you've described with Grammerly and Whitestone (?), Word sounds like it works far better. I have said repeatedly, grammar is a weakness for me ... but Word's functionality really helped out a lot. The feedback I've gotten on my writing has always been strong. The issues I see aren't the grammar as much as style - see earlier post.

You've got me intrigued on the US English vs. GB English variances. I'm going to check that out.

I also really like the conversion from a word document to .epub (I use Lulu.com for my conversion). In my opinion, for the text portion of the conversion and TOC, Word.docx through Lulu looks the best.

[Feliks]

A basic question: if someone has self-published a book, how can I trust that the information it contains is true? Accurate? Factual? Corroborated? Authoritative? How do I know their text received proper oversight and scrutiny? In what way is it published so that someone maintains responsibility for the contents? Why should I purchase a book 'published' by some 'Joe Blow' from some street-corner somewhere?

[Kurt]

Richard wrote: "Kurt wrote: "conversion from a word document to .epub (I use Lulu.com for my conversion)."

Lulu's conversions are not very good, in my experience, and I've seen them contain both syntax and conten..."

I haven't noticed any of these issues. In fact, comparing my books to others through a publisher, mine actually looks pretty good. I do all my .epub reading on a Nook App running on my Acer tablet, or Aldiko. But I've also evaluated my .epub on Kindle (need the Overdrive app), iPad/iPod, Book Bazaar for Windows, cool reader, moon reader, maybe a couple more. The only complaint I have, the Marketing image created is not standard, its always smaller then everyone else. I've tried a million different ways to fix this, but the problem seems to be Lulu. I guess the old adage ... "Great things come in small pacages." Ha!

But to your suggestion, I am going to try it - I am computer savvy, so I look at it as a challenge. Thank you.

[Rebecca]

Jen wrote: "...is as much quality as visibility. Many threads here have rightly pointed out that there is no guarantee when picking up a self published work. There are no gatekeepers. I could publish a compila..."

Hi Jen,

I'm a little late to the thread, but I think it's a wonderful idea. Until I published my book in November, I never realized the importance of reviews for authors. Perhaps surprising, but what can I say? Since then and as time allows, I've been trying to read and review Indie Author books (only a couple to date). I'm afraid I still have a few in my queue, but I'll let you know when I'm caught up as I may be able to help review.

Please add my book (The Journey of the Marked) to your list for consideration. The genre is YA fantasy. I'll post the link to my author page on Amazon. I published the book both in 4 parts and as a whole. As a result, you can Look Inside to see the first few chapters, as well as random chapters at the start of each part.

http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-P.-McCr...

[Xavier]

Feliks wrote: "A basic question: if someone has self-published a book, how can I trust that the information it contains is true? Accurate? Factual? Corroborated? Authoritative? How do I know their text received p..."

Hi Feliks,

I think the same questions can be asked of authors with small trade press, and even with the majors. It also depends on what genres you're reading in. If I'm reading fiction, then as long as the author can hold the story and maintain suspension of disbelief, what does it matter if it isn't what you consider to be authoritative.

I do agree that it is important for the written word to be crafted with care and accuracy, as there is nothing that can break the illusion for me quicker than poor writing quality. That being said, I have wasted money over the years buying books from established authors that have been far worse than many of the self-pubs that I have read.

You do take on more risk by reading / purchasing something by a self-published author, but you also may get to be one of the first readers of something special. It's the same reason why people go out with metal detectors, even though we have massive mines, there's always the hope of finding something valuable.

[Martyn]

Feliks wrote: "A basic question: if someone has self-published a book, how can I trust that the information it contains is true? Accurate? Factual? Corroborated? Authoritative? How do I know their text received p..."

If you're seeking 'truth' or 'facts', you might not want to look to fiction. If you're seeking 'verisimilitude', trade publishing is no guarantee:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Philip]

Richard wrote: "Kurt wrote: "The only complaint I have, the Marketing image created is not standard, its always smaller then everyone else. "

You might try opening the EPUB file with Sigil and using the new "cove..."

The nice thing about Scrivener is it will output directly into the pre-formatted versions for submission. This has worked for KDP and Lulu. I did have a problem with Smashwords and I had to use Calibre (another free tool) to sort out that version, not that it has been worth the effort and the Smashwords guide and error messages really don't help

[Philip]

Martyn V. wrote: "Feliks wrote: "A basic question: if someone has self-published a book, how can I trust that the information it contains is true? Accurate? Factual? Corroborated? Authoritative? How do I know their ..."

There is of course factual reality in fiction.

In my own efforts I try and get settings accurate, language and idioms, and of course technology. This has involved reading scientific papers or background details from news reports and historical records. Of course there is poetic license to amend some details but if I describe a bridge in London for a scene I would want to get the setting accurate

[Xavier]

Philip wrote: "The nice thing about Scrivener is it will output directly into the pre-formatted versions for submission. This has worked for KDP and Lulu. I did have a problem with Smashwords and I had to use Calibre (another free tool) to sort out that version, not that it has been worth the effort and the Smashwords guide and error messages really don't help "

I actually find that Scrivener can prepare a manuscript for all of the major retailers (other than iTunes iBook, but it does do the iTunes epub), including images and appropriate bits and pieces.

It did take a little bit of fiddling to get it into the Smashwords format, but once I worked out how to get Scrivener to make the necessary changes to the output Word document, it was all good.

Like any other toolkit, it does take some effort to get to use its full potential.

[Philip]

Xavier wrote: "Philip wrote: "The nice thing about Scrivener is it will output directly into the pre-formatted versions for submission. This has worked for KDP and Lulu. I did have a problem with Smashwords and I..."

Yes it is a very complex and capable tool if you look beneath the wrapper, I don't use Word for my MS at all now, I love Scrivener's research and chapter settings and the ease with which I can track and shift the story around. I have combined it with Aeon Timeline which it synchronises with. That allows me to track calendars and time zones so that they make sense

[Martyn]

Philip wrote: "There is of course factual reality in fiction."

I'm a Stickler for Verisimilitude. Anything that I use in my books that can be fact-checked has been checked. That's why lazy research in other books irks me so. I consider it cheating the reader. And the worst thing is if people cover up their lack of research with 'creative license' excuses.

[Andrea]

Feliks wrote: "A basic question: if someone has self-published a book, how can I trust that the information it contains is true? Accurate? Factual? Corroborated? Authoritative? How do I know their text received p..."
If you're talking about a non-fiction book, I imagine you do the same thing you do with real life professionals. You check their references, their professional creds, who supports them. For instance you wouldn't hire a lawyer that got his degree online and doesn't have a permanent office address that no one has heard of.

So you have to do your homework.

[[deleted user]]

When I first started writing I set out to learn the English language again, as I certainly didn't get what I needed from school. I got a basic English book and read it -- didn't study it, just read it and referred to it when I needed help, and eventually learned. Also a copy of Strunk's "Elements of Style" came in very handy. The only computer program I use when writing is Spellcheck, which helps with a lot of those pesky typos. Luckily, I took typing in high school and became very proficient at it. I think that if you take up writing you must, as with any craft, learn the trade, and not rely so much on the computer to do the writing -- as revealed by some of the grammatical and spelling errors I've seen in this thread. The best help you can give to self-published authors is 1) do not give fake "5-star" reviews for any reason and, 2) LEARN THE TRADE.

[Amy]

Dear Jen,

Thank you so much for providing this opportunity to indie authors. I self-published my first novel, Hollywood High: Achieve The Honorable, and I would like to submit the book for your consideration.

Hollywood High: Achieve The Honorable (my school and its motto) is a fictionalized account of my first year of high school, when I transferred from an all-girls college prep academy to the local public school. At Hollywood High, I found gangs, over forty native languages, teen prostitution and terrible violence targeting the gay boys. I wrote the story in support of the LGBTQ community (I'm a strong ally), and as a voice against bullying.

The book is written for adults and teens (age 16 and older, due to mature content).

Genres: Literary Fiction, Gay and Lesbian, Coming of Age, Young Adult

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DRF87VY

I look forward to connecting with other self-published authors and readers. Thank you for your consideration.

Amy Kaufman Burk

[Harriet]

Martyn V. wrote: "Feliks wrote: "A basic question: if someone has self-published a book, how can I trust that the information it contains is true? Accurate? Factual? Corroborated? Authoritative? How do I know their ..."
Martyn;
If you are looking for reality, fiction isn't the right place. I write a series about a taxi driver who solves crimes. My most recent, Taxi High, is about a fictional prescription drug ring. Just before I published it, the real local police busted a ring that was very much like my fictional one. All fiction comes from fact somewhere.
Harriet s.g.rogers

[Martyn]

Harriet wrote: "If you are looking for reality, fiction isn't the right place. I write a series about a taxi driver who solves crimes. My most recent, Taxi High, is about a fictional prescription drug ring. Just before I published it, the real local police busted a ring that was very much like my fictional one. All fiction comes from fact somewhere."

I'm only looking for verisimilitude, the semblance of reality or truth.

[Rory]

Andrea wrote: "Feliks wrote: "A basic question: if someone has self-published a book, how can I trust that the information it contains is true? Accurate? Factual? Corroborated? Authoritative? How do I know their ..."

Ken, Your comment is right on. I have just finished my fifth book. The fourth was published, the first was horrible, the second was about learning the TRADE, and so it goes. Other helpful books besides Strunk's are THE ART OF DRAMTIC WRITING by Lajos Egri, Simon and Schuster 1960; HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD NOVEL II by James Frey, St. Martin's Press 1994 and WRITE TO SELL 3rd revised edition, by Scott Meredith, Harper & Row 1987. My brother,who is also a published author, said learning to write and getting published was harder than getting his Phd. I tend to agree. Good luck to all. Sincerely, Rory Church.

[Amber]

Philip wrote: "Martyn V. wrote: "Feliks wrote: "A basic question: if someone has self-published a book, how can I trust that the information it contains is true? Accurate? Factual? Corroborated? Authoritative? Ho..."

I have a works cited page in the back of my novel The Calling. Mostly scholarly journals. I may not always need to do this but it seemed appropriate for this one.

[Edward]

I love Jen's bad writing samples. I've thought several times of writing a story that is so atrociously written that it would be hilarious.

Jen's samples have me seriously considering the idea.

Jen wrote:

"The night was, dark. In the wood's at the end of the road beside the church that was in front of the field under a bright moon and cloudy sky I saw they're faces disguised by there masks and felt scared because I new they were coming for me."

--

"As you know, Bob, my sister married your brother three years ago when the mountain exploded and fairies came to live in Springfield."