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Do You Read Self-Published Authors?
I really liked
. Aside from just a few ackward sentences, the writing was pretty clean. You can read my review if you like.
I just read The House of Yeel (a SF/fantasy) by Michael McCloskey. Eccentric and charming....
I am a self published author, as is one of my friends :)
I can vouch for the quality of writing and storyline for my two critique partners, Michelle Grey and Janice Richards. We all use beta readers, professional editing and professional design services. Hope you'll check them out!www.threewritersofromance.com
Philip Whiteland Has several humorous books based on his childhood experiences. I have yet to give any of his works less than five stars! Good clean fun.
Jen wrote: "I'm trying to bring attention to quality self-published works. If you read a great indie, please recommend a title."Mine? Deadly Little Secrets--It's getting good reviews but it's tough out here so I appreciate anyone willing to help indie authors. Bless you!..:)
You know I was hoping setting my elvish novel in 1846 California would make my tale unique...but I thinking it's too far afield...even for elves....
I can name a few. Elise Stokes and her Cassidy Jones series:
Susan Waterwyk and her Lantamyra books:
Marilyn Dieckmann and her Everwud books:
Catherine Converse:
There are plenty more, but these are a start!
I try to read self-published books in my favored genre, but often it's disappointing. I'm also a self-published author, and I've left the names of my books for your review under another topic, but it is discouraging to see my books displayed next to books that could have been written by six-year-olds. Usually I don't leave a review for those books even if I finish them because I try not to discourage new authors, but maybe I should. I certainly haven't found any 5-stars books among them, and that's a real shame.
The main problem that most self-published authors have is a lack of resources (a professional editor, cover designer, publicist, etc.). In a world where instant gratification rules, patience is also a sorely lacking commodity among many authors.With that said, there are some pretty good authors out there who take their craft seriously. Oftentimes, but not always, you can see the cream rise to the top. When an author can marry craft with creativity, it can be magic.
I read indie authors all the time and I've seen some real stinkers out there. But there are some really good books that hold up well to scrutiny. But when it comes to deciding what's good and what isn't I can only speak for what interests me as a reader. I'm not conceited enough to say that someone won't or shouldn't like a book because I think it's rubbish.
What I will say is that there are some gems out there. Books that I have no problem adding to my library shelf. Again, I can't speak for what others will like. But these are some books by authors who really know how to spin a well-written yarn. What's interesting is that these books are the very reason why the phrase "don't judge a book by it's cover" exists. I am no fan of the cover art on these titles. But what's between the pages is actually quite impressive.
The Moon of Innocence (Literary/Historical)
Short Shocks Volume I (horror)
As of late all I've been reading is self-published authors. Being a self-published author myself, I have found more of an appreciation for my fellow self pub authors. In the future I think if I'm reading two books at a time that one will be self-published. Heres some I've read and am currently reading.The Guardians by Jennifer Raygoza
Mask of the Macabre by David Haynes
Faust 2.0 by Michael Brookes
Currently Reading- Sewerville: A Gangster Novel by Aaron Saylor
Sedition 
Walk to Paradise Garden
That will do nicely 
Narrow Margin
More Ketchup than SalsaJust five indies that I have enjoyed to various degrees - see my book list for comments. :-o)
Coming to the end of 
Agent of influence which I have enjoyed.
I forgot to mention this book. I think it has too much profanity to really make it big in the American romantic comedy market, but if you can look past that, it's a really great story.
There are a bazillion really excellent indie books out there. A few I've been really impressed by lately are
"The Sexual Adventures of Time and Space" by Brian Sfinas, (literary fiction) "I Wish I Could Say I'm Sorry" by Susie Kelly (memoir)and
"Fathom Lines" by Erin Bedford (women's fiction).
I read a lot of indie authors, here are a few notable books:
This was my favorite book series for roughly three years; it is by a self-pubbed author.
Jen wrote: "I'm trying to bring attention to quality self-published works. If you read a great indie, please recommend a title."Hi Jen,
I am a self published author, who also loves to read all sorts of books. I would be happy for you to take a look at my book to see what you think. It is a Chick Lit book with some intrigue. It is listed on Amazon and has free sample chapters there so you can see if it the genre you like to read. It is called Babe Driven.
Spreading the word is difficult fora self published author, which is why it is so wonderful seeing your book being read by people who love reading.
No problem if the genre of book is not something that's for you.
Have a great weekend!
Lizzie
These come to mind:And Time Stood Still - romance
The Highwayman - romance
Stitch - young adult fiction
Product - horror
I loved them all!!!
If you want a list of vetted self-published books, go to http://www.bragmedallion.com/medallio... and see books that have been honored with the BRAG Medallion. Less than 10% of all books submitted meet their quality of standards.
I love Indie Authors. I am one myself. There have been a lot of great books put out by these warriors of the pen. I just finished reading two. 1. The Coal Elf by Maria DeVivo(small indie published) and 2. Blood of Requiem by Daniel Arenson. (self-pub i think) Both are totally read-worthy.
I'm a self published Author and have read a lot of books by self published Author's ;) I Shit You Not
My friends and I are self published authors. We exchange books, so, yes I do.
Virginia Woolf had the right idea. She set up her own printing press, Hogarth Press, with her husband, Leonard, to publish her own novels and the works of others, partly, I think, to be free of the fear of rejection and interference from the editors of the established publishing houses. William Blake also self published his own work, knowing that he would find it difficult to find a publisher for his books of poems, complete with his own illustrations. I self published my own book, Angel War, in April, 2013, through Fast Print Publishing, a Print On Demand company, and I am very glad I did. When I faced fully what it meant that literary agents and publishers were only interested in publishing books that would sell not just hundreds, but thousands of copies, I decided to self publish my book. If only ten people enjoy reading my book, I will be happy. Here are the titles of a few self published books that I have enjoyed reading, recently:The Battle For Brisingamen by Harmony Kent.
I Have'nt Lived At All by Evelyn Knightley
Shardfall by Paul E. Horsman
The Chronicles of Matthew Shaw by J. L. Page
From my review...
I was looking for an adult book, adventure, low key scifi/fantasy, with a plot. And something that wasn't built solely around the unrequited sappy love story. Found it on B&N (nook) for couple bucks, the cover caught my eye (me and my covers) and the sample was good/fast paced - interesting.
The plot was thick, though its clarity didn't come through unto the end. If you love the JJ Abrams Easter egg approach to story telling. This is it. As I was reading this, at first I wasn't even sure if the main characters were protagonists or antagonists, and whose side everyone was on. Shades of gray.
The story is set in the near future, after the governments collapsed by, you guessed it - greed and corruption. The explanation of this at the end of the book was enlightening and logical. plot follows two people, Michael and Rena discovered together and 'invited' (basically kidnapped). After being taken to a military base, they're turned into specialized spies/assassins. The story reminds me of a blend of a tiny bit Hunger Games and more Bourne Identity. Michael has some very unique abilities that make him extremely effective in his 'Trade'. Rena's character is complex, to say the least. There's a lot of underlying stuff going on with her, so much so you aren't quite sure where she falls (good or bad) for a good chunk of the book. The book has several subplots, some concise to missions, some tied to the overall book plot. Based on the end and lead-in to the second book, it looks like events in Balance are relevant to the series.
The two main characters, Michael and Rena ... the reveals at the end were well thought out, and very cool. Tied the whole story together and set the stage for the next book. I actually had to look up Linchpin Theory.
Michael, holy shit. Would this character be cool to see on film. His "special abilities" were very well depicted and explained. Visual imagery was great. All hail the "Harbinger of Death". A killer with emotions (but not Edward sappy). Brought a deadpan humor to the character/story.
Rena. The frickin' anti-MarySue. Absolutely no Clary, Luce, Bella here. The scene in the cafeteria, when the writer introduced Meg, rocked - summed up this character perfectly (little bits of Sydney, Rose, Mae for you RM fans). A female character, brilliant, dangerous and confident - not the damsel in distress BS.
The world building was - interesting. It left a lot to the reader's imagination, and not for lack of description. Because this is a near future dystopian world, based from what I can tell on everything going on in the real world right now, I kept thinking of Detroit and episodes of "Life after People". The way the general population are basically drafted (a'la NFL draft) to be the soldiers and assassins and spies for the rich, it helps paint the picture.
The writing reminded me of the 'Left Behind' series and James Rollins. Third person, with insight into multiple arcs, but the story followed Michael and Rena 90% of the time. Which I liked. Nothing worse then the strong story arc being fragmented by a bunch on irrelevant arcs, just to prolong the book. Which I have to say - a lot happens in the story.
Sure, there were a few typos - nothing worse then Hunger Games. Probably more then I noticed, but the pace distracted me, kept me engaged. Really liked the way the characters were described visually, I could really picture most of the people, what they were wearing and holy shit - what they were doing (in a good way). If your looking for the heavy graphic sex scenes - not in here. I tried to think of books I'd read that described what was physically going-on in such a detailed way (the fight scenes especially). I can't recall being able to see/visualize it like these.
Now the only real, not complaint, but - lets say disappointment. The antagonist was a little, "Man behind the Curtain". I know that the primary antagonist, which I gotta say started out like Yoda, the mentor-type (see earlier comment about antagonists and protagonists). The guy turned out to be truly wicked in a devious way, but maybe a little understated. Makes me think I haven't been introduced to the person pulling the strings.
Definitely liked this story. The writing was better then I thought it would be, and better then most of the commercially published shit out there. I was really disappointed in a recent book that was getting rave reviews. I recommend to anyone reading the same books as me. Fits well in my library.
Looking forward to the next book.
RabidReader wrote: "From my review...
I was looking for an adult book, adventure, low key scifi/fantasy, with a plot. And something that wasn't built solely around the unrequited sappy ..."
That's one hell of a recommendation. I appreciate it. Balance has been added to my screening list. It's made the initial cut.
Any further recommendations, I'd love to have them. Feel free to message me, or comment within my group on the "pitch" thread here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Just easier to keep track if all the pitches are posted there...
I just self published and I had a professional cover made but had to edit and format it myself. Lack of resources being key in that. I would be open to feedback if anyone is interested. Inbox me. Honest reviews only.
I have to admit that, as an indie myself, I haven't read very many indie books. However, I've only recently delved into the world of indie publishing, so I'm trying to get into reading indie works by taking review requests and what not to help out my fellow indies. In terms of my own writing, I have no clue whether or not it's "quality." I suppose I'll find out soon enough when my ARC recipients start churning out reviews.
In terms of what few indie titles I have read (besides the really popular/famous ones like Howie and Hocking and Konrath), my feelings are pretty mixed. I think a lot of the works are good on a basic level but need some more polishing -- which, of course, is something that indies typically have little access to. The resources aren't there. That's the downside of indie publishing.
Not that the lack of polish is going to stop me from reading indies or from reviewing them honestly. I will continue to do so for the sake of my indie peers. Everyone needs feedback, trade pubbed or not. And I do believe there are many talented indie authors out there with a wealth of great work.
Therin wrote: "I have to admit that, as an indie myself, I haven't read very many indie books. However, I've only recently delved into the world of indie publishing, so I'm trying to get into reading indie works ..."That's one of the main reasons I started my group. Good for you!
I'm an indie and lately I'm reading more indie published works than traditional published. The last traditionally published book I read, left me wondering if an editor's services had been overlooked. I realize that there are problems with editing in indie books - but - I'm finding plenty of indies who are paying attention to formatting, story structure and grammar.
Just posted a blog on Goodreads. "How I Ended Up in the Self-Publsihing Hall of Fame." (originally published by Huffington Post):https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
I honestly don't read a ton of self-published authors (despite being one), mostly because I don't like to buy books I haven't already read, and because I don't have (or WANT) an e-reader of any kind. Which makes it hard to support my fellow indies. However, I really enjoyed DJ Edwardson's
. And I also really liked Jack Lewis Baillot's
(caveat, hers does have a lot of typos currently, but she is in the middle of having it re-edited - so in the future that will be a non-issue).
What you need are my 50% samples to read. Dark fantasy, horror, and more. http://ripleyking.blogspot.com/
D.S. wrote: "I'm an indie and lately I'm reading more indie published works than traditional published. The last traditionally published book I read, left me wondering if an editor's services had been overlooke..."I agree ... conversely, I've found a lot of traditionally published books paying NO attention to formatting, story structure and grammar - or just plain good writing.
Justin wrote: "As of late all I've been reading is self-published authors. Being a self-published author myself, I have found more of an appreciation for my fellow self pub authors. In the future I think if I'm r..."I noticed you read Faust 2.0, which I liked. I've read a couple of other books by Michael Brookes that were also very enjoyable: The Cult of Me and Conversations in the Abyss. They'd be my recommendations for self-pub. books people should check out.
Yes, I read both self-published and commercially published books. A good book is a good book.
I spent years buying and reading print books from traditionally published authors. I still read them, but as an indie writer, I really prefer to read and review indie books these days. Still, I have my traditionally published favorite authors that I'll probably never give up reading.
I find myself less tolerant of editing and errors on traditionally published books, actually down-grading their reviews.Being an indie, when I recognize the error, I may point them out, but I don't downgrade the book as harshly.
But, when it comes down to it, as Dave said "A good book is a good book". The story is the most important.
Janelle: I don't want an e-reader either, but I did apply for a free App from Kindle in order to read some of the Indie books. Also, the e-books are cheaper, and I can afford to buy a book just to give it a review. There's nothing like having a print book to read and to keep, though. I find it much easier to read from a real book, too. That's why it's so hard to notice all my mistakes in my documents I'm working on in my computer.
I am a compulsive reader. Meaning, I am the type that reads the backs of cereal boxes and anything else that happens to be in my line of sight. I read anything that is written if it interest me. It does not matter to me how it is, or was, published. The major publishers have missed a great deal of good books, and published some that, honestly, were just trash. I feel the same way as Kurt remarked when it comes to the editing and the same as Janelle on reading and owning a book. My favorite past time still, is to go to the disorganized used book store where the search for treasure has me on my knees. I love the smell and the feel of real books. My children bought me a Kindle so I can enjoy some I cannot afford. But those I collect, they come home in binding.
totally agree with Dave. A good book is a good book. And I love discovering new authors. I know that some people think that first-time authors are somehow a lesser kind of authors, but to me, new beginnings are new opportunities to find authors I did not know, and the next-big-thing-authors, too. Being a new author myself, I am aware that I'm just a tad biased... ;) but in my defense, I've been enjoying debut reads for long before my own came out.Reality is that most new authors are currently also self-published authors. It is not because they are not as good as other authors, but because publishing houses now quite rarely take on unknowns and prefer to stick with the big-figure, sure-bet, proven-to-sell authors. Their loss, I say. Obviously, not all self-published books are good. Some are junk. Some are prematurely published. Some just don't make sense. However, there are many many among them that are remarkable and worth reading. As a certified bookworm, I read everything in sight anyway and am delighted in the multitude of opportunities to discover good reads that self-publishing allows.
Onward to all of us, guys and gals!
Na'amaOutlawed Hope
I read more indie than not.As a musician and music lover, I used to wonder how much great music we never got to hear because the music company guy just tossed tapes in the trash or used them to record over.
As an author and book lover, I don't have to wonder how many great books we're missing out on, because I can find them online now.
I wrote a short story dedicated to indies that you can find on my GR blog, if you're an author and would like to celebrate yourself a little. :)
Lately it's all I read lol. Usually I try to read two books at a time, one from a self published author and one from a traditional. Right now I have a ton of books by self-published authors on my Kindle I need to get to.
L.F. wrote: "Philip Whiteland Has several humorous books based on his childhood experiences. I have yet to give any of his works less than five stars! Good clean fun."Thanks Leanna, very kind of you to mention my books.
To all - this book The Snowflake Effect: How the Self-Esteem Movement Ruined a Generation will give you insight into why some customer service employees eye you with contempt. It will help you understand the kid next door or Sally Jane's little group of friends in grade school, high school, college. It might even explain some frustrations you have with your grandchildren. If you're in a position to hire or supervise younger employees, this is a must read.GT
www.gttrickle.com
Since I bought my Kindle a year ago, I've been reading tons of Indie books, and, I must say, for the most part, I have not been disappointed. Oh, sure, there were some that I didn't enjoy, either because the story and characters failed to live up to their potential or the books were poorly edited. But, there were also many that enthralled me and kept me turning page after page.Being a self-published author myself, I really appreciate when a reader picks up my books and takes the time to read and review them. So, I figure that since I'm an avid reader as well, I should extend the same courtesy to other Indie authors.
This past year has enabled me discover many new authors that I can enjoy as much as the traditionally published ones.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Deep Water, Thin Ice (other topics)My Temporary Life (other topics)
She Tumbled Down (other topics)
After the Sucker Punch (other topics)
Famine (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Philip Whiteland (other topics)Philip Whiteland (other topics)
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(It's easier to keep track if all titles are on the same thread.)