Why don't more people read Self-published authors? Showing 2,351-2,400 of 2,452

[Theresa]

I think people are less apt to read self publish ed books due to the notion of less credible. professionally published books still may have grammar and syntax errors as well but rank higher in the world of credibility especially in nonfiction area.

[bohemianrhapsodyreads]

I read self-published authors. There’s a lot of us that don’t always do mainstream. I know some people who absolutely won’t read SPA. But I do, I also read popular books, too.

[V.M.]

Please excuse me if this has been said before on this thread. I've only just come to it. The problem with self-published authors is that many of them have no idea about writing. They write a book, get to write 'The End' and then perhaps go over it with Word or some other editing software maybe check it manually as well and think it's suitable for publishing. Off they go to a self-publishing website and publish.

I did this with my very first book. Since then I've learned a lot by reading books and blogs from some tremendous people, all well-known and respected in the industry.

I also found a publisher with one of my books who said he would like to publish my three self-published books as well. I have now 9 published and a tenth with the publisher at the moment.

But it's not only the spelling and grammar. There is the use of cliches, over-explaining, too much back story, not enough (or too much) about the setting, not enough character development etc.
I'm currently reading a book by a talented young writer who self-publishes. The book is excellent, but the formatting is very poor.

Now there are many excellent self-published writers, and I would not refuse to read a book just because it's self-published. Formatting is a minor problem, but too many grammatical and spelling (and misuse of words) is off-putting. But I have read, and will continue to read, these books as long as the story is good and keeps me engaged.

People who refuse, on principal, to read self-published authors are missing a lot of excellent books. Their problem!

[Jim]

There are books, articles in literary periodicals, classes, lectures, and seminars available at little or no cost that describe in detail the technical and artistic aspect and application of creating literary works.

Unfortunately, too many aspiring writers are too eager to enter this extremely competitive field before first expending the time, energy, and resources to learn and then perfect the necessary skillset required.

Very few writers, regardless of the method utilized to publish their works, ever succeed commercially within this extremely competitive field. That said; some have. One will never know if they could have been one of the success stories if they never try.

[Sterling]

I personally do not care how the book was published or who published it. If it sounds like a good story, I'll give it a chance.

Being traditionally published doesn't guarantee that your story is going to be liked by everyone. It doesn't guarantee your book will be successful.

There are certainly some people who choose to ignore self-published books for whatever reason and that's okay. Everyone can decide for themselves.

I like good stories no matter where they come from or who wrote them.

[V.M.]

Jim wrote: "There are books, articles in literary periodicals, classes, lectures, and seminars available at little or no cost that describe in detail the technical and artistic aspect and application of creati..."

It occurs to me that there are very few other walks of life where someone thinks they can enter without any training whatsoever, yet lots of people think they can write a book without looking into the hows first.

[Leslie]

V.M. wrote: "Jim wrote: "There are books, articles in literary periodicals, classes, lectures, and seminars available at little or no cost that describe in detail the technical and artistic aspect and applicati..."

Oh, I think there are quite a lot. How about photography, pure art, dancing, etc. The enthusiastic amateur is everywhere. And let's not forget politics, as all too many in that walk of life are just chancers, snake-oil salesmen and charlatans.

[Michael]

Jim wrote: "There are books, articles in literary periodicals, classes, lectures, and seminars available at little or no cost that describe in detail the technical and artistic aspect and application of creati..."

On the job training.

[Daniel]

Leslie wrote: "V.M. wrote: "Jim wrote: "There are books, articles in literary periodicals, classes, lectures, and seminars available at little or no cost that describe in detail the technical and artistic aspect ..."

I like your spirit Leslie! You tell them!

[Jim]

Michael wrote: "Jim wrote: "There are books, articles in literary periodicals, classes, lectures, and seminars available at little or no cost that describe in detail the technical and artistic aspect and applicati..."

'OJT' ('on-the-job training') is only as effective as the advice, expertise, and sound information and instruction available to the candidate attempting to learn the job while trying to do it.

[Theresa]

V.M. wrote: "Please excuse me if this has been said before on this thread. I've only just come to it. The problem with self-published authors is that many of them have no idea about writing. They write a book, ..."

There are issues with format, spelling and such with published books too. I went with a publisher and still had issues, version 2 and ebook was delayed due to the oversight for these issues.

[Theresa]

Sterling wrote: "I personally do not care how the book was published or who published it. If it sounds like a good story, I'll give it a chance.

Being traditionally published doesn't guarantee that your story is ..."
Very true, just because you write a book doesn't mean you are going to make the New York Best Seller List at Release or maybe that will never happen. Self published tends to lean more toward less credible for nonfiction.

[Olivia]

If you catch my attention with a good cover, I'll read the blurb or listen to an audio sample and go from there. If it's something that catches my attention, I'll read it.

On another note.. I've noticed that some famous actors in Hollywood do not do a good job as a narrator with some audiobooks on Audible. Their voice is better reserved as their own, rather than mimicking another character... or just not even trying to add accents or tone in their voice, like a lot of professional voice actors do.

[Wmba]

Everly wrote: "It seems that either people love to read self-published authors, or they refuse to. Why do you or don't you read self-published authors? Likewise, if you find a book that looks good but you find ou..."

Nobody loves reading a self published author. They enjoy reading good books. Unfortunately most SP books are pure crap. The very very rare one that is any good is well hidden in the pile of stuff that everybody who thinks they are an author has SPed.

When I find a book it comes from a tradpub, which while still having a very low batting average, at least has an order of magnitude better chance of being decent than any SP book.

Like my bookie said, the race is not always to the swift, the battle not always to the strong, but that is the way to bet.

[[deleted user]]

Wmba wrote: "Nobody loves reading a self published author. They enjoy reading good books. Unfortunately most SP books are pure crap. The very very rare one that is any good is well hidden in the pile of stuff that everybody who thinks they are an author has SPed. ..."

You are quite categorical and quick to speak for other readers, it seems. Many people read and enjoy books by self-published authors, nothwithstanding your personal opinion on that. Yes, many SP books are of low quality, but others often can be the equals of more 'traditionally published' books. As for being crap, you can refer to some trad 'bestsellers' that are quite atrocious (Fifty Shades of Grey being one example). Don't put down what you haven't even read yourself.

[Guy]

I have read this entire thread and come away a bit discouraged by the overall resistance to SP books, while at the same time I understand that perspective.

After a successful career, I am rebuilding a new career. I am a debut SP author having released my first book Nov 2020, my next will come in June 2021, and the third by early 2022. So far I have received rave reviews, even a strong review from KIRKUS and other professionals.

I spent years working on my first book, re-writing dozens of times, hiring development editors, getting beta readers, hiring professional designers, formatters and editors, taking classes, and getting rejected by agents while beta readers raved. I got fed up waiting and decided to get out there. While my reviews are rocking, the sales are slow, but the more I read, even with trad publish authors is that it takes time to build up. Knowing that some judge my book based solely on SP is discouraging, but the reality.

The problem with traditional publishing is that they are less interesting in finding talent, than finding someone with an existing audience or brand. I saw that V.M. mention that he SP three quality books before a publisher would agree to work with him makes sense as they are looking for credibility in the crowd.

I spend time, effort and money to produce the kind of quality I would buy in the story, editing and production. It's hard to find quality team at an affordable price, but not impossible. I am not against trad publishing, but I am unwilling to wait to be discovered when I can slowly build an audience by creating great stories, and characters that people love to read. I am new, but hoping that great reviews from industry standard bearers such as KIRKUS can make a difference.

[Tilly]

Self published doesn't have to mean low production standards.

When I started, I made the commitment that I wanted my books to sit easily next to trad published titles. I saved to ensure I had the start up capital for this venture. I invested time and effort to build a team of professionals for my business - from my cover artist, editor, proofreader to my fantastic audio narrator.

Self publishing gives me the freedom to write the weird little off-genre tales I want to tell (that trad didn't want, because they "wouldn't sell"). I have found a growing number of readers who enjoy those stories, and I'm now in the position that my books are earning more than my day job.

When I'm chatting to my readers, they all talk about what they love about the stories, not a single one has commented on them being self published. Most readers don't care how a book is published, it's what they find behind the cover that matters.

[Tilly]

Michel wrote: "As for being crap, you can refer to some trad 'bestsellers' that are quite atrocious (Fifty Shades of Grey being one example). Don't put down what you haven't even read yourself."

I have to ask if you have read 50 Shades?

Many people slam it as being atrocious but they have never read it. I have (and I devoured the Twilight saga as well) and what many detractors fail to appreciate is what those books do absolutely and spectacularly well - they pull the reader along on an emotional journey they keeps us up late at night. The hook is so big and deep, that readers simply don't notice the issues with the prose.

I realise its a hijack, but FSOG and Twilight are great examples of story trumping style. If the story is compelling enough, readers will forgive grammatical problems. But a book with perfect grammar and no story, will always fail.

[Jim]

It is the quality of the technical writing, narration, storyline, and entertainment value that determines whether or not any book is good, mediocre, or not worth reading, not the method of publication.

Unfortunately, far too many self-published authors prematurely expose their work to the public before first expending the time, energy, and resources required to obtain the knowledge and develop the skillset required to succeed within this extremely competitive field.

[Nora]

Diana wrote: "As far as why Self Pubbed authors are sinking in rankings, I don't think it has anything to do with who the publisher is. It's a matter of VISIBILITY. Look at the volume of competition now.

If you..."

Hi Diana. I realize this is an old post, but I was curious where you found the data that shows self-published author ranking dropping? Thanks Nora

[Fiona]

Everly wrote: "It seems that either people love to read self-published authors, or they refuse to. Why do you or don't you read self-published authors? Likewise, if you find a book that looks good but you find ou..."

I'm an indie author. I try to be sensitive to the expectations of readers and I think one way indie (self-pub) authors can help themselves is by making sure their book presentation is as professional as possible, no typos, good layout, adequate cover, etc. Just my opinion, you understand.

[Fiona]

Michel wrote: "Roderick wrote: "I've published 4 books in less than 6 months and keep trying to garner a larger readership. I know readers are out there but do they only read established authors? https://amazon.c..."
I think this is absolutely right. Indie authors get a bad rap for typos, sloppy presentation, etc. All we can do is put our best efforts into making our product as professional as possible. I find the editing rounds - copy editing, proof-reading and page design harder than breaking story and getting a first draft out.

[Fiona]

Nora wrote: "Diana wrote: "As far as why Self Pubbed authors are sinking in rankings, I don't think it has anything to do with who the publisher is. It's a matter of VISIBILITY. Look at the volume of competitio..."

Nora, Diana, Is it to do with the sheer volume of books that are being uploaded to online platforms these days?

[Fiona]

Wmba wrote: "Jim wrote: "One must only take note of the misspelled words, improper grammar, and obvious lack of knowledge regarding syntax and paragraph structure within comments posted in Goodreads discussion ..."

Exactly this. The editing stages take as much effort as getting the story down in a coherent form in the first place.

[Nora]

I am late to this discussion, but have found the thread interesting. I am convinced Amazon would not have created Kindle Direct if there was no customer demand. From my perspective the marketplace was tired of overpriced and overrated books and Amazon filled the gap by creating a new opportunity for readers. If you are looking for a get rich quick answer, there isn't one. Even authors signed with traditional publishers work hard promoting and most did not become popular overnight. Self-publishing gives you more freedom to do your own thing, but it won't matter if you don't first of all write a good story. Thanks for reading. Nora

[Thomas]

It is a great question. For years I would read almost anything, regardless if published by a larger publishing house or self published. In fact, it was reading mostly self-published writers that I got the itch to want to start writing myself. Whether just starting out like some of us, or those who are much more seasoned, self published writers do have a lot to offer, and a lot of great stories to tell.

[Marie]

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[Trish]

I do believe the lack of editing has a lot to do with it. Anyone who writes down a sentence or two believes they should publish because they have the means to do so now. There is no good way to separate those who have hired a professional editor and those who wrote a book in four days and uploaded it immediately.
There is a woman I am friends with on FB, we grew up in the same neighborhood. She had about 8 books available on Amazon and there are typos in the title of the book! On. the. cover!!! And, of course, because I can see her progress as she makes posts online, she actually did write a book of about 150 pages in four days and posted it. That doesn't even leave time for her to reread what she wrote.
Part of me wants to applaud the effort and I would never knock a fellow writer, regardless of skill level, but those actions make it that much harder for those of us that take the time to write, edit, edit some more, restructure, revise, hire an editor, and then format our books to make them as professional as possible. It's extremely frustrating. (For readers as well, who have to weed through all the bad apples to find one good one).

[Jim]

No end-product is ever perfect with zero defects; however, that is no excuse not to at least strive for perfection. In all fairness, it is important to point out that doing all the right things still does not guarantee success.

It took me 14 months of writing, proofreading, and soliciting others' opinions to produce what I believed to be a polished manuscript ready for publishing. Evaluations and input from a copy editor, conceptual editor, and layout design artist revealed that my manuscript was neither polished or ready for publishing.

11 additional months of rewriting and polishing, based upon the input and suggestions from the above mentioned professionals, finally did provide a manuscript worthy of publication.

My one and only novel was commercially available from Aug. 9, 2011 through Dec. 31, 2016 when the publisher filed for bankruptcy and went out of business; perhaps due to signing too many authors like myself.

During its nearly 5 1/2 years of commercial availability, the novel sold only 1,029 units (485 paperback, 480 e-book, 36 audio on CD, and 28 audio download).

Even though it was not a commercial success, I have the personal satisfaction of having shared with others an idea for a story that had been fermenting and evolving within my brain for many years.

I am not a prolific writer so my first novel will be the only one. That's okay though. There are other things I am eager to do, places to visit, and people to meet. No regrets!

Very few novice writers ever succeed commercially within this extremely competitive field. That said; some have. I wish you success.

[Nora]

Gordon wrote: "Nora wrote: "I am late to this discussion, but have found the thread interesting. I am convinced Amazon would not have created Kindle Direct if there was no customer demand. From my perspective the..."

Gordon wrote: "Nora wrote: "I am late to this discussion, but have found the thread interesting. I am convinced Amazon would not have created Kindle Direct if there was no customer demand. From my perspective the..."

Agreed. But even in the world of forty hour work weeks, success is 'usually' based on being prepared, working hard, and not being afraid to ask for help.

[Nora]

Trish wrote: "I do believe the lack of editing has a lot to do with it. Anyone who writes down a sentence or two believes they should publish because they have the means to do so now. There is no good way to sep..."

Well said Trish. I still have much to learn about writing, and punctuation is my weakness. I'd be dead without an editor.

[J.]

Jim wrote: "No end-product is ever perfect with zero defects; however, that is no excuse not to at least strive for perfection. In all fairness, it is important to point out that doing all the right things sti..."

Well said Jim.

[J.]

Thomas wrote: "It is a great question. For years I would read almost anything, regardless if published by a larger publishing house or self published. In fact, it was reading mostly self-published writers that I ..."

Thanks for the encouraging words Thomas.
I have and idea that's blossoming in my mind that may be a way to help all of us beginners. Back to everyone soon.

[Tia]

I'm a french self-published author. I'm 15 years old. My books has been correct by two french teachers of my school and some persons of my family but there was always some errors. So nobody can be perfect because whe are human and error is human.
I don't understand why some people think that self-published = very bad book. It is so stupid. Read some of them and you will see. Try to write and making all by yourself and you will see.
One of my book has been published by an editor (after being self-published) by it has closed. And i'm very happy of that because i have now all of my rights. Having an editor will not allow more visibility if they are not known and if they just don't promote it. It was my case.
I'm self-published and proud to be self-published !
Tia Cotant
My author blog: https://tiacotant.wordpress.com

[[deleted user]]

Tia wrote: "I'm a french self-published author. I'm 15 years old. My books has been correct by two french teachers of my school and some persons of my family but there was always some errors. So nobody can be ..."

Je suis content de voir un autre écrivain francophone indépendant se manifester sur Goodreads.com. I am happy to see another French-speaking self-published author on Goodreads.com.

De Michel, in Québec.

[Steven]

I've never thought about a whether a book I'm interested in is self-published or not. The important aspect to me when deciding to purchase a book is the subject. Is the story interesting to me.

The topic question made me think as to why I may not be reading more self-published authors and the answer came back as: access. How am I hearing about the books I'm interested in reading? That means in my opinion it comes down to publicity.

Self-published authors, myself included, need to get the word out about their books to generate reader interest. There's only so much time in the day and people by habit go to the websites/podcasts/blogs/etc that they normally frequent.

So independent authors need to promote, promote, promote.

[Leslie]

Steven wrote: "I've never thought about a whether a book I'm interested in is self-published or not. The important aspect to me when deciding to purchase a book is the subject. Is the story interesting to me.

T..."
I am sure you are absolutely right Steven. As you say "There's only so much time in the day," and that is not just a problem for readers, it is a major one for authors, the majority of whom know very little about publicity and therefore how to spend their limited time productively.

[Helen]

That's definitely a valid point. But just as valid, I'd say, is the point that not only do a lot of self-published authors not know how to get their books before readers, the readers also constantly hear about how self-published books are rubbish and similar detrimental comments, and deliberate misinformation, so they consequently have no idea that there are many books which are self-published and really good. Yes, of course people who are new to self-publishing will make some mistakes if they don't have anyone to ask. But making mistakes is often part of the process of learning, and at least in the e-book market, mistakes can be undone relatively easily - perhaps not so much in the print books market!

[Jim]

The technical writing - spelling, punctuation, grammar, sentence/paragraph structure, and/or consistency - of any book I have read has never been error free. That said; all but 5 of the self-published books (27 to-date) I have read have included far more such errors than those traditionally published.

My personal theory is that too many self-published authors may publish their work before performing the due diligence required to minimize errors or rely upon their own proof-reading skills or those of close acquaintances who are more likely to see what they anticipate rather than what is actually there.

Investing in input from an unbiased, qualified copy editor and conceptual editor pays big dividends, including a more professional, polished end product. The adage Anything worth doing is worth doing well is well worth heeding.

Unfortunately, very few novice authors ever achieve commercial success within this extremely competitive field. That said; some have. I wish those who do enter the field success. Even if commercial success is not the individual's goal, he/she, no doubt, wishes to publish the best work possible.

[Brett]

I'm a fairly new self-published author. Yes, there is a learning curve involved with promotions, learning the marketing, how to position yourself in front of readers, etc.

Forgive me if I'm beating a dead horse, but there are so many replies to this lively discussion that I haven't read them all. As someone who's made plenty of mistakes and unleashed my first book out into the world as a self-publisher....I don't expect to quit my day job.

However, I do expect to release quality books that will benefit people (I'm a self-help/personal development author). I also expect them to be as professionally done as possible. Jim (the commenter just above) is correct that anything worth doing is worth doing well. I spend around $1000-$1500 per book on an outstanding cover design, editing, proofreading, formatting to Kindle, and other costs to deliver the most polished product I can - my readers deserve no less than a great read.

Of course, there's stiff competition. I firmly believe that unless you have a way to tie your self-published book into a larger set of products (ex. Tony Robbins type of coaching, etc.), don't expect to make a living self-publishing. Writing and publishing books should be for your own enjoyment and the thrill of being able to release a great message or story to the world. Believe in what you write, even when it seems like no one cares.

It is work on the part of the author to get their books in front of readers, but the efforts are worth it and even the small successes like positive reviews are confidence-builders along the way. I'm still learning the processes and ways to promote my present and future books, and I find the efforts worth it. More readers should give self-published authors a chance. I read plenty of books by them and some are very good.

[Howard]

I hesitate to jump into this long thread but I'd suggest if a self-published author does all the "stuff" that a publisher does - mostly the developmental and technical editing - then there is no reason to think their book will be any less likely to be enjoyable than a traditionally published author's. There is no guarantee that an established and published author will be fun to read, either. I find that successful authors become less appealing over time as their editors seem to back off and their word count balloons, but that might be getting off topic.

[Rabiatu]

I think it's mostly due to the assumption that self-published books have not been through the vetting and editing process published books are put through. Which is mostly true.

Self-published authors rarely follow the rules and structure of literary writing. Which usually throws off the reader.
But there is always that diamond in the rough that may not tick all the rules of literature, but could certainly be a ground breaking story.

That being said, please check out A Prophecy of Dawn. I have had very good, but very few reviews. Lets work together to break the negative assumptions about self-publishing and self-published authors.
Thanks.

[Jim]

An author is an author. The method of publication (traditional - self-published - vanity press) does not reflect the quality of the writer's technical, narrative, or story telling skillset or talent.

Every avid reader develops their own unique expectations and measurements to determine whether a book is great, good, mediocre, or not worth reading. One reader's Best book ever! may very well be another reader's Worst book ever!.

The literary field is extremely competitive. There are literally millions of published authors. Most will never achieve notoriety or commercial success; however some have. There is no reason why you might not eventually become one of them. Do not allow anyone to discourage you.

Write and publish how, when, and as often as you want.

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter."
Bernard Baruch (Financier/Statesman/Author) 1870 - 1965

[Theresa]

Vickie wrote: "I read what interests me which is anything from fiction to true crime to romantic suspense to fantasy to...
well, you get the picture. I'm on a self-published author kick right now and not really r..."

Kudos to you.

[Robert]

Jim wrote: "An author is an author. The method of publication (traditional - self-published - vanity press) does not reflect the quality of the writer's technical, narrative, or story telling skillset or talen..."

Hi Jim. I believe there is a certain stigma to self-publishing, as in the author wasn't good enough to get his/her book into the hands of an agent or independent publisher. When my first book came out, a friend and colleague responded "oh" when I said it was self-published. And over the years I edited a number of self-published authors whose books and writing were excellent. So we keep on doing what we like to do.

[Rod]

I have two books self published, the first was published 18 years ago. I initially wrote to all of the publishers and agents who I considered may be interested; none of them were. It is their loss as the book has sold steadily all over the World for the last 18 years, and it is still selling. The publishers or agents have therefore missed out big time.
Be proud as a self publisher, you are doing something that the publishing system did not have the brains or guts to do. The only stigma to self-publishing is good stigma!

[Carmen]

Sherri wrote: "I've found that I enjoy the work of self published writers better. They seem to have a more authentic and unique perspective than the more "polished" stuff that's been reworked into dullness by age..."

This is something I agree with. I definitely read a mix of trad and self-pub, there are some good trad pub authors out there, and I'll probably post recs in another discussion thread on this group, but there have also been authors (both trad and self), where there's been a book that I've read that's been on more of the bland side, even though the editing and all that have been present.
In my opinion, I think that self-pub can get away with a bit more in terms of characters, world and story than trad pub can. Sometimes trad pub can over-edit (esp. developmentally) where the story itself becomes a bit stale.
Overall, I have come to enjoy self-pub a little bit more than trad pub - but will definitely read gems from trad pub.
There are those in self-pub that just put books out there that aren't edited or presented in a way that ends up putting a reader off.

In regards to my own author journey so far - the editing of my manuscript started at the end of January this year (2021), and only finished in June. Three rounds of editing were done - and I also got a cover designed as well. One thing I pointed out in a group I'm in on Facebook - with this being a debut novella, I'm new to the professional writing world and have a lot to learn. I'm not going to get everything right on the first try.
There was one particular thing in my manuscript that two editors pointed out to me. I adjusted this as much as I could with what I know and how at this stage of my life, and still decided to release it even though it won't be perfect. I suspect that there was one or two things that are going on in my home life that might have bled into this manuscript. Despite this, I'm still releasing the book - I've got to start somewhere. I can't wait until I'm either a better writer or until things have improved to release a book - I'll be waiting a long time before releasing a book if I had to do that...

Overall, I think self-pub authors are worth reading, and sometimes I think we can give grace to those who are in the beginning of their career - those that might not have all the answers yet. I've read my share of good and not-so-great self-pub authors. : )

[Hilary]

For my penny's worth, the commercialisation of the publishing world is so all-consuming now that the principal driver for publishing houses is whether they can easily sell the book. The obvious first filters then are a) established author and b) mass appeal content

Some very encouraging comments in this feed. Authors should take the path they want. Thankfully, the choice is a free one to make and there are no barriers to entry for self-publishers (apart from a base cost). Every book contains a bit of ourselves and for every reader you are giving them an experience (good or bad!).

The writing experience is a truly valuable one whichever route authors take.

[Rae]

I self published with Kindle Direct at considerable cost to me - this was supposed to cover editing cost, but when I read over the proofs, I found 20 mistakes! I think the main reason I've only sold 14 copies in nearly a month is because I have small number of friends / followers on socials, so despite posting the s$*! out of it, I've not managed to get any traction.

[Carmen]

Rae wrote: "I self published with Kindle Direct at considerable cost to me - this was supposed to cover editing cost, but when I read over the proofs, I found 20 mistakes! I think the main reason I've only sol..."

I've also had considerable editing costs this year (as well as getting a book cover done) - and even though this beginning stage is tough, carry on going. Hope that everything goes well for you - and hope that even though there were some editing mistakes, that the editing costs still pay off in the future despite that. Good luck!