I feel as if I'm at a fork in the road, as I want to like the book but there are just too many editing errors to enjoy it. :(
Libby left a review for the book, and it was honest, but I believe the author has taken her honesty the wrong way. The author has been nice about her review(thank god). But I'm having a hard time finishing it because there are errors on every page. It effects the pacing so much that I have to put it down a lot. I want to be honest but I fear the author does not want honesty. Just 4 and 5 star reviews.
I fear my review will be taken for viciousness. And it's not like that. I believe if the story had the right editor, some people would probably enjoy it. But I don't think it's fair to a new reader to lie about it being spectacular, when its not properly edited.
I know people just want their book out there, but as a self published author, should it be more important that its published or more important that its published correctly?
I will soon be amongst the many whom have dived into self publishing. As much time and money as it costs to be at the forefront, I don't think anyone can afford to not have your work edited by someone whom isn't themselves. Sure it's an expensive route. But it's costing you more, as people may not be buying it based of people not being honest. Telling someone their work needs proper editing shouldn't be an insult. It's just making you aware that you're a writer first. You may not have the eye to look for your own mistakes.
An author's book I haven't started, just made a comment I can't help but agree with. You can't look at your own work objectively. Someone has to look at it with an eye for mistakes. If you don't care about making grammatical errors, maybe it should just be for the eyes of people whom won't judge it so harshly.
I don't know how I should go about the book. I want to finish it, but it's difficult to as it slows down the pacing. What do others think?
Love this post, i agree that as an author you can't really see your open work objectively, you need more eyes :)
ReplyDeleteDanielle @ Coffee and Characters
http://www.daniellecromero.blogspot.com
Don't to check out the sign-ups for the Blogger Summer Circus :)
http://daniellecromero.blogspot.com/2013/05/sign-up-for-this-years-blogger-summer.html
Thanks Danielle for taking the time out to comment.Between being in charge of your own blog, having a job, being a student or anything that else part of daily life, sometimes it's hard to visit every blog you follow unless they post something of interest to you. I'm glad this post brought you back to the blog =D And i totally agree with your comment!
ReplyDeleteGuinevere, is this the same book that was discussed a few posts earlier? If so (and even if not so), I stand by my original comment in that post. Be honest yet pleasant (if possible), and be at peace with yourself.
ReplyDeleteAs for the editing by one's self, I already stated what I had to say in that post. Nevertheless, I'd like to add that during the first round of edits I had close to twenty-five people reading it one after the other. The first twenty-four missed a simple "bu" where there should have been "by". The person who discovered it was a technical literature editor who did not focus on the story at all, just read line by line.
Someone once advised me to read a book backwards, from end to the beginning - apparently, errors tend to jump out more. Well, I can't do that.
At the same time, there is a time when author uses grammatically incorrect sentence on purpose. Perhaps the speaker has an accent or speaks the language poorly. Or, like I do often, the author uses fragments to create backdrop. The so-called literary license can be mistaken for poor editing.
I recently wrote "I fell in life with the character" instead of "I fell in love with the character". The first one does describe my emotional state while reading the story. The second would be grammatically correct.
Hi, thanks again for stopping by my blog!
ReplyDeleteI'm actually reading a book for review right now, but I'm struggling through it. I have a feeling it's not going to get more than 3 stars. I'm really sad, as the premise sounded really great. At least it's well-written; it's just not my type of story.
I also agree that self-published authors should spend more time on editing. Most do really well, and then there are others that should have gone through their book a few more times before publishing, and grab a few extra pairs of eyes while they're at it. :) I'm a "grammar Nazi" and can't stand so many errors. I'm the "editor" for my mom's books. :P
-Holly @ The Fox's Hole
Thanks for the follow! Got you back on google friend. Happy reviewing!
ReplyDeleteI think being honest is important. An author cannot grow or improve much if all they hear is how great a book is. Even self-published authors should have their books edited by somebody else. Also several non-biased reader's to see if there is anything else. I would just be sure to be tactful as you are already being in this article. I have known of authors who, after realizing their errors, take their book to an editor then re-release it. It is easy enough to do, especially if they do not have print copies floating about. Maybe, when/if the author makes some changes you could give it a try then.Keeping an author in the dark about how things are is not helpful to them or you. Nor is it fair to readers to leave a false review. I think the worse thing to do is a false review. Either be honest or do not review at all.
ReplyDeleteSo true, what everyone has to say. It is difficult to tell an author the truth about the book. As mentioned earlier it is important for one to know of the mistakes so they may grow from those experiences. If they do not know then they will continue to write down the same path. Just be tactful and respectful when you deliver the information. Give them suggestions that they might find helpful in moving forward.
ReplyDeleteHenry, you heard correct about the reading backwards tip. Mistakes do jump out but if you can't do it then why bother. For some taking an editing class can be helpful for keeping out the simple mistakes that are made in writing. We all make mistakes and need to learn from these so we can become better at what we do. Good luck
I've been through this, a couple of times in the last few months. The first time, I went to the author and said I simply couldn't post a review. The second time, as I'd agreed to participate in a tour, I had to find an incredibly tactful way to praise the idea while (strongly) recommending (extensive) editing.
ReplyDeleteThat, in my humble opinion, are your two options.
Though I, too, am a grammar Nazi, I can forgive a lot and love creative usage of the language. Sentence fragments and intentional 'misuse' are much different than poor writing or editing. I can tell when an author is playing with words and when they simply have no clue.
I totally agree at all of your points here. I just recently finished a self published book that I needed to review and I really thought that I will end up giving it 2 stars since the book just didn't appeal to me but thankfully, when I got half way in the book, it turned out okay. I know a lot of reviewers have been in that kind of situation where we didn't like the book that we're supposed to read. As a reviewer, I always felt bad when I give 1 or 2 stars BUT it is our responsibility to say what we really think about the book. I guess, we just have to be tactful and respectful to your review. We should always make sure to not just point out the bad things in the book but also the good parts. Also, no bashing to the author (like telling the author that he/she suck or that he/she has no creativity).
ReplyDeleteAnyways, thank you for stopping by on my blog. :)
I read and review indie authors all the time probably a good third of my blog reviews are indie authors. I have come across some real gems but oi vey the editing or lack thereof. I am not an English major nor am I even a grammar nazi I am just a regular reader who happens to know how to spell. If it is only the occasional mistake it doesn't really bother me much I just sorta notice it and keep going but I have read some that could have been very good books except for there being mistakes on pretty much every page. At that point the flow of the book is toast and what annoys me the most about it is there are people all over Goodreads willing to do beta reading and what not at absolutely no cost to the author. So I whole heartedly agree editing is your friend.
ReplyDelete