tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post6411513494227913600..comments2024-03-26T15:30:39.733-07:00Comments on Rainy Day Thoughts: ups and downsRain Trueaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-56133736995529107252015-05-10T07:40:17.670-07:002015-05-10T07:40:17.670-07:00I know those who borrow to get the editor but it a...I know those who borrow to get the editor but it all depends on how you see that. I would have to borrow from our funds assigned to other purposes and just wasn't willing to do it. <br /><br />There are some good articles out there on how the wrong editor, especially a cheap one, can actually damage your book; so it's kind of a six of one and half dozen of the other. <br /><br />There is one positive feature on editing your own work, which means keeping the edits as far apart as possible. Sometimes you then see elements in the story that you had missed earlier and can enrich your characters or plot. No other editor could do that for you.<br /><br />The samples are definitely a help in deciding if a book is worth our time. I have read that some writers though edit the sample very exactly and let the rest go. Which would seem kind of dumb as that is going to lead to a mad reader and nobody wants a mad reader ;)Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-31132713343145453272015-05-10T01:28:10.413-07:002015-05-10T01:28:10.413-07:00So sad that reviews are not what they should be. ...So sad that reviews are not what they should be. I have been stung a few times in buying a book based on several reviews and finding it was not at all what I had hoped in terms of plot or quality. Now I am more careful. I do like the e-readers that allow you to download a sample---maybe 30 pages as that is somewhat like picking up the book in the store. Wish I had an editor, they are worth the money, but as you say, you must be successful to afford them.Taborhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15257045780724471840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-20676728901847770322015-05-09T07:26:28.987-07:002015-05-09T07:26:28.987-07:00Yes, and some writers benefit from having beta rea...Yes, and some writers benefit from having beta readers as another way of getting their books a jump-start in the rankings. Recently I saw a request for betas with the condition being that they would do a review right away and buy the book the first day it came out. The author would put the book out for 99¢ that day for their benefit. There would be other swag as rewards. You can see how that gives the book a lot of sales and positive reviews (the request did not say they had to be positive but it's hard to believe a beta reader who gave a negative one would be asked to do it twice). <br /><br />I used to put more stock in reviews (for my own book purchases) when they were verified. Now I’d say that a lot of reviews, all at the same time, likely are ones set up ahead of time. I can't deny it probably is smart marketing. I was told by one marketing person that he could get me 50 well-written positive reviews for a fee. I can see why those who have to make a living at their writing probably do things they don’t like—much like politics in that respect.<br /><br />Then, on editors, as I see it, the issues are several-fold. It's a tough job. A writer cannot just pick any editor as the wrong one can take the heart right out of your story if they don’t share your vision for it. When a writer writes books the lengths of mine, a thousand dollars or more is not an unlikely fee. Most of my books would never have paid that back. Editors who work for less often use the same software I can use. With the products out there, we can catch our unwieldy sentences. [There are exceptions to the high cost for those lucky enough to have a talented friend or someone who works on a percentage of the royalties.] <br /><br />That said, editing is a tough job and if I ever regularly made enough money to cover the cost of a good one, I'd be happy to turn the job over to the right person. But I got into this with the idea the books had to pay for themselves, not borrowing for experts and then being depressed when a book doesn't hit the market right. It can be tough enough without loss of money taken into it ;)<br />Rain Trueaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994628226501093880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22918248.post-9919831588408958312015-05-09T06:29:22.359-07:002015-05-09T06:29:22.359-07:00Beautiful sky with a cloud in your picture today, ...Beautiful sky with a cloud in your picture today, Rain. I do believe in having readers and at least one editor before I go to publish, and I belong to a critique group that is very helpful. Have a great weekend!Linda Kayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17237332954767037400noreply@blogger.com