Seems I love stepping on toes, and this post will be no different. 🤣😂
The other day I was looking at book trailers in a Facebook group I’d joined just for that purpose, when I ran across a newbie author. While I watched the trailer, glaring editing errors leaped out at me. WTF? If they couldn’t edit their trailer correctly, how badly is the book written? I even left a comment to that effect.
For the love of god, indie authors, learn proper grammar and punctuations. And telling us that English is your second language doesn’t fly. Either you learn how to write a proper book, or PAY for a good editor.
As much as I love ranting, I also like to help people. That’s why, back in 2017, I started a blog series called Weekly Useful Writer Stuff. It was based on the blogs I followed, back then, with stuff I needed to learn to write a decent book. Im not sure if some of the links are still active, but check it out anyway.
However, just reading blog posts isn’t going to help. If you really want to publish a book, you need to study. You need to LEARN. You need to put in the HARD WORK. And even if you write an amazing book that earns a lot of 5-sttar reviews, the odds of you making it rich are Nil. There is no money in publishing a book unless you put time, and money, into it yourself. PERIOD!
Here are some books that are a MOST HAVE to help you become an amazing writer. Most indie authors have no money, so start with only one book, or wait for them to go on sale.
![Story Engineering by [Larry Brooks]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51T3OnP74uL.jpg)
And a word of advice. As with any industry, there are scammers in this one as well. People who will take your dollars with no credibility to their names. So, before you put your money behind a supposedly top earning author, check out their books and ranking. How long has it been since they published a new one. See if they put their money where their mouth is.
Many people think that writing is like speaking. It follows that anyone who can utter a word, can write a book. If that were true, then anyone who could hum a tune should be able to write a symphony. Obviously, such is not the case.
I have been writing for ten years. I began writing after retiring from a career as a teacher. Mine has been a lifetime’s love of reading and writing . I still have to edit and re-edit my work constantly. I have books on grammar and structure which I use as I write. For me, it’s a matter of pride.
Telling a newbie to hire an editor is not the advice I’d give. Most new writers have little money. The editors available to them are not the ones with years of experience spent at reputable publishing houses. When I started writing, I paid editors I found on Facebook. I had to re-edit their work. They knew less about writing than I did.
The best advice I can give a newbie author is this: begin learning your grammar from scratch! Take an online course. Try the Khan Academy, it’s free. Take it seriously and learn about the craft you wish to practice. If you don’t, the reviews will be scathing and your reputation as an author will suffer.
Yes, I had the same issue when I hired ‘editors’ that didn’t have the experience I needed but I didn’t know it. It is an uphill battle, but like every job, if you want to excel, you have to learn and put in the hard work.
Now, I’m the editor for the authors under my company and that’s really ramped up my editing skills. Still, even my own stories I give to someone else to edit as we can’t see past our own words.
Absolutely spot on. Especially about hiring an editor. I’ve been writing for over 10 years, and still can’t afford to hire an editor!
I keep reading how hiring a professional editor is a MUST. But I use an online critique group, and there are a couple of people who critique my work that I respect. They are professional writers, and one is a multiple award winner.
I hadn’t heard of the Khan Academy. I’ll check it out.
How true, Sahara. I, too, wish newbie authors would learn their trade. At least the bare bones of grammar and syntax. No one would build a house without foundations, but some people think you can write a book without the foundations of grammar, spelling and syntax.
Sadly, it only takes a few bad authors to taint the self-publishing industry. The term ‘indie author’ still puts a bad taste in reader’s mouths.
😿
At the risk of getting into a $#!t-flinging contest, I felt compelled to reply to your comments about learning proper grammar and punctuation. Granted, it has been many decades since I graduated from college with a degree in English (planning on teaching, then journalism….), but certain rules remain. I AGREE that glaring grammar and punctuation errors are distracting when reading e-mails or e-books, such as:
For the love of god, indie authors, learn proper grammar and punctuations. — I was always taught that God was typed with a capital letter unless it was used in the sense of “money was his god.”
It was based on the blogs I followed, back then, with stuff I needed to learn to wrote a decent book. Im not sure if some of the links are still active, but check it out anyway. — The “back then” clause is basically irrelevant and verbose. I am sure you know that “I’m” is the correct way to start the second sentence.
There were a few other examples in your newsletter, but I don’t want to dwell on it. Given your topic, however, perhaps you should have re-read the message prior to hitting “send.”
Well, a newsletter and a blog post are NOT the same as a book. With a book, they go through several hands before getting published. My posts and newsletters are just seen by me and I do go through them before hitting the ‘send’ button, but that’s my point why all authors need an editor. Shit gets missed. However, my blog and newsletter are a way for me to let my hair down and have some fun. Thanks for commenting and have a wonderful weekend.