When you read an author’s books or blog, you often quickly like or heart them. Most of the time, you will not take a second or two to write a comment. It is personally disappointing and discouraging to the writer. Taking a second or two to encourage them may make a big difference to them.
Writing a “review” is not like a grade school book report where you nervously stood in front of your class of torturers and skeptics, shuddering in your boots, while trying to read your handwritten report of an assigned book, knowing that they and the teacher will grade you! Writing a book review for a book you loved or hated is a one-way street! Most of the time, the author will never know who the person who wrote it is, as most book sellers only publish the first name. It is unlikely that anyone will comment on your review. But they might decide to buy or not buy the book you reviewed.
As a point of interest, Indie Writers (Independent Authors) are often determined DIYers (do-it-yourselfers). Our tiny brains conjure up an idea of a story; we think it over and decide whether we want to spend a year or more of our lives allowing the idea to germinate and blossom. Once we commit, we put our blood, sweat, and tears into our book!
We each approach writing a book in a different way. Some writers meticulously prepare every word of their manuscript, paragraph by paragraph, page by page, chapter by chapter, and some line by line. Some of the rest of us are Pantsers. We write by the seat of our pants! I am afraid I fall into the latter group. I almost always do a quickie synopsis and follow it somewhat, but the story often evolves into something quite different from my original idea. Sometimes, a character that I place in the story for just a quick thought or action develops into a semi-major player. It can happen in reverse on a whim.
Many of us indie authors do not have the money to hire a graphic artist to create a fantastic cover, dozens of people to read and make suggestions, and editors to polish our stories. And more than a few of us have not been accepted by a Publisher to produce and advertise our books professionally. There is a good chance you most likely will not see them in bookstore windows. Nevertheless, we are writers! And our hearts bleed!
My books are a “family affair,” meaning the whole family can get involved if they choose or have the time. My Hubby, of 64 years, works full-time, but always makes the time! Bless his heart, he struggles to navigate Gimp and produces the best replica of the cover that I dream up! I do not currently have any beta “readers,” although I would welcome one. I do that job myself, and my books are my babies, and I take good care of them.
I am recovering from a stroke, so I hired Grammarly to review my writing and suggest corrections for spelling and grammatical errors. Sometimes I take its advice, and sometimes I don’t. Not all my characters speak perfect English. I create a timeline for each book and keep track of the chapter lengths. I also create a cast of characters, including a physical and characteristic description of each. Several of my serial books feature numerous characters, so I list them by importance first and minor characters at the end, rather than alphabetically.
My final thing is reading it “out loud” to see how it reads. If it reads easily, I’m happy; if not, I make changes and re-read it out loud again. Usually, my Hubby reads the manuscript too, and makes suggestions. It is amazing how a second set of eyes can see things that pass right by the writer.
By the way, I have been contacted by most of the companies that “guarantee” to make me a million-dollar seller. I bit on a minor dollar amount, and my philosophy is “once burned, twice shy!” Call me if you must, but the more forceful you become, the more I will match you. When they call you, remember that it is a salesperson trying to find the way into your pocketbook, and they don’t care about your bottom line. They care about their own.
Draft2Digital publishes my books and is available at the following places: Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Everand, Smashwords, Tolino OverDrive, bibliotheca, Baker & Taylor, BorrowBox, Hoopla, Vivlio, Palace Marketplace, Odilo, Gardners, Amazon
Additionally, my new website is dedicated solely to my books. Books.By/bendacolbath, books are shipped worldwide at only $5.00.
Y’all take care now, and I’ll talk with you again later…..