Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”
― Vince Lombardi

I don't try to be perfect. If one or two small mistakes sneak through, I don't freak out. Ken's and Shari's comments show that even the best can make a mistake now and then.

I try to be excellent, just like Harper Collins, Tor, and Isaac Asimov try/tried to be excellent. This should be the rule, not the exception.

But not everyone feels that way, or one person's idea of excellence is not the same as the next person's. As a reader I have a range of tolerance for editing mistakes. That range, however, is different for each individual.

Let's face it, some people are quicker to judge than others, and those are the ones that are quick to lump all SPAs into an unrespected pile. I think tolerance goes a long way in everything, not just writing.

I am just thankful for the platform; I submitted short stories and book proposals 10 to 15 years ago without results. Now, I can publish my own book and get it into the hands of a small circle of fans (mostly family and friends). Did I catch a few typos in my ebook and fix them? Why...yes. Do I catch some in books from the big publishing houses? Sometimes. Do I keep reading a book despite a few errors? The answer is usually yes. If a book is a good story, I enjoy it no matter the method of production. :)

This thread was started on 18 January 2012 and it hasn't gone away yet.

Very obviously there are very strong opinions both for and against SP books, their authors, just as there are strong opinions for and at times against TP books, and their authors.

I would posit that those individuals who have not been swayed from their opinion in almost two years likely won't be swayed until one of two things happens: 1) the Traditional Publishing houses lose a lot of their influence or 2) Self Publishing houses all fold their respective tents.

R.F.G. wrote: "...I would posit that those individuals who have not been swayed from their opinion in almost two years likely won't be swayed ..."

I agree. People with strong convictions rarely are swayed from their position. I have great respect for those people.

I think as far as this subject is concerned, the readers that fall somewhere in the middle of the pack will either NOT decide which end to follow or will decide based on their own experience. I doubt anything said here will affect the way they select books.

My personal experience has made me extremely careful about buying SP books. I have spent money on unreadable stories. Before I buy SP books, I like to either be familiar with the author or have a recommendation from someone I respect. I have more faith in TP and have never had the issues with them that I've faced with SP books.

I know there are some excellent books out there that are SP and I keep looking. I also check authors who comment in discussions here on GR. If they are courteous, and can relay their ideas in a coherent manner I definitely check out their books - I hate missing a good read.

Christine wrote: ... I know there are some excellent books out there that are SP and I keep looking. I also check authors who comment in discussions here on GR. If they are courteous, and can relay their ideas in a coherent manner I definitely check out their books - I hate missing a good read. ...

I think that's a good and fair system, Christine.

If we are writing, we have to assume that EVERYTHING we write is a sample of our writing, our ability to craft with words, the care we take with those words — what communicating through writing means to us.

If we are careless in how we handle our written communication in any public display it's fair to assume we're likely to be careless of them elsewhere, that we don't know how to write, or that we don't value others' time and attention unless they're paying for our work.

Or we're idiots.

Everyone makes errors, typos, commits a few /facepalm/s in posts from time to time, and that shouldn't turn anyone off, but persistent drivel absolutely should.

I'm not going to out the author of the traditionally published book with a boatload of errors. If I wished to name her and her publishing house I would have done so in my initial post.

If you are comfortable calling me a liar, that falls on you, not on me.

Christine wrote: "R.F.G. wrote: "...I would posit that those individuals who have not been swayed from their opinion in almost two years likely won't be swayed ..."

I agree. People with strong convictions rarely ar..."

At present my budget (or lack thereof) doesn't allow me to buy either Trad or Self Published books. That stated, I will say I have bought books by Trad Published authors where the book was a vast disappointment. I've also bought some TP books that I enjoyed immensely. The last time I did go out and look it was a gamble on whether the book was worth reading.

When it comes to SP I've seen some disappointing efforts, and I've seen some works that kept me riveted for hours.

My point is I can't rely on a big publishing house to ensure a book worth reading any more than I can rely on all indie authors to do the same.

If the sample I check is decent and non-sock puppet reviews make it apparent the book isn't a complete waste of time I'll buy whether it's TP or SP.

About the only time I won't forgive an unimportant error is when I'm undergoing surgery...