It used to be that in order to read a new author you either had to discover them at the library, have a friend recommend them, or read a random review that really drew you in. Well, now there’s a new way to discover authors. One that doesn’t cost a thing, as long as you own a kindle. With all of the free books available for kindle readers the possibilities are endless for those who want to find new books, new authors and new possibilities.
What I have also found with the free books is a lack of editing. Here is the major problem for the author’s of these free “teaser” books. If a book is poorly edited, no matter how great the story is, it’s not going to inspire my confidence in the writer and certainly won’t encourage me to purchase any further works from that author. After all, if the free book wasn’t edited and it’s THAT obvious that is wasn’t, why would I spend money to read more poorly edited literature. If I wanted something to decipher I’d learn a foriegn language. At least then I’d have a reference for the truth of what was meant.
I love discovering new authors. I love reading. I didn’t used to. I was one of those kids who had a hard time reading. I didn’t learn how to read until I was nearly 9 years old. Considering most children can read chapter books by 7, that’s pretty bad. But it hasn’t slowed my interest in books, in writing, and in sharing my imagination. It also never kept my imagination from running away with me. Just in my avenues for expression.
The moral of this article is this: Edit your work. From the smallest article, to the longest manuscript. If it’s going out into the world, it better be something you’re proud of. If you need an outside editor, find one. Don’t be ashamed to ask someone to read your work. Don’t feel like a failure because you didn’t catch every little error. You wrote the book. It was your imagination that created that work. Heaven knows how long that took and how many drafts you’ve gone through. Give yourself a break and let someone else read it before you send it into the world.
Enjoy writing, enjoy reading and above all, enjoy life.
