E-Scribblers Weblog

Friday, October 06, 2006

Rant from E

I don't generally like to to shop but if you put me in a dollar store my ability to look through cheap junk comes out. I also get this way in big warehouse stores...Costco in particular has this affect on me. For some reason books and online stories don't affect me the same way.

Searching through the mounds of unedited, beta-less stories is only depressing. You know what is even more appalling? Some of these folks bother to spend their own funds to have these badly written words printed on paper.

I'm not against all self publishing. It has its place for sure. Look at SX Meagher's Brisk Press. Here is a worthy set of books for my money. However, I know in advance what I'm getting--stories written by SX Meagher that haven't gone the traditional publishing route. The I Found My Heart in San Francisco series in particular is well-suited to self-publishing. I'll expect a few grammar and editing errors along the way but I trust SX Meagher to have even her self-published work looked over by a decent copy editor.

I bought a book not too long ago from Star Crossed Productions that looked interesting enough and it was on clearance. I bit the bullet and read the book (only 80 pages long) even though my initial scan of it upon receipt wasn't promising. First I was shocked that such crap would be published. And I was amazed that SCP actually carried this horrendous title. I looked up the publisher and realized what I had purchased...self-published lesbian fiction.

With more books being offered online we're now in a world where you better look closely before purchasing. In the future, I'll stick with the publishers I know and trust. I already know of a few to stay away from.

My hope is that folks wake up and don't buy this crap any more. If you're an author, take the time to submit your work. Get advice and use it wisely. This doesn't always mean publishers are right but the reality is there are enough lesbian publishers out there that if you have to pay to have your books published take the time to figure out why. If it's a choice you made, make sure you spell that out to the unaware buyer.

As a buyer, beware. You don't always get what you pay for.

Good luck.

posted by E - 12:30 AM -- Email this post: Link to this entry
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