by Chuck » Mon Jan 01, 2007 1:50 pm
If one of the reasons for selling e-books, is to find someone who will help with publishing it, then I don't think it should be such a big deal if there is some punctuation problems.
Perhaps that would keep a book from being reviewed, I don't like that either.
What I think would be fair and more helpful is some kind of system that told the potential buyer whether it has been reviewed and some kind of scale system like:
**** Ready for print
*** Needs minor proofreading
** Needs editing and proof reading
* Rough draft or not reviewed.
And tell what you thought of the story as well, That way good stories would not be held back from those who need what is there and the author would know if they need to do some work on it.
The review itself should be on the content not on penmanship.
I think if you keep stories that need proofreading out totally you are punishing the poor among us who can tell a valuable story but need help financially and with the technical aspects of writing.
We need to decide if this is really going to be a place to feature our work in hopes of finding a publisner or raising money to pay for a publihser, and to really help all authors get past GO.
Or whether it will be a standard book store that only accepts what is professionally complete.
I thought the Mission of Faith Writers is to help new authors perfect their craft and get published. If you reject a good story because it is not "polished" to your satisfaction, you are punnishing the author because he or she does not have the money to pay for editing and proofreading.
On the other hand if you simply make it known that the project needs work, someone may read the story and feel so strongly enough about the message that they would get behind the auther financially and back them to get edited and published.
If you make this clear to potential buyers up front, and even ask those who buy the book to give their personal input on the book it could prove to be a very dynamic force to move good books forward.
It could give the authors the early reviews they need to convince a publisher to take their book on.
On the other side of the picture. If you keep out a good life changing story because it needs work you could keep a life saving thought from someone who desperately need it.
But if the purchase it knowing it has punctuation errors, they should not get upset with the author or Faith Writers because of this.
All books could start at the not reviewed or rough draft level until they have been reviewed Then after it is reviewed you cold give the actual review and the rating as far as how finished it is.
Thank you for looking at my views on the subject.
Your Servant
Chuck
Health minister and teacher of Natural Hygiene.
Author of Six Months to Live and Health by Design
http://www.getwellcourse.com