The book section at K Mart

Actually, I don't understand. An empty spot on B&N's shelves? What does that mean? Does that mean that you are happy your book is not available on B&N shelves, and therefore that space is empty? B&N seems to have no trouble filling their shelves, so I've never seen an empty spot. I'd be ecstatic if I had a book on B&N's shelves. Not having a spot is the status quo, so that doesn't do anything for me.

A free download onto a kindle is also not worth much. People download all kinds of stuff they never read. Or they download it as a favor, not really intending to read it. What would be meaningful for me is a glowing review from someone who read it.

 

Actually, I don't understand. An empty spot on B&N's shelves? What does that mean? Does that mean that you are happy your book is not available on B&N shelves, and therefore that space is empty? B&N seems to have no trouble filling their shelves, so I've never seen an empty spot. I'd be ecstatic if I had a book on B&N's shelves. Not having a spot is the status quo, so that doesn't do anything for me.

A free download onto a kindle is also not worth much. People download all kinds of stuff they never read. Or they download it as a favor, not really intending to read it. What would be meaningful for me is a glowing review from someone who read it.

 

...as long as it's not written by the book's author [though we can't tell, if an alias is used!], or any of his/her friends and relatives, or a paid 'reviewing' service [which is all the bad stuff ever gets]?

 

There's nothing wrong with self-publishing. I've met one or two self-published authors doing quite well, and read some self-published books that I liked. The authors I met are making money doing it though, and spending some of that money to have their mss professionally edited. So self publishing is more than great as long as you're still doing your own due diligence.

A great marketing method is to offer your e-book for free download on amazon for a short period of time. But when that time is up, it's back to paying for the book. Apparently it works really well.

 

Naturally, there would never be a genuine good review awarded to a self published book by genuine people with reasonable intelligence. That would just be silly.

 

Of course the internet changed everything. Whether it’s literature, music, or movies, there is a new access to the “market place”. While the traditional market place is selling new DVD’s for $16.99 and first edition hard covers for $29.99, I can go to the internet market place and watch YouTube videos for free and read a blog about navel lint for free. I don't have to go to my local newspaper to list my used car for sale. I don't have to purchase a foldup map at the gas station to find out how to get to the Civic Center.

The good:

Anyone can put something on the internet.

The bad.

Anyone can put something on the internet.

But ultimately, it’s usually amateurs imitating professionals. I never cared before if someone got their rocks off by being the karaoke king of Jack’s Bar and Grill on Wednesday nights. Whatever floats their boat. If someone wants to pretend they’re Steve Perry, go for it. “DON’T STOP BELIEVING” So I'm not going to care who puts their novels online for download.

Me personally, my reading time is so limited, I’m not going to go fishing on the internet for novels.

I’ll drink the filtered water.

No, I’m not published. I did submit a couple of short stories to a magazine a number of years ago. They were rejected, because they were amateurish and crap. I suppose I could post them on the internet, but I don’t see the point. Maybe someday there will be a shortage of crap on the internet and then I’ll post them (not holding my breath on that.)

And as always, it’s easier to think that publishing is a secret cabal than do the work to learn to write well. Conspiracy theories are more convenient than correcting grammar.

I didn’t join this forum to get published. I belong to learn to write well.

Whether I submit my work to a publisher or offer it for a free download on-line, I want it to be good. I’d rather have a good work rejected by a publisher than put something online, unedited, that I knew wasn’t as good as it could be. Unfortunately, I think the trend with the new internet culture is that “hits” are all that matter. I’d rather have one really good flesh and blood friend in real life than have 1,000 “friends” on Face book that don’t even know my real name.

Best wishes on your writing career.

 

I have never received a rejection letter.

 

This has been done to death.

If there's to be a self-publishing versus traditional publishing debate, it won't be with the needless squabbling and petty name-calling on all sides that this thread has descended into. Make logical arguments, not attacks on members who sit on one side of the fence or the other.

You have all been warned. If this thread descends into personal arguments again, it will be closed and deleted.

 

Actually what I meant by my statement was what would be meaningful to me as the author -- that is, if I wrote something and someone I didn't know read it and gave it a glowing review that I had in no way solicited, encouraged or sought and was not done to somehow curry favor with me for any reason.

I agree that glowing reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. What I usually enjoy reading more are the scathing reviews, anyway. They are much more fun (provided I'm not the author of the writing being reviewed ;-)

 

Yeah you sent me a PM asking me to download your book with a link to where I could download it!! Are you kidding me? Take your shameless self-promoting somewhere else.

 

Bantam is still kicking themselves for rejecting it.

 

Yes, it was a PM, so that you could make in informed statement instead of spouting crap. Read my stuff and make an intelligent comment or don't read it and go away. Thanks.

 

I'm reading the stuff you're posting on all these threads of yours and making intelligent comments on those. I don't care to read your book. Sorry. Best of luck.

 

I'm closing this thread, whatever value it might have had is now lost irrevocably.