I have read several stories lately and just because it is free doesn't mean that it is good. It doesn't mean that it is bad either. However, one would think that if an author was going to go to the trouble of publishing and promoting their work that they would take the time to make sure that the glaringly obvious errors are removed first. Remember that you only get one chance to make a first impression. As an author you want it to be a good one or at least not one where the reader is asking the following question:
Can this author even read or spell?
Simply changing the spelling of a word from two (to) too or even to, changes the entire meaning of the sentence. While spell check may be your friend it tends to miss correctly spelled words used incorrectly.
The vile viol player drank poison from a vial. (Correct usage)
I actually haven't noticed any stories that have mixed up these words but then how often do we use any of the three anymore.
He bore down on her bare naked body on the bear skin rug. (Correct usage)
Her bear naked body is a phrase I am tired of seeing in any story. A bear is a four legged omnivorous mammal. If she is naked than she is bare naked.
She tried to emulate the movie Wickerman by immolating her ex-boyfriend. (Correct usage)
I am tired of reading stories where Sue is trying to immolate her best friend. I keep expecting Sue to reach for the torches and instead she is trying to copy (emulate) her best friend.
I have been checking out some of the free stories that OmniLit has to offer trying to find more new authors to follow. There will always be authors that I will go out and buy their books at full retail just to get my hands on them. Laurel K Hamilton (Gentry series), Karen Marie Moning (Fever series), Jim Butcher (anything he writes) being just a couple of them. I buy anthologies that include some of my favorite authors so that I can get exposed to some new authors. I am not willing to put out eight dollars or so for a paperback of an unknown author unless it has been highly recommended by someone I trust.
When I found OmniLits freeebies I was excited that here were some excerpts and short stories from some authors that I hadn't heard of. I read several that were passable (each of the stories was between 20-40 pages) and several that just outright sucked ass. There were one or two gems in the mix and I will be reading more from those authors. In fact I already went and bought another ebook by one of the authors. Though I wish I had realized it was only another 35 page story before spending six dollars on it the story and plot were well thought out and written.
But you know what I find worse than self published authors with these mistakes? I absolutely get pissy when I have bought a real book (real book vs ebook vs fanfiction...discussion for later maybe) at an actual brick and mortar store (or online) and I get to reading it and find the same sort of idiotic errors in it. If a publisher wants to continue selling me books they had better take the time to have someone proof reading them for stupid errors. Heck, send me a copy (efile or whatever) and I'll proof it for you.
Even the best authors have issues. One of Ms. Hamilton's books went out with the phrase "insert here" as the inscription on a ring. If I remember right she was trying to think of the right phrase to inscribe and somehow it didn't get inserted into the book before it went out. In the end this is a funny slip up but if I had been reading her work for the first time I might not have been willing to read her stories again. Which would have been a shame because she writes very well. I just wish that one of her book tours would make it to Boise, Idaho so that I could personally thank her for the many hours of enjoyment her books have given me.
I have a couple of my own stories in the works. I figured I had better start writing since I keep changing the plot lines of the books as I read them. Sometimes I have been finding a secondary character much more interesting than the authors main character.
I know my weaknesses when it comes to writing. My mind gets ahead of my typing (or writing) and sometimes details that are in my head don't end up on the computer screen (or paper) like they should. This causes "magic moments" where the reader is left wondering how my character managed to get from point A to point B. (No tele-portation didn't happen, doesn't exist in this story).
My grammar usage isn't always spot on either. I can never remember whether the comma (period) goes inside the quotation marks or outside of it. If I ever get to the point that anyone other than my critique group sees my work I will have someone else read it before I even think of sending it off to an agent, publisher, or try self-publishing.
I will continue looking for my next batch of favorite authors. Just please, don't make me claw my eyes out from obvious mistakes in the mean time. If so I will be listening exclusively to audio books since I don't think I would find learning braille at this time in my life the easiest thing.
Audio books are great but some books are just meant to be read.
Good Books, Good Wine, Good Friends
What Could be Better.
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