The Savvy Author has an idea. We want to know what YOU think.
Like many people this Christmas I received an e-book reader. I love it. I can lay in my bed and shop big name book stores, local book stores, internet libraries, the local public library, even the library at my alma mater.
I am being exposed to books I have never heard of, books I have heard of but never read, new writers, new genres, old favorites and thanks to public domain, literary classics that I want to read time and time again.
The downside to all this digital shopping is that I can no longer count on the fact that the book has been edited or proof-read.
I don’t want to waste time or cash on books that have been poorly edited. I don’t want to stumble over confusing concepts poorly articulated, nor be insulted with unprofessional quirks like spelling mistakes and missing pages. I don’t want to read incomplete sentences. I don’t want to waste my time with books that have little or no plot or purpose.
I want to find new writers, I want to read books in every genre, I want to be exposed to more books than a traditional book store could ever house. But I don’t want to waste time or money.
So readers, what solution can we come up with to continue the upswing in digitized books, but also offer some protection, or guarantee to readers that the book is of the same quality that we normally see in traditional literary outlets?
How can we assure a reader that a book has been proofread and edited. That even if the story itself isn’t one that I would read again, the workmanship of the book was the best it could be.
Would listing the name of the editor on the front cover with the author be a good idea? Would it be enough to satisfy the most cynical among us?
Have you considered adding some relevant links to the article? I think it will really enhance everyone’s understanding.