Photo from Flickr, by Eric baum
I am amazed at the “rush” of ebooks that are flowing into the market – and even more so about the lack of “polish”. What happened to our schooling? If you turned in a paper riddled with errors, would you expect an “A” for effort?
There are so many great novels out there to read – some from authors that normally would never have had their time in the spotlight. But it their hurry to be “discovered” they are forgetting the one step that is crucial to a finished, polished piece — proofing (or copy editing).
So, why do so many authors and publishers skip the proofing step?
In this open letter to Kobo Books: The customer details her complete disapproval for a work that was so riddled with errors, she requested, and received, a refund of her “no-refund” purchase.
That says it all.
Don’t Kill A Good Mood
There is NO excuse for poor quality – period. Sure, we all make mistakes and errors do slip through the cracks, but blatant and excessive errors are a distraction. If the reader pauses, trying to mentally decipher errors on the page, then the flow stops, the excitement falters, and it can completely kill “the mood.”
Quality takes time and proofreading is part of that process. It should never, EVER be skipped. If you lack the funds to hire a copy editor – then go to your local college and hire the top student recommended in the English Dept. The point is – Do it!
What has been your experience with the quality of books being printed / e-published?
“There is excuse for poor quality – period.”
I saw what you did there.
My Bad! ;) It Should be “There is NO excuse for poor quality – period.” (and I made the typo on a post on typos — ) Thanks – Suzanne