On this blog, I only post reviews for books by indie authors that I’ve really enjoyed reading, and my ratings are always 4 or 5 stars. I’m honest in my reviews and point out the positive things about the books and what I liked. If I don’t finish a book, or I can’t give it at least 4 stars, then I don’t post a review here.
However, the one thing I see over and over again are books that haven’t been through a proofreader or an editor, and are full of spelling mistakes, incorrect words, and punctuation that’s either missing or used wrongly. Some of the most common are it’s instead of its, or vice-versa, reign instead of rein, ‘s for plurals, misplaced capital letters…the list goes on.
I know that no book is perfect (even traditionally-published books have typos!), and I find errors in my own books that I correct as soon as I notice them. But if I can give one word of advice to indie authors, it would be to get your books proofread, as a minimum, before publishing. If you shop around, you’ll find someone who will fit your budget – although always ask for recommendations, as cheap doesn’t mean good. I’m also a translator, as well as a writer, and I’ve had clients come to me with ‘translated’ documents I ‘just need to check over’ that would make you cry.
As you can see from the footer, I am also a proofreader – that isn’t why I’m writing this article. I also know a fantastic editor, Joanie Chevalier, who, like me, offers good-quality services at affordable prices for indie authors. (OK, plug over.) I’m writing this article to try and convince authors that getting their work proofread is an essential part of the publishing process, both for their reputation as a writer and for readers.
This year, I’ve decided to award a Pink Quill Book Pick badge to those books I read that are well-written and well-edited, with a minimal amount of typos and errors. I’ve awarded two so far, and I hope to be giving many more during the year!
Whether you’re an author or a reader, what do you think?
Pink Quill Books 