Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Mistake Number One

Not hiring a professional editor.

This may seem like a no brainer but I have to learn everything the hard way. This is the thing I regret the most and would change if I could. I honestly thought that when I released Immortal it was the best it could be. There were, however, some glaring errors in the manuscript and those reviewers or readers who threw their hands up and quit reading I apologize.

Earlier this year I decided to correct this issue. I hired a professional editor (Lynn O’Dell) and after a few months of hard work and back and forth we got it worked out. I now have the edited version of Immortal at Amazon and Smashwords. I have also uploaded it to B&N but I’m not sure how long it will take to be corrected as they tend to lag behind slightly on updates.
My advice to those who are considering going the Indie route is to hire a professional editor. It may seem like and unnecessary or frivolous expense, but it is worth every penny you spend. Also make sure they do an adequate job (most editors will offer sample edits). There really is no substitute for an editor. Beta readers are great but they usually are not getting paid to find the mistakes. So if you want your book to be the best it can be, get a reputable editor. This will not guarantee success but it will hopefully help prevent some bad reviews or readers giving up on your novel prematurely due to common spelling errors or holes in your plot.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Mistake Number Two

Not finishing the series before publishing.

This one is a little tricky. Immortal is the first book I have ever written. I knew from the very beginning it would be a series. I never dreamed how long or difficult writing a series could be. Writing the second book, Forever, has been a learning experience on the scale of writing a first book.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not advising anyone not to publish until the entire series is completed. Just be prepared for the fact that it can take a lot longer than you thought to write and things don’t always go as planned