Do You Want To Write? Then Read!

Sigh....

Everyday, thousands of books are being published, thanks to the eBook format. You can become an author in a matter of minutes; a feat that would have been wonderful twenty years ago when I was making my start in the world of writing.

I do feel blessed to be living in such a time.

However, a lot of people tell me that they've always wanted to write a book and think that they may have a "high concept" idea that people will just love. While I've heard some good and bad ideas over the years, the one thing I would tell a "would be" author is to READ!

You need to read the BEST literature and then you need to read the worst. There are a lot of people out there **cough my fiance cough** that constantly complain that they don't have time to read when they spend an inordinate amount of time catching up on what other people are doing on Facebook and other social media sites. Reading is an investment in yourself and I can't understand why people would rather care about what Rihanna is eating right now over investing in something that will help them in the long run.

If you want to write, read. It increases your vocabulary as well. Readers like stories that flow. They  like words that they have to look up in a dictionary. Words are your tools and should be seen that way. Words are like the different prescription medications that doctors prescribe patients. You should try to perfect your craft all the time. I probably spend more time reading than I do writing.

You should too as a beginner.

How Can You Complain About Free? Kindle Freebies Anyone?

It's something I absolutely enjoy doing when I get up in the morning. I check the Amazon free lists of great books for the wonderful price that can't be beat: $0.00.

With the advent of self-publishing, your cat can become an author in probably ten minutes. People all over the world have probably kicked the idea of writing a novel in their heads at one time or another. 

Well some of those people just scratched that off their "bucket" list because sites like Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com are turning your next door neighbors into authors.


Now people from all walks of life can share their life experiences and stories with the rest of the world. The problem for some is that the stories that are being shared are not the most "polished" and grammatically correct as they need to be. 

Sure there are lots of Grammar Police out there in the world on patrol, noting every missed comma or misspelled word. But there are some books on Amazon that can make you think that English (or whatever language) is not their native tongue because of all the grammar problems. 

There was one book that I read about Lupus that had such a long run on sentence that lasted all the way to the second page before a period was placed. 

Some of the novels are just plain unreadable and it's a sad state that displays a lack of education around the world.

But what happens when that book is free?

Some books have typos here and there but you are able to get the general point of the story.

I have a problem with downright mean, insulting, and downright personal attacks on authors when they are giving their work away for free. It doesn't matter if a two year old can do better, it was FREE. 

Constructive criticism can go a long way but insulting someone's intelligence doesn't. It just makes a hostile world more hostile. 

But then again, no one twisted your arm to buy it. You picked it up because it was FREE!!! It's like purchasing a fake Coach handbag for one dollar. It looks just like the real thing and feels like the real thing but then five minutes later when the strap breaks, you're ready to ring someone's neck.

There is absolutely no logic in that. What did you really expect? You had your own set of expectations of this purse that LOOKED like a Coach purse so it should BEHAVE like a Coach purse, even when you didn't pay Coach money. You put very high expectations on something that didn't have much value in the first place and have the gall to be disappointed in how your fake Coach purse performed.

Yes, continue looking through the Freebies on Amazon because there are lots of gems out there that have authors with tremendous talent. 

But if you happen to download something which your dog could have written better prose, you have no one to blame but yourself.

"Chapter Books" on Amazon

Okay.....

What exactly is a "chapter book"?  A chapter book, my friends, is a book that costs 0.99-$1.99 USD and has a length from 25-55 pages long. It's marketed as a "series". But what you're paying for in essence is just a chapter or two.

What's wrong with this?

Nothing, I suppose. But in the reviews, I've noticed that this angers a lot of readers. Especially when unknown writers tend to do this. Why should a customer pay 0.99 for a chapter and have to continue paying in order to finish the entire series? There are plenty of books out there that are equitably priced and you get the entire story in one read.

I've read some amazing "Chapter books" out there but I'm letting you know authors, you take the risk of alienating future buyers.

If you're interested in writing a series, then do so. But give your readers more than just a few chapters at a time.