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Marioninyc · 08-07-2010, 06:27 PM

I'm not sure if friends and family are the issue. Honestly, maybe people have more supportive families than I do! Sometimes people just like stuff that isn't what you would like. As a reader I'm amazed by the popularity of Dan Brown. I think he's an awful writer. I don't think we can equate popularity with quality.

I also don't know that the "techniques" of self-promotion and traditionally publishing promotion are that far apart. A self-published author may turn to family and friends, but so might a published author with the difference being that a published one might have some more prominent ones plus an agent or publicist to help as well.

Either way, as a consumer you have to be your own gatekeeper, not only look at what others are saying but look read a sample. I do think that one pitfall of self-published books is they may be more likely to have some major plotting flaw that might be apparent till the middle or ending, something that an editor might have insisted the writer fix before going to print. On the other hand, I've read a few successful, published novels that I thought could have been trimmed by 100 pages or more (I'm talking to you, Mr. Steig Larsson) and a few where the author seemed to lose track of the plot.

At least most self-published writers are offering their electronic wares for under $3.

08-07-2010, 06:27 PM	#55
Marioninyc Marion Posts: 62 Karma: 70000 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: NY NY Device: KindleDX	I'm not sure if friends and family are the issue. Honestly, maybe people have more supportive families than I do! Sometimes people just like stuff that isn't what you would like. As a reader I'm amazed by the popularity of Dan Brown. I think he's an awful writer. I don't think we can equate popularity with quality. I also don't know that the "techniques" of self-promotion and traditionally publishing promotion are that far apart. A self-published author may turn to family and friends, but so might a published author with the difference being that a published one might have some more prominent ones plus an agent or publicist to help as well. Either way, as a consumer you have to be your own gatekeeper, not only look at what others are saying but look read a sample. I do think that one pitfall of self-published books is they may be more likely to have some major plotting flaw that might be apparent till the middle or ending, something that an editor might have insisted the writer fix before going to print. On the other hand, I've read a few successful, published novels that I thought could have been trimmed by 100 pages or more (I'm talking to you, Mr. Steig Larsson) and a few where the author seemed to lose track of the plot. At least most self-published writers are offering their electronic wares for under $3.