Quote:
Originally Posted by Brit Albritton
Hi everyone,
I'd like to thank Steven for starting this interesting thread. I'm sorry he's no longer participating in it. I suppose, though, that this frees us to consider his example clinically and without fear of offense - for the offense has already been taken.
I agree with many of you; while I admire Steven's tenacity, I'm not convinced that I would enjoy his taste. His book covers aren't particularly appealing, and his blurbs don't grab me. I agree that "ONUISSANCE" is a bit off-putting; as it's not really Latin it seems a tad pretentious.
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Mr Jordan, I must admit. I havent checked out your books nor do I intend to. Its already been said that your attitude is rather off putting. Also, the books are a might more than Im willing to pay. I like to get them for .99. $3 isnt much, this is true, but for another dollar I could buy something to eat. Times are tough, $3 just isnt an impulse buy to me. I do spend more money on books but that is seldom and Im usually familiar with the author. Not only that, I dont read serious sci-fi, which is what I get from your book covers and descriptions. I prefer comedic sci-fi such as
'The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy'.
This said, many people have offered advice and you do seem to turn it down often. I drop in here from time to time and it seems youre often on the defensive or saying why you cant do something. Why even bother? I remember the old phrase 'Where theres a will theres a way'. Surely you can find some editor somewhere and explain the situation to them. Maybe theyll work with you. Maybe youll need to cut some other things you like to do out of the equation for a short period of time so that you can pay them off. If you play games, guess you cant get those next few you preordered because the man needs his payment. This is just an example but Im sure you get my point. If you really want this you have to find a way to try your best to make it happen. Maybe somebody will see you trying and meet you halfway. Who knows? The same can be said for an agent, though, honestly I wasnt aware authors had agents.
About the covers, theyre bad. Im sorry, theres no other way to say it. Theyre immediately off putting and I lose interest when I look at them. Not only the design but also your name. Is it really necessary to have it written so large and take up so much space?
The title,
'Onuissance' is it? What in the World is that? I read in this thread once that you explained it but I cant seem to find that post. So instead Ill go by what Brit Albritton said. It does sound slightly pretentious. How does one pronounce that? 'OH-NUISANCE'? This is just a rough guess and I wouldnt be surprised if Im wrong. Im pretty sure your average Joe might not get that pronunciation right and might just give up. Must the title be such a complicated word? I understand you have a vision and dont want to change it but this is ridiculous.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brit Albritton
I downloaded the Onuissance Cells, and found the first few paragraphs a little bit clumsy. Were the book written by a known author, or recommended by a trusted friend, I'd probably plow ahead. Perhaps I'd be rewarded. I'll most likely never know. With thousands of books on my reading list, I'm inclined to make a snap judgement.
Is this fair to Steven? Probably not. But there are too many authors out there to be fair to all of them.
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I read this and thought 'Wow, a few paragraphs?' Usually when I pick up a book and dont like it I try to give it a few chapters to get good. However that could be just me. I also have a ton of 'To-Read' books and, since I havent read a book in quite some time, that list is only getting longer. I can relate and understand that some people dont have that kind of time. Maybe Ill consider dropping it down to a few paragraphs sometime.