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Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks
I agree with everything but the last part about "most." I've actually been pretty surprised that at *least* half of what I try that is self-published is 3 star or better. I used to review books and reviewed/read 3 self-published at that time (years ago, before kindle, etc). Only one was good. One was unreadable and the other was ... Oh, it might have been 3 star, but I didn't finish it (bored.) So my impression was that there were no 5 stars at all.
Being in the game now, I do filter through a lot of self-published books and am actually shocked at how many are at least 3 stars. I don't read those that have obvious grammar/spelling issues out the gate, so that could be coloring my results. The ones that are HUGE, HUGE disappointments are ones that really seem to be going along at 3 and 4 star...and then suddenly go into the weeds near the end. Oh, those make me mad. I read almost an entire one that was decent enough until the last 1/5 or so--it was a cozy mystery (with more foul language than usual, but followed the general tropes) that suddenly included an orgy or three, wild sex that wasn't part of the orgy, possession and a lame wrap-up of the plot. I'm *still* mad about having wasted my time. 
I'll let you know when I get over it.
I'm sure there's at least one trad book out there that has done something similar, but I can't think of one *I've* read. I have certainly read some that wasted my time. Hmm. Actually I can think of one that I hated as much as Aunt Tillie. It was Embers by Laura Bickle and was trad published? I'm still mad about that book too. |
I have read many books I would rate 5 stars. Price isn't the issue (unless it is way high). Of course all of these authors were recommended so they already have the advantage to writing in the genre I like.