|
I have the same tendency to insert commas at what seem to be pause points, but it is not the correct usage of a comma. Such use needs to be weeded out, if necessary reworking the text to achieve the desired aim with clarity. That said, I don't consider myself an expert, you would be much better off finding a real editor and listening to them.
A poorly received preview is not going to encourage anyone to go ahead and buy the whole thing. (It didn't convince me.) Very few readers leave reviews, good or bad. I don't know if any ever leave reviews after reading just the preview, I've never seen it. I expect that most of those that get as far as the preview and don't like what they find will just move on - it's what I would have done had I not been discussing this with you here. (Also note that many readers will have less knowledge of spelling and grammar than you do, they may sense something wrong but may not have the knowledge to explain it to you.)
As for whether my assessments are fair ...
You may have heard the saying: "the customer is always right". That goes double for readers. Which does not necessarily mean that they are always correct, just that they are always right. They are entitled to their opinion, and with your book out in the open they are entitled (even expected) to share that opinion. That makes it fair.
I am normally quite reticent about giving such critiques (I'm too aware of my own faults), but your refusal to admit to actual errors seemed to require a response. As meeera indicated, and I reiterate for my part, this feedback has been well intentioned. It began gentle but got stronger the more you resisted the idea that there might be real problems to be addressed. Confidence can be a good thing, being blinkered is generally not (unless you're a horse with a job to do).
Yes, we have gotten off track from discussing titles. I'd like to think this has been helpful to you, beyond the handful of typos you accepted.
|