[Peto]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I want to acknowledge your last paragraph first.
Yes, as someone who pays you for your work I do expect a professional job. The second you published your book you became a professional. It doesn't matter how much money you make.
You made $1 in that field, automatic professional. You can no longer compete in the Olympics.

On fiction, if I bought the first edition, it means I read the first edition. Unless it is a very special book, why would I waste my money on a second edition I won't read. Especially if it is only because the author realized his book was full of errors. Secondly on this note, not only would I not waste my money on a second edition, I wouldn't waste my money on the author again.

I explained my concept for pro but also accepted yours explicitly. You are of course entitled to expect a professional job. However, there must be some difference between indie and industrial, right? or you demand the same things from both? Do you expect to find the same movies at the Oscars and at Sundance? Because I expect and demand different things. Sundance is lower budget, more personal, intimate, honest. Most directors in these festivals want to make movies. Oscars are normally for massive superproductions that follow the commercial conventions that will get the highest income return. Most directors in this festival want to make money. That's all I am saying.

I am not dumb, I am not reckless. I run on a nonexistent budget.. I have written the novel to the best of my ability, proofread it till my eyes crossed, spent all I could afford on getting a professional finish with an edition by an external professional editor. And if you don't find this acceptable as a customer, you are right and shouldn't buy this novel. I have no tell on that. But there is no way I am going to try to hide the fat I am a totally novice Professional writer with a single work, revised by freelance editors, with no money for a serious promotion and with no intention of tricking anyone out of their money by pretending to sell what is not. People are entitled to know what to expect, don't you think?

I am correcting and updating the Amazon file of my novel if and whenever I discover a typo. Last updates corrected single ones. This is not a new edition, there is not going to be a new edition (apart from the Illustrated one, maybe) for people to buy and replace the former edition they bought. We are updating versions of apps all the time because bugs appear and are corrected. Should I guess programmers are unprofessional people who are trying to sell us their apps once and again? No, right? This is the same philosophy here. Nobody pretends to sell the same novel twice over to anybody.

However, I assumed one thing wrong: I thought if you bought an e-book, Amazon would send you the newest version when requested. They don't. You buy version v1.0, that's what you get, even if new buyers get v1.5. So regretfully, my corrections only affect future buyers. I didn't know that and I don't like it, neither as a writer nor as a reader.

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I want to acknowledge your last paragraph first.
Now if you really want to be a professional author, might I recommend Russell Blake's blog and J A Konrath's Guide to self publishing. Especially the earlier blog posts.

I'll keep the info, thank you.

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

And just for your information, the only reason I am not a published author, though I do have a paper book, is because I don't have the $300 or so to get it ready for publication.

Well, that's your decision. I cannot tell if it's the right one for you, let alone why your decision should reflect on mine. I would tell you to finish the best you can, and if you respect what you did (I do), take it out. You will probably get thrashed around a little like I am being here (I am not implying it is neither fair nor unfair, only stating I am getting no good and some pretty bad feedback), but you would also get genuine comments like

"Riveter. A story that has held my attention longer than most e-books I've read so far. It grabs you and won't let you go from get-go! I only wish for future books like this from the author. For BROOOD!"

and the rush of endorphins you get when someone reads your book, gives you 5 stars, and writes this is worth all the rest.