FREE/BARGAIN - Romance + Discussion - 2016

[Blossom]

Thank you! This awesome. There are several I was eyeing that I now got for free.

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[booklover6]

I was contacted by an author and asked if I would like a copy of her then-unpublished sci-fi romance story in exchange for a review. Never heard of or read anything by her before. I said yes. I am now regretting that. She seems very nice, and has like 6 other stories in KU.

Now this one has been published. She said she was sending me an ARC, but it was not even a week before she had it up on Amazon. I am only on chapter 3. She has a very nice cover that probably cost a few hundred dollars. However, she never paid for an editor. And it's bad, very bad. To the point that I am not sure if I will finish it. Just the line editing is atrocious, like using "they" instead of "us." Content editing, or whatever you call it, is also bad. Juvenile, you might say.

I sent her some errors I noted in the first two chapters, for which she thanked me, but, I am not going to do that with the rest of the book, particularly since she already published it!!! It boggles my mind that someone could be so careless. I am not going to point out errors that should have been cleaned up before a "book" was published.

[Blossom]

This is quite common unfortunately. I've seen it too many times.

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[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Blossom

This is quite common unfortunately. I've seen it too many times.

And yet she is no doubt making money via KU for poorly written, unedited stories. How disappointing.

[copyrite]

That's why I've heard people say they don't like KU... the quality of the writing, editing, is very poor.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by copyrite

That's why I've heard people say they don't like KU... the quality of the writing, editing, is very poor.

This is why you stay with known authors and publishers if you are a member. I won't read anything from an unknown if there isn't hundreds of reviews.

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[booklover6]

Originally Posted by copyrite

That's why I've heard people say they don't like KU... the quality of the writing, editing, is very poor.

You just have to be particular and choosy, and read reviews/samples. There are some excellent books in KU. I usually go through a process, and once I find an author I like, I stick to that one until I go through their whole catalog. There are tons of good books in KU, just have to weed out the crap. I have hundreds of books in my Amazon wish lists, so no chance I'll run out of good material.

This author's previous books feature football and stepbrother romance, which I don't read, so I had never looked at her stuff before. Sci-fi romance is right up my alley, which is why I was willing to give it a try. Makes me wonder what her criteria is for seeing out reviewers. Does any review=good for the author, even 1 or 2 stars?

[Blossom]

She contact you on Goodreads? I've had that happen before.

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[copyrite]

Newer authors I've found that I like in KU:
Barbara Longley's contemporaries
Catherine Bybee
Shelly Alexander
Jamie Beck
amongst others

[Blossom]

Tiffany Snow, and Elle Casey are the ones I've read on KU. Elle stories tends toward humorous and light on the suspense.

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[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Blossom

She contact you on Goodreads? I've had that happen before.

Yes, it was on goodreads.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by copyrite

Newer authors I've found that I like in KU:
Barbara Longley's contemporaries
Catherine Bybee
Shelly Alexander
Jamie Beck
amongst others

Thanks, added them to my lists.

[worktolive]

I just read a book that has hundreds of 5 star reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads and that many bloggers that I respect have raved about. I've gotten used to the occasional misspelled word, but in this book, the editing (both content and line editing) was just plain bad (or maybe it was just never edited?)

The thing is, I have no one but myself to blame because I read the sample first and saw a couple of errors, but went ahead and got the book anyway. Usually, if there are errors in the sample, that's an immediate no-go for me. At least it was just my Prime loan for the month, so I didn't pay any money for it. I'm bummed though because I have a big list of books I want to borrow and I wasted this month's choice.

[booklover6]

This is at the bottom of the blurb for a book 3 in a series in KU:

**This book contains a male with an unhealthy addiction to human television. A feisty handbag welding female who sees her friends finding love and longs to find happiness of her own. And the desire that consumes them when they finally meet.

Totally puts me off the entire series. If you are going to use the wrong word in a blurb, how is the story going to be right? (Author is E.M. Reder)

[worktolive]

Originally Posted by booklover6

Thanks, added them to my lists.

I'd also recommend:

Susannah Sandlin (PNR and romantic suspense, also publishes a UF series for Macmillan under the name Suzanne Johnson)
Teri Osburn (small town contemporaries)
Staci Hart (contemporary)
Marina Adair (contemporary)
J.T. Geissinger (rock star contemporary)
Maggie Fenton (historical)