Successfull E-book authors

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by jaxx6166

But grammar isn't really the problem.

It's certainly a significant problem.

I wouldn't buy something from a carpenter who didn't know how to use a saw properly. Language and grammar are the tools of the writer, and if he or she doesn't know how to use them correctly then, no matter how good a storyteller he or she might be, the result is not going to be good to read.

You only have to look at this site, where, one might expect, members had a higher-than-average level of literacy, to see the number of people who don't seem to know the difference between "your" and "you're", or "its" and "it's". I find it rather depressing to see.

[Marcy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You only have to look at this site, where, one might expect, members had a higher-than-average level of literacy, to see the number of people who don't seem to know the difference between "your" and "you're", or "its" and "it's". I find it rather depressing to see.

I don't think you can take message board posts as a true gauge of a person's grammar competency. I know I'm not as careful with my posts here or with casual email as I would be for something more important.

I do know the difference between "your" and "you're" and "its" and "it's" but can easily see typing it wrong in a quickie post. I know I've found typos in some of my posts that I read later on that were kind of appalling. Even entire missed words. I do care enough that I edit the post that nobody will probably ever read again, but the errors were there for everyone to see, even though I did know better.

-Marcy

[foreverjuly]

I think it's important to be careful about what you type into a forum post. I don't hold the occasional mistake against anyone, since I'm sure I make a few myself. It's hard to imagine someone really thought through a post that looked rushed and jumbled.

[jaxx6166]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's certainly a significant problem.

I wouldn't buy something from a carpenter who didn't know how to use a saw properly. Language and grammar are the tools of the writer, and if he or she doesn't know how to use them correctly then, no matter how good a storyteller he or she might be, the result is not going to be good to read.

You're right, Harry. I suppose what I meant to say was that it is not the only problem. My brain thought what my fingers didn't want to type, for whatever reason

Apples to Oranges, but McCarthy manages to tell a pretty decent story, even with his blatant disregard for grammar. I believe there are a couple of other "literary" authors who prefer to buck the system as well.

But, the question then becomes, is it intentionally poor grammar, or is it a sign of the apocalypse?

[L.J. Sellers]

I'm starting to see that I can actually make a living selling mostly e-books. I may never have the kind of success I originally dreamed of, but making a living sounds great to me right now. But I can only make this happen if I ditch my publisher. I'm working up the courage.
L.J.

[jaxx6166]

LJ, romance/erotica writers tend to have a better shot than many other genres. It's possible that you could make a decent amount of money just writing them.

[Joseph Mitchell]

If I can sell two books per day, it'll cover the cost of my cigarette smoking habit. It's not really making a living, but it is helping me to embrace death.

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by L.J. Sellers

I'm starting to see that I can actually make a living selling mostly e-books. I may never have the kind of success I originally dreamed of, but making a living sounds great to me right now. But I can only make this happen if I ditch my publisher. I'm working up the courage.
L.J.

What is the threshold? Self-confidence? Support? Marketing? Sounding board?

[meromana]

Originally Posted by jaxx6166

LJ, romance/erotica writers tend to have a better shot than many other genres. It's possible that you could make a decent amount of money just writing them.

That may be true, but I'd hardly classify LJ's work as romance or erotica. It's more like nail-biting, contemporary suspense with a little bit of romance for good measure.

And on the issue of grammar, POV, etc., yes, I see appalling errors in supposedly polished works that for me, totally destroy the mood (and the desire to finish the book), but many authors successfully use intentional grammatical flaunts to advantage without "tearing down the wall". I'm thinking of one-word sentences, casual constructs, slang, and almost-words, for example:

Her heart lunged. She whirled in the doorway. Back toward her office? No, no--out the main door. No, key-locked--take too long to open. Up the stairs--hide somewhere? She knew this place like the back of her hand. But he would hear her going up and moving around. Creepy, creaky old building. Where to go? Where?

That's a grammatical nightmare, but IMHO, it's more powerful than this very proper translation:

Her heart lunged. She whirled in the doorway. Should she turn back toward her office? No, no, she should go out the main door. No, that wouldn't work; it was key-locked--it would take too long to open. Should she go up the stairs and hide somewhere? She knew this place like the back of her hand, but he would hear her going up and moving around, because it was a creepy, creaky old building. Where should she go?

--Maria

[L.J. Sellers]

Thanks, Maria, for calling my books "nail biting suspense."

Kumabjorn, for me, the hesitation is that I know my publisher personally, which makes it harder to jump ship. Also, there may be no turning back, once I go independent. But with publishing changing so rapidly, I think it may be the best option to be stuck with.
L.J.

[Kumabjorn]

The perils of mixing personal and business relationships?

[HarryT]

If you do decide to ditch your publisher, I'd strongly urge you to retain the services of a professional copy editor. That, above all else, is the service that's most valuable to the independent author. Perhaps 5% of authors can actually write well enough to be published directly without the services of an editor. The problem is that 95% of authors think that they are a member of that 5% .

[foreverjuly]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Perhaps 5% of authors can actually write well enough to be published directly without the services of an editor. The problem is that 95% of authors think that they are a member of that 5% .

This is one of those things that shouldn't even be close to true, but sadly it is. It's always hard to give "the talk" to another author and say you, like me, need an editor for your work.

Does that make me like Socrates, realizing there's more that I don't know than what I do? Or is it more like Plato's cave? Hmm.