Cynthia works at Wichita State University having also graduated from there. She kindly agreed to supply a guest post on a subject that all aspiring authors should take very seriously.
Making a Great First Impression - Literally If
you’ve been reading the reviews for self-published authors, you’ll notice a
similarity among the negative ones. Over and over, it seems to come down to
grammar and punctuation. Reviews occasionally even ignore the actual story
–plot, characters, setting, and all— to instead focus on glaring errors in
syntax. After the ridicule, often including grammar, reviewers frequently take
potshots at the intelligence of the author. Granted, some of this criticism may
just be sour grapes, but this automatic assumption that poor grammar equals
idiocy is not at all uncommon.
From
blogging to Facebook, the proliferation of online writing has resulted in a
casual, conversational style. This means that proper grammar and syntax is
occasionally left by the wayside as writers attempt to imitate the way that
people really speak. Is this a bad thing? Well, that’s debatable. What isn’t
debatable is that an excess of common grammatical mistakes littered throughout
a manuscript detracts from a writer’s credibility. Even when the manuscript itself shows obvious
creative promise, there are few able to squint past the poor presentation.
Why
don’t self-published authors take the time to get their work proofread then?
Simple. It’s a question of money. It’s difficult to find a qualified editor who
is willing to take reduced fees on a book that is priced so inexpensively that
the author must sell a good many of them in order to have significant revenue.
I believe there’s also a sneaky thought that the quality of the writing will
shine through any holes in syntax and shortcomings in punctuation and spelling.
The reality is that readers usually only give an author one chance, and the
grammar and syntax of a work is much like the visual impression one makes in a
face-to-face job interview. Grammar, in this sense, is very much the
professionally dressed exterior and firm-but-not-too-firm handshake of any
literary endeavor.
The
need for proper grammar and punctuation cannot be too strongly stressed in the
work of new authors. I’ve seen so many self-published works dismissed in
scathing reviews. These reviewers have a point. Why should they trust an author with their time and money if the author
contradicts his or her right to credibility with every incorrectly spelled word
and inaccurate use of the apostrophe, ellipsis, and dash?
I do
not propose to just point out a problem, however. I wish to offer a potential
solution to aspiring and established authors. As an inexhaustible reader of
fiction and occasional writer, I have a passion for helping authors achieve
their literary vision. I’ve worked with a couple of aspiring children’s book
authors, as well as numerous editing work, and I take pleasure not only in
adjusting grammatical errors, but most importantly in ensuring the author’s unique voice emerges
from the piece.
There are too many self-published works that are dismissed or
denied respect simply because of a lack of proofreading. It’s important for
authors to make the best literary first impression they can; proofreading is an
essential step of this process.
For
an electronic resume, pricing, and payment options, I can be contacted at:Cnm06@hotmail.com
Once again it's time to meet some authors in various stages of their development. Some have already completed their books, some are engaged in the process of writing while others are mentally preparing to take the plunge and get started. Cynthia's post is a timely reminder to us all.
Please take the time to visit the websites and blogs and Twitter accounts of this determined and talented group.
More talented Aspiring and New Indie Authors. . .
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You now have Cynthia's contact details if you want help with the essential stage of proofreading and editing.
For help with promotion using Google+ and Blogger I am making Google+eXplosion available for FREE. Please CLICK HERE TO GET ACCESS
For those of you who haven't started and are waiting for inspiration you will have to wait a long time. Perspiration precedes inspiration.
For those of you without a blog or website get one and start promoting your book. Google+ eXplosion will show you how.
I will be more than happy to feature your finished book. In fact I will be delighted so get writing please.
NEXT WEEK
Competitions To Cut Your Teeth On.
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