Let’s get
this part out of the way first thing: I have read many, many “traditionally”
published books that are nothing short of awful. And I have read many, many
self-published books that are nothing short of wonderful.
In other
words, there’s no guarantee of what you’re getting either way.
But, lacking
any other information about a particular book or author, the odds are in the
reader’s favor with a traditionally published book.
I say that
at the risk of offending many writers of my acquaintance, but I’m not making it
up. It’s based on years of experience reading more books than is healthy. Most
of those books were not of my choosing. They were mine to read and review for a
variety of magazines, or mine to read and evaluate as a judge in a variety of awards
competitions.
In those
assignments I read a few self-published books that were outstanding. And I read
many that were well worth the time. But I also read a lot—a whole lot—that were
terrible by any measure. Typographical errors. Poor punctuation. Bad grammar.
Inept spelling. Incompetent attempts at dialect. Dialogue the like of which
you’ve never heard. Unbelievable incidents. Plots twisted beyond the breaking
point. Cardboard characters. Stereotypical situations. Ignorance about culture,
times, places, people, animals, equipment….
And, again,
typographical errors, poor punctuation, bad grammar, inept spelling.
Finally, let
me emphasize the fact that many self-published books are marvelous. And there
are many terrible traditionally published books.
But if
you’re a writer, there just might be a reason traditional publishers aren’t
interested in your book.
And if
you’re a reader, buying a book is like placing a bet—so unless you’re willing
to lose your money, it just might be best to play the odds.
