Self-Published Books: Some grain, a lot of chaff.

The good news regarding all those self-published books mentioned in the previous blog: everyone has a story to tell, and virtually all will be interesting to read. Beyond that, more than a few will be gripping, heart-wrenching, and thought-provoking. Rarely, a story will be completely original and cause changes in the reader's perception of the world and mankind.

Unfortunately, few writers are objective about where his or her book fits. We all think our 'baby' is the most beautiful of all.

Writers struggle mightily to present a coherent and convincing story. At some point we (hopefully) turn it over to an editor to smooth out rough edges and catch flaws. It's the editor's job to do that without crippling the individual writer's style and tension.

I've read stories that needed editing, yet still told a poignant story. And I've read some written so poorly they were frustrating to read. The sad truth is, in today's technology-rich world, it only takes a few bad books to discourage a reader from picking up hard copies at all.