Good information in a compact fashion. Self-publishing is definitely the wave of the future with the Internet and so many aspiring writers and a limited amount of publishers.
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July 28, 2009
Self-publishing has become increasingly popular, but such books are rarely reviewed and have trouble gaining shelf space in bookstores.
In my experience, and it’s one duplicated by reviewers and editors nationwide, I’m swamped with books as it is. The idea of facing a second pile, which has not gone through the traditional editing process and might, in effect, not have been vetted by anyone, is daunting.
Linda Lane, a writer and editor in Colorado, understands the problem.
“These books are often poorly written, unedited, and do not even come close to meeting minimum industry standards on a number of levels. However, this isn't true in all cases, and I have published some excellent novels by unknown writers,” she said.
Lane has a two-pronged idea to change the situation.
Part one is to create a board that certifies editors (who must take a workshop course, pass a comprehensive test, and be re-certified annually), who would then be authorized to “stamp” a book with the equivalent of the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.
“That seal would assure bookstores, reviewers and readers that the book's content, cover, layout, and design meets or exceeds industry standards,” Lane said.
The second suggestion is to create a national “book reviews committee” for self-published books. “Perhaps only those books that had earned the “seal” or were otherwise shown to be of excellent quality would qualify for review,” Lane said.
I think these are interesting ideas that might level the playing field a bit for good writers who have chosen to self-publish. You can talk to Lane about her proposal at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .