#185 Professional Proof Reader

My first novel came out in May of 2014, and no matter how I tried to read and re-read, grammar issues still arose.  Took me back to my junior high days when I swore my papers were perfect but I would still receive a grade of 83.

So I decided to hire a proof reader for my second novel.  It's an added step in the process and an added cost, but it should help eliminate those pesky grammatical errors that could label me as an amateur writer instead of the professional that I aspire to be.

I can't report yet on how successful this decision proved to be.  Once my second book is out, we'll see how many emails I get.  But I must say professionalism is extremely important when self-publishing novels.  One criticism I read over and over again is that traditionally published writers put out a superior product.  When someone catches a mistake in a print book they say, "Oh, the editors must have missed one."  When an indie published writer makes a mistake the same person would likely say, "Well, it's just a self-published book.  What did you expect?"

For that reason, indie writers must be especially careful when publishing their own work.  And for that reason, I am happy I hired someone to proof read my second novel.