My novel got its first review!

FazeFour

FazeFour

Member
I've still only sold a few, and a couple more were obtained at no charge (which is cool), but I'm all giddy because one reader actually left a review. It was a positive review, though he (I'm pretty sure) mentioned there are a few minor errors I need to fix. That irritates me as I had TWO editors, one of whom is an English teacher!

Anyway, here's the review as it appears on Amazon:

This novel is about a young man who's been very sheltered, trying to find his way. There are a few spelling and grammatical errors, typical of self-published books, but overall, I enjoyed the story, so they were forgivable. Later purchases will probably see a lot of those fixed.

There was a middle section in which I got very frustrated with Hilal, the character. He was proving so naive, so prone to big, exaggerated decisions, that I couldn't really identify with him. After a while, I had to admit that it's a testament to the writing. Of course this sheltered boy is naive. Of course he's easy to fall in love, and make drastic, dramatic gestures. I was able to enjoy it more with that realization.

It's very quick, and I would recommend it for the few bucks you're paying.
 

SifuPhil said:
Congratulations!

I'm pretty sure you can upload a corrected version of the book on Amazon, if you could get your editors to do their jobs ...
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Yes, you can. I was thinking I'd read it again myself, but that's not the best way to go as you get error blind after reading and rereading countless times. I'll take it to the lady who did the final editing. She does this professionally, but not books...she edits tech journals and articles...and her fee was reasonable. So I'm not angry, just irritated.
 
Gail.S said:
Congrats!! I too am a would be writer.
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You should go for it, Gail. I held onto this novel for 13 years. Kept pulling it out and working on it, trashing some bits I thought were brilliant (but weren't), introducing new characters and situations. When I published, I had no expectation that it would become a best-seller...not even close. I told myself (honestly) that I would be thrilled to sell a handful. And I did, and I am. The review is icing.
 
Good for you, congratulations!

I use to dabble, I've lost my drafts over several years of relocations and the bug has long since left me for the most part. Now,I'm just too lazy, I can't hold a complete thought for more than a few seconds.
 
vickyNightowl said:
Congrats!

What is the name of your novel?
Traditional publishing or self ppublished?
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Self-pub on Amazon/Kindle. I couldn't have held out waiting for a publishing house to (not) accept it.

The title is Hilal...One man's hilarious journey to love and homicide.

It's about a guy who is mute, therefore, overprotected by his elderly, sometimes suicidal mother, and the troublesome (to say the least) situations he encounters after she passes away. There's humor, some of it a bit dark, common profanities here and there, and a sexual situation or two, but nothing too graphic.

I've completed a second novel. It's with a slow-as-molasses beta reader right now. But slow is ok, she's not charging me.
 
nitelite said:
FazeFour, Congratulations on your book. I also find it extremely irritating when people fail to do their job properly (your editors).
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Thanks Nitelite.

The editors - Yes! And with something like this, it's embarrassing. The second editor agreed to meet with me and go over the content, then she will re-publish a corrected manuscript. Soon, hopefully. She said most of the bad spots are where she made a correction but failed to delete the bit she corrected.
:dots:
 
Congratulations FazeFour,

There is a self publishing site called Lulu.com, they will
help you and even edit for you.

They publish for free, but services like editing will be
charged I would think, still worth a look.

Mike.
 
Mike said:
Congratulations FazeFour,

There is a self publishing site called Lulu.com, they will
help you and even edit for you.

They publish for free, but services like editing will be
charged I would think, still worth a look.

Mike.
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Thank you, Mike. I looked into 3 or 4 self-pub sites, but not Lulu. Of those I looked at, on average the costs start at a minimum of $500.USD, which includes 5 to 25 print and bound copies and some marketing. I chose Amazon/Kindle because it's free (though you can buy services such as editing and marketing) and very straight-forward.

I'll look into Lulu, though. I have read some good things about them, and I do have another novel ready to go. My plan was to go through a full-service self-pub agency if the first novel earned enough profit.

Hell could freeze over before then :playful:
 
I'm so impressed FazeFour! I like writing but I'm not a story teller and wouldn't know how to even find a topic. Do you just get these ideas that pop into your head, or do you take a personal event (or something you heard about in the news) and then imagine other ways it might have gone and weave a story around that? And do you write every day when you're in the mood or is it spread out over a long period of time (with lots of rest breaks?)

Anyway, good for you for not procrastinating and getting it done!
 
Debby said:
I'm so impressed FazeFour! I like writing but I'm not a story teller and wouldn't know how to even find a topic. Do you just get these ideas that pop into your head, or do you take a personal event (or something you heard about in the news) and then imagine other ways it might have gone and weave a story around that? And do you write every day when you're in the mood or is it spread out over a long period of time (with lots of rest breaks?)

Anyway, good for you for not procrastinating and getting it done!
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Thank you, Debby.

The idea for the first novel came to me soon after I started taking care of my parents. Dad was incapacitated by a stroke and mom was showing signs of dementia. I also worked full-time during the first couple of years...until it became obvious that it wasn't safe to leave my parents home alone. It was rough, to put it mildly, taking care of them and the house and all, while also having to deal with a couple of siblings who were strung out on meth and alcohol and wouldn't stay away. Writing was an escape, a voice, and a means to express both the frustration I felt and the humor I saw in my situation.

The story for the second novel came from a few short stories I'd written. The characters and situations usually come to me soon after I go to bed, I suppose because I am relaxed and comfortable, not worrying about things. I keep a notebook and pens in a bedside drawer so I can jot down a particularly good idea. I've forgotten more good ideas than were jotted down, and occasionally laugh at my notes because a "good idea" is so ridiculous.

I write nearly every day. Sometimes for fifteen or twenty minutes, sometimes for several hours. However I have had a few months-long periods when I didn't write at all. Periods when I thought real-life required all my attention.
 
Hey, congratulation. Everybody thinks they have that one great novel in them. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to make that novel something you can actually hold and read. I'm glad for you. I'm in the process of writing my own book. I bought 500 sheets of paper and three ink cartridges. Now, all I need is some characters and a plot.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Hey, congratulation. Everybody thinks they have that one great novel in them. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to make that novel something you can actually hold and read. I'm glad for you. I'm in the process of writing my own book. I bought 500 sheets of paper and three ink cartridges. Now, all I need is some characters and a plot.
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Three ink cartridges. Is it a short story? :playful:
 
FazeFour said:
You should go for it, Gail. I held onto this novel for 13 years. Kept pulling it out and working on it, trashing some bits I thought were brilliant (but weren't), introducing new characters and situations. When I published, I had no expectation that it would become a best-seller...not even close. I told myself (honestly) that I would be thrilled to sell a handful. And I did, and I am. The review is icing.
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Well, actually my son and I together have written four complete books, three in a series and one standalone, mainly to give life to these characters we sort of fleshed out between us. He did most of the plot and I did the actual writing. These books really kind of consumed our lives for about two years. The main characters seem as real to me now as actual people, well, if actual people performed magic or could be part demon. Congrats on being brave enough to let strangers read your work! Much success in the future.
 

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