Books You Don't Like and Ones You Do

 

We had a quiet but nice Christmas. Home alone but phone calls with our children and grandchildren made the day. Now, we move on towards the end of the year 2020. I can't imagine anyone who will hate to see the backside of this year. We are all looking forward to a much better 2021. 

Yesterday, I finished reading a book by one of my favorite authors which did not disappoint. Daniel Silva has a series of spy-suspense novels featuring Gabriel Allon in each one. He is an art restorer and Israeli spy who lives through one adventure after another. Somehow, I never get tired of reading about him, his friends, and his enemies. I find each book in the series to be a satisfying read and one that keeps me turning pages eagerly.

Being the avid reader I am, I selected another book from the five I had brought home from the library and settled down with a British mystery. I am not going to name it because it was one of the most boring books I have ever tried reading. There was once an old saying about English movies and books--' they take a while before you get into the real story.' Strange since writers are urged to start with a great opening to hook your reader. I thought this might be the case, so I kept on reading.

I turned page after page hoping something 'good' might happen. The author(s), a writing duo, set the scene and established the main characters, but even the conversation between characters was boring. When we once reached the murder scene, a museum where a dead body is found in the basement, I thought things would perk up a bit. Wrong! It is a rare day when I don't finish a book, but I'm quite 'done' with this one.

This brings me to today's topic. How do unappealing books get published? The book I attempted to read yesterday was published in the UK by a British publisher. It is obvious that an editor thought the book worthy and went to the expense of publishing plus paying royalties to the authors. 

One reason books like this get published is that they are not boring to every reader. I disliked it, but perhaps other readers might find it of great interest. Enough of them so that the book was published, is in bookstores, and on library shelves. The authors have other books to their credit, so they have proven themselves enough to be considered for every book they write. That old 'get your foot in the door' might work here. 

We have all kinds of readers which is why we have all types of books in many genres. One of the things you, as the writer of a book, should do is to be able to convince an editor that your book is worthy of publication. Isn't it awful that we must not only write the book but 'sell' it to an editor as well? What will an editor want to know? They will surely ask you to tell them why your book should be published. You do that in your cover letter when submitting your manuscript or when writing to ask if you can submit it. 

Learn all you can about a publisher so that you know if your book is a fit. If a publisher is known for turning out one romance after another, you don't want to send them your sci-fi adventure. Do your marketing homework. 

Of course, one way unappealing books get published is that they are self-published. When I pick up a self-published book, I know that it can either be quite good or very, very bad. No one but the author has approved it. 

Another way bad books hit the bookshelves is through a vanity publisher--one who will publish anything as long as the writer pays him/her. A whole post could be written on this type of publishing.

As a reader, you want to check the book carefully before you purchase it, or even take it home from the library. Besides reading the frontispiece, open the book at random and read a couple of pages. 

As a writer, give careful consideration to the publisher(s) you submit to. It is hoped you will find one who will help make your book the best it can be. If you choose the self-publishing route, do the same thing--make your book the very best one you can produce. 

Keep in mind that writers have varied personalities and abilities and so do their readers. When the writer and the reader are a good fit, it's a glorious thing.