Authors Face Publishing & Review Challenges
Authors are navigating the complexities of publishing, dealing with Amazon errors, and celebrating milestones like reaching a certain number of reviews. There's also a sense of striving for recognition and overcoming rejection.
SOURCES (60)
“Basically the title. I wrote my first finished story. I need to finish editing it but, it's a little over 12,000 words. Is this worth publishing on Amazon or should I be looking at a higher word count? Maybe a short story compilation to bring…”
“Is it normal that I'm freaking out? I know it could mean absolutely nothing, BUT. submitted by /u/MonthExtension7439 [link] [comments]”
“Well, technically a third. My regular beta readers really like it, but the feedback subreddits really hate it. I'm thinking of expanding it into further stories or perhaps a full novel, so I'm really trying to gauge this, since I was incredibly confident in this short before posting it to reddit. submitted by /u/TheVividAlternative [link] [comments]”
“I may have made a few grammar mistakes, and maybe a few punctuation mistakes, but otherwise is the story decent? These 2 pages are the entirety of the Prelude & Prologue, I don't think I could change a single thing to make it fit my goal any better, but I wanted to see whether or not I was just glazing myself for making a simple intro to a story that didn't immediately throw you into action or a history lesson. I don't know if this counts as unreadable text based off of the prefe”
“Looking for honest feedback on the writing and narrator's voice. It's deliberately structured somewhat like a diary, more internal and observational than plot-driven. submitted by /u/Shot-Chocolate1872 [link] [comments]”
“The general rule is not to and I don't. One of my first stories, a thriller novella, is over 10 years old. It has sold thousands of copies over that time and received overall good to great reviews and lead to 3 more in the series. Having said that, it was a bit rough around the edges in places and it was always my plan to go back to the series and add new content, polish it up some, and fix any typos. The negative review actually inspired me to finally do it, and I did. I was actually going”
“Hey everyone! I am here with my most recent first chapter. This would be my second work in progress, and I am testing the waters with how the first chapter is received. Genre: Dark Fantasy Narration Perspective: Third Person Limited Tense: Past Cultural Inspiration: Italian Renaissance Any feedback is welcome, but I am holding back slightly on the world building as this is the first draft and that will be flushed more in the later drafts. My focus is to get the Characteristic Moment down with my”
“This is a novel I am working on, but curious here to see what people think. It is a time travelling story. But it is set in 1870 France. And it has alt history. https://preview.redd.it/jqvuuvonuqmh1.jpg?width=1341&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=33bf5e32e83d74a73bfe2a70b458633af2cf1d1c submitted by /u/Wandering_sage1234 [link] [comments]”
“I’m writing a YA novel, and I feel like I’m done, but I’m afraid that it might be too short submitted by /u/kristhed [link] [comments]”
“How much would it bother you? Like, maybe three fault over 90k words, just to show its 100% human made? submitted by /u/LeonOkada9 [link] [comments]”
“Hello! I'd like to know if the current iteration of my first chapter draws in the reader, making them want to continue. Any reasons as to why you'd want to continue or drop the book would be great feedback for me. Aside from that I'd like to know specifically if the dialogue was a factor, and what you thought of it. ___________ Syrene really fucking owed me. The line for water was packed; an unfortunate side effect of all the factories popping up. Workers had rushed in from agricultu”
“Can any anime fans guess what I based my title off of? 😂 feeling victorious this evening nearly done with my lit review! submitted by /u/Entrance_Heavy [link] [comments]”
“It's been a while. I've posted this on other writers group and got ZERO feedback. I made some edits bc that could only mean it sucked so bad to read no one wanted to continue, but please tell me if that is the case! submitted by /u/intimidateu_sexually [link] [comments]”
“Say less. Just ran that exact title - got a 24-page typeset PDF proof with proper print margins in 40 seconds. The woodwind spellcasting chapter is honestly elite.”
“Do you also believe, like me, that the more you review your book and read it from the beginning, the more you will discover new mistakes that you may not have seen as mistakes before? I realize it's exhausting, especially with large books that exceed 30,000, but it truly takes your book to another level. Whether in the sequence of events, the accuracy of the language, or anything else. This is my advice to you, just try it. submitted by /u/mcoroe [link] [comments]”
“Pretty proud of this one. Is it now signed by yours truly? Perhaps. Did I design the cover? Most definitely. Did prior experimentation before reaching this outcome do my head in? Most definitely 2x. But do I love it? Gah, I'm not going to say most definitely again. This book has a special place in my heart. Worked on it for around a year. Six months to write the entire thing—personal record!—and then it took the last five or six to sort out the cover, edit it all, get my head in the game to”
“I want free beta readers for my novel. I can do swaps. Genre - Romance Word count - 53k submitted by /u/Just-Switch-6623 [link] [comments]”
“Everyone, I know it’s not a big thing, but for me, it’s certainly something today Because I’ve launched my first book and the title ideology of hypocrisy. Would appreciate your feedback if any. submitted by /u/BidyaBhushanBibhu [link] [comments]”
“it's the early hours in my local timezone so i have nobody irl to share this with. i clicked submit (hopefully for the final time). yay. there were some final formatting errors that really had me dejected when it got passed back to me: if you're familiar with the idiom of "death by 1000 paper cuts", then the last few were cuts #980-990. i am grateful for my supervisor's guidance and presence genuinely, and i know he's put a lot of effort toward helping me, but i just fe”
“Hi everyone, I've posted this on a different subreddit as well but wanted to get more reach and didn't realise I couldn't cross post here (apologies if you're reading this twice). Looking for some feedback on the first few pages of Chapter 1. This is my second attempt at writing it, and it's come so far since, so thank you to everyone for your advice. I'll paste the link to the first version so you can see what I started with: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gXRsf1cWq”
“Hello reddit, I’m an aspiring children’s author and have finished writing my first proper book and am wondering what my next steps are (I’ve finished one other VERY short one that I used canva to make into a visual audio book on my instagram account, and haven’t really done any advertising for). Since this is only the first proper book I’ve finished writing I feel as though I need to have a few more under my belt to even be able to bring it to a publisher. I have ideas to make this book into a s”
“i wish this were the case with more books. i've been seeing some real trash be published in the past 4 years. especially disappointing when a series started fabulous, then.. slowly.... goes..... downhill. i think some authors are just getting lazy and defaulting to ai”
“And how does it compare to your previous attempts? submitted by /u/Bright_Lake_5527 [link] [comments]”
“Hey guys. So, i just screenshotted the first chapter i have improved. The last time i asked for feedbacks, it was said i had problem with expositions. I hope i have improved the writing and do less telling and more showing. Thank you much in advance. A bit about my book: it is set on planet Dagaz, where the war between logic and faith is happening, and crushing the non-believers who got stuck in between. It's an omniscient narrated story with morally grey characters. submitted by”
“Hey all, I'm new around here, thanks for having me. As the title stated, I've finished the rough draft for my comic book, totaling in at over 120K words! That's all well and good, but now I'd like to begin my editing process, and am looking for beta-readers to offer me feedback. Below this, I'll put the script for the very opening of the book, a key, and a short synopsis for the plot. Key: “Quotes” are omnipresent dialogue for this scene. Not dialogue happening in the scene.”
“Old Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/novelwriting/comments/1vmaaig/feedback_requested_i_need_some_help_please_offer/ Posted the preview version about 4 days ago. Feedback was awesome. My formatting seemed to offend some. I'm coming from a poetry background, so it bled into my first novel. Was trying to make every line stand out somehow. I guess I've learned that there are rules to novel writing that need to be respected. This is my attempt at that. This is version 2. Please go nuts. Also t”
“++Newbie Hi, group. I have a novel that is almost finished, on which I have been working for about 3 years. I need a real person to read it and critique it (I’ll proof it first, of course). Can anyone recommend a way to do this? submitted by /u/Kind_Inside931 [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone! I’d love to get your opinion on a small dilemma I’ve been having. I’m an indie published author, and I released my first romcom last year. The book is doing pretty well, but one of my biggest regrets is the trim size. I chose 5.25 x 8 inches instead of the more common 5 x 8 and looking back, I honestly have no idea why I decided not to go with the standard size. For my future romcoms, I’d really like to switch to 5 x 8. The problem is that I can’t change the trim size of my debut wi”
“I have a novel called Deadly Star on Webnovel. If someone could read my second chapter and tell me their thoughts, that would be much appreciated. submitted by /u/Adventurous_Pay8619 [link] [comments]”
“Anybody have any tips? I know the first rule for writers is don’t read reviews but I did. They were all positive and then someone went to the trouble of writing a lengthy and devastating review of everything he hated about my book. I am working on the next book in my series and I know I shouldn’t let that review affect my motivation or my writing but my books are meant to be funny and it’s tough ask after reading that. I wish people understood the effects their words can have on all creative end”
“Hey! I'm a debut author, and my manuscript has undergone many revisions and a couple rounds of beta reading. I'm looking for more feedback now that I've made those revisions. Would you keep reading after the first page? Why or why not? The manuscript is titled "Deserve," it is 110K words, and the genre is upmarket literary fiction / psychological fiction. If you do find this interesting, let me know if you'd like to be a beta reader! ___________ Chapter 1 Ama didn’t kno”
“I have a novel called Deadly Star on Webnovel that I just revised today with the criticism of others who commented on my other post about it. If someone could read my first chapter whenever and tell me their thoughts that would be much appreciated. submitted by /u/Adventurous_Pay8619 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all!! I self-published my first book a few days ago, and I got an amazing first review... and it's FIVE STARS! I haven't told anyone in rl that I have written a book let alone published it. I am so excited about it and needed to tell someone, so what better place than internet strangers! This is what they said about it! I genuinely cannot believe it! I really enjoyed this one. Theiades is a compelling character, and her story does a good job showing how much a person can endure while”
“Hi folks. I’ve been trying, unsuccessfully, to get a couple of books published. Had an R&R dangled on one, had some nice comments but, alas, no dice. Now then, in putting those to one side, I think I’ve only gone and got bitten by the short story bug. Some have been picked up, some have even had good feedback but I’m in the situation where I’ve got stories that I thought were good getting 10 form rejections, and others that I wasn’t sure about at all getting acceptances. So I guess my questi”
“I'm sharing a 7500 word personal travel story about my first trip to hong kong .I'm Trying to figure out whether it works as one continuous piece or whether I should split it into multiple.I'd appreciate feedback specifically on pacing ,length and structure. Link : [ https://druva.vercel.app/stories/Travel/Hong-Kong ] Did you feel the length was justified? Did it drag anywhere? Would you personally split it here's a peek into it :- https://preview.redd.it/6azbcdukm3jh1.png?width=”
“I genuinely appreciate the read. I've been working on a novel. Almost done editing the final manuscript so I am definitely looking for straightforward feedback. The first chapter might read to like a certain type of book, but it ends up being something else entirely. Not sure if any of that makes sense. What I really want to know is if this works as an opener. Would you keep reading? Why or why not? Are you invested in Kwame by the end? Prose doesn't feel too overwritten? I have a tenden”
“My novel is Deadly Star, and I want someone to read the first chapter to tell me how it is please be honest with me if you read it. Edit: It's on web novel btw. submitted by /u/Adventurous_Pay8619 [link] [comments]”
“Hello, I started to make my own book and I'm looking for reviews of what people think and how I can improve. I started the book when I was thirteen, I'm fourteen now, and I've been writing in it on and off as something to for when I'm board or to kill time. I hope you enjoy what i have so far:) The Young Witch By Aperson The Local Doctor’s Cabin, Nightfall of Sept. 1342 You could hear the pained screams of the mother giving birth from across the hall. If you were a mile away it w”
“Hi there...I just wrote my first book. Its only 12K words but im proud. Now I am no writer. But i had this idea and i decided to give it a go. My question is, how can i get this published? I am looking online but sometimes asking people with experience helps a little more ive noticed. thank you all submitted by /u/dg327 [link] [comments]”
“I have been working on a scifi story. I have a couple sections ready. They are each 5000 to 7000 words. Where can I post them? I would like some honest feedback and input. submitted by /u/capt_max3000 [link] [comments]”
“For context this is a story I wrote as an assignment and I am supposed to use this for storyboarding visually and require feedback on whether it is good and whether there needs to be some changes! “It was around one in the morning when I walked into the kitchen to make black coffee. The house was completely silent except for the sound of boiling water. As I poured the water into the mug with coffee and sugar, I noticed my cat sitting on the counter and staring at me with unusual concentration. H”
“Which is written better? Are they written good at all? Does it feel like a clumsy translation, or like native writing? Does it feel like I have a poor vocabulary? Anything you've got to say is greatly appreciated! CW: violence in the first scene (whipping, blood, pain) **Scene 1, written in English** The first lash meets every expectation. Oh, the captain must have waited for this for years! Every servant's dream of whipping their master is in his hand. He snaps the whip across the princ”
“Hello Everyone, It’s been a while since I’ve interacted with anything in this group, but I’ve been enjoying having so many talented folks so accessible for inspiration. After taking a very long hiatus from creative writing, I’ve decided to get back into it. The link below is for the project I’m currently working on. It has not been named yet, and I’m still very early in the process. I’d especially love to hear any thoughts on the characters, prose, pacing, and whether the opening leaves you want”
“https://ellipsus.com/read/2HEnH2jETQeXOfXRwko77n/Chapter-3 If you want to critique anything else that's fine but I'm mostly just wondering if I jumped around too much. submitted by /u/AnistarYT [link] [comments]”
“...and tell me if you think its good or not. Its the setup for a book and I've been experimenting with not keeping people in suspense and telling them how a story will end before I start the main story. Would this make you want to find out what happened? submitted by /u/Dijstraanon [link] [comments]”
“It’s for the second book in my dystopian romance series. (Ashen is MMCs daughter who was taken hostage at the end of book 1) HELP ME PICK ONE PLEASE 🌿Blurb 1🌿 For five years, Canopy waited. She grieved, she loved, she lost, and finally, she was found again. But even with Phylum back in her arms, he isn’t truly hers. He isn’t the boy that she fell in love with all those years ago. Now, as she navigates the inescapable past and the inevitable future, Canopy must try to hold on to what she has le”
“I’m wondering what different ways you all have tried doing this?? After-all, even if you wrote the next best thing ever if no one read it, it’s not doing too much good! I’ve tried Instagram, making little animatics of scenes from my book in the same style as the drawings in it, but they fall a bit short. I’ve gotten basically nothing from KDP ads. Having a presence in some other communities where I write unrelated short stories, (hopefully showing my ability) have had a little bit more success.”
“Since everyone seems to be discussing prose recently, thought I'd ask for opinions on how this prose reads and makes the reader feel. submitted by /u/SuperWhoLockWarrior [link] [comments]”
“https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tOK-rSdNbpZL6_AVrurYZYBPiksRwH635uSpqpk156g/edit?tab=t.0 Send Feedback. It is a excerpt only because im not done yet. Please i really need it i am very new to writing. submitted by /u/ElectronicMemory568 [link] [comments]”
“Would love some feedback on my first chapter of my current WIP. Feedback Requested: + Do you feel drawn in to the story, the characters, does it immerse you? + How is the dialogue? Feels natural to the characters and world? + Does the action feel engaging? + And whatever else you notice, have feedback on. :) submitted by /u/BeneficialSound7851 [link] [comments]”
“I sent my book out for an editorial assessment and the feedback I received left me feeling gutted. The book is long, over 110k words, and I paid the editor through Reedsy. The editor has a solid portfolio, lots of reviews, and was verified. Some of it was useful, but the majority of it was confusing. Examples are “I think you should explain X” and “it would be cool if we saw a scene where Y happens” and “What if Z character does Z action at the end of the book?” I went back to check the file I s”
“Hi distinguished authors of Reddit! I've been working on this story for more than three years (and yes I'm very proud of it so be nice!). I have around 80k words as of now. As you learn a lot early on, I've restarted the whole thing multiple times. While I do lose the words - which admittedly where bad - the plot has gotten more robust so it's all worth it in the end. Anyway, I think its gotten to a level where i dare let people react to it. So, here are the first 1,500 words of”
“https://preview.redd.it/qozm7n26skgh1.png?width=606&format=png&auto=webp&s=77878d3e9bd416fa0a76ec6caf6340e734c5ecd1 I think i took your guys adivices seriously this time i think pls give some feedback good or bad submitted by /u/YearFew8577 [link] [comments]”