Thank you for talking about self-published to traditionally published. I’m pleasantly surprised to see you willing to read and be forgiving of self-published books. I struggled to pay for an editor for my novel, and I couldn’t imagine paying for more rounds of editing. Also, I just saw on your site that you love my favorite board game, Dominion!
I just read One For My Enemy! I’m glad you at least were interested in picking it up, I haven’t seen anyone on CZcams talk about it (until yesterday Cari Cakes did) but I really enjoyed it! I did get annoyed by how much they said each others names so I’m glad that’s not just me 😂 especially when it was like multiple times in one sentence and 7 times on one page.
You are 100% correct when you say an editor should have caught that stuff; however, I think a lot of these books aren't getting edited anymore. It's not just the self-pubs that have shown a lack of polish in the past few years. I notice stuff like what you pointed out all the time. Sometimes I even see blatant typos - how are people missing this? All I can assume is that there are no editors - not for copy, or content, or anything else. So unprofessional 😑
You precisely describe my West Side Story experiences! I cannot even believe that. I loved playing that show and got so annoyed with the story at the same exact time. Every single time... 😂
Speaking of dialogue in books. One thing that bothers me is when a character asks a question, but it's presented in statement form rather than question form. For example: "Where's the dog?" Bob said. Instead of "Where's the dog?" Bob asked. Every author does this. "Why?" Avid Reader asks.
You know what’s kinda interesting? I have prefilmed a video going through “writing advice” and one thing is to never use anything other than “said” for dialogue. It makes me wonder if people really take that literally 😮
@@ebnovels I would find that quite annoying. Characters in books can whisper, scream, chuckle, point out, exasperate, etc. They don't have to repeatedly say. And back to my original point, you don't say me a question, you ask me one. Picture yourself giving a lecture on writing. At the end, you announce, "Would anyone like to say me a question?" Or would you announce, "Would anyone like to ask me a question?"
I always feel like Olivie Blake needs a silent movie organ music soundtrack but you cracked me up with your West Side Story thoughts. “Maria. I just met a girl named Maria!” (Really, dude. It’s just her name.) But you’re right, the music itself is wonderful.
It makes me wonder if these publishing companies are picking up SP books thinking, sweet, we don't have to do anything! It's already publishable! Although tbf I've read a lot of TP this year that had no discernable developmental editing 😬
Have you read The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma? It was previous self published under the title “The Boy with Fire.” It’s so good and being released by Orbit at the end of August.
Ha. I also picked up One for My Enemy from my library. I DNF'd it too, as is also usually the case for me with Romeo and Juliet retellings. Really looking forward to Masters of Death though!
I feel like in a dramatic story especially in a love story they do that a lot. I think it's a style of that type of story it does not bother me just because I take it as a style choice.
It's a library app for ebooks and audiobooks. I love it, you just need a library card with a library who is set up with Libby. I have my books with me everywhere, because I always have my phone, and I read in lines, at home, before bed. Definitely helped me read more and more diverse
Someone else explained it perfectly, but if you can get it, it really is awesome! I recommend the app Hoopla as well, if you haven’t heard of that one :)
Haha I've done that mixup with audiobook/ebook on Libby so many times. I'm more careful now, but I used to do it all the time. Ahhh dialogue tags! I'm 100% with you. I recently read Persephone Station, which is traditionally published, and it was the worst offender of too many dialogue tags I have ever seen. EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF DIALOGUE WAS TAGGED! And they didn't even bother to mixup the tags, it was always blank said/says. So annoying. I was excited to read combat codes, but now I'm not so sure.
I did not like combat codes. 😐 And part of it was the editing. One example that is burned in my brain is: Ball of the heel (of the foot). The ball of the foot and the heel are 2 different things. That’s not a saying. I double checked!😫 I mean, overall I don’t think I’d have liked it anyway, but all of it together with editing after having been picked up just annoyed me enough I couldn’t enjoy it. I can’t say it was bad… though some individual things were (see above example 🙄). overall it’s just fine but not to my taste which I guess just makes it disappointing. I might as well read self pub if quality in trad is going down. (I do read some self pub but wading through them for quality control means I get to a lot fewer). And…. most editing issues I’ve had lately have been from Orbit. I have highlights in Bone Shard War of issues and it more than just a couple small things. That’s 2 books in the same quarter. Maybe I’m just noticing more as I read more and get older, but with publishers being so greedy I’m having less tolerance for this stuff. It’s really disappointing. I guess you get what you pay for. (Looking at you Hachette, pay your employees more 😒)
Lunar is so beautiful and adorable 🥰 love her and if you want someone to read your drafts of your book 📕 I would love to do it please stay safe and healthy too you and your husband and sending you and your husband my thoughts and prayers love your Aussie family friend John ❤❤❤ need to see your husband again please
I didn’t like One For My Enemy. I DNF-ed about 1/3 in. But I didn’t like Atlas Six either. I felt they were both pretentious and boring. Like you said I am a character driven reader. I have to like ONE of the characters. Then I can keep reading. Olivie Blake writes unlikeable characters. I just cannot get into her books because of it. I wish I liked them. Two books is my limit. If the author doesn’t do it within two book I’m over it
Where's the best place to buy these indie published books? Really want to read Winds of Strife and Sword of Kaigen. My library can't get either. Is amazon the obly option?
I hate when people say each others names constantly. I especially hate: "I love you [insert first and last name]" Like no ew who talks like this. They do it in a couple shows I watch too and even in that setting it doesn't sound right and I hate it.
Comebat code love the characters and the story I am definitely going to continue with this series 🩵🩵🏝️💛💛🏝️🩵🩵🩵🌞📖📖📙🩵🩵🌞🏝️💛🏝️🌞🩵🩵🩵🌞🏝️🏝️💛🏝️🌞🩵🩵🩵📖📙🩵🩵🩵🌞🏝️🏝️🌞🩵📚🩵🩵📖📖📙📚📚📚
You're right about Luna, she's totally adorable and seeing her totally improved my day 💖
Thank you for talking about self-published to traditionally published. I’m pleasantly surprised to see you willing to read and be forgiving of self-published books. I struggled to pay for an editor for my novel, and I couldn’t imagine paying for more rounds of editing.
Also, I just saw on your site that you love my favorite board game, Dominion!
I just read One For My Enemy! I’m glad you at least were interested in picking it up, I haven’t seen anyone on CZcams talk about it (until yesterday Cari Cakes did) but I really enjoyed it! I did get annoyed by how much they said each others names so I’m glad that’s not just me 😂 especially when it was like multiple times in one sentence and 7 times on one page.
Hahaha, it was so much! They’re just such passionate people 😂
You are 100% correct when you say an editor should have caught that stuff; however, I think a lot of these books aren't getting edited anymore. It's not just the self-pubs that have shown a lack of polish in the past few years. I notice stuff like what you pointed out all the time. Sometimes I even see blatant typos - how are people missing this? All I can assume is that there are no editors - not for copy, or content, or anything else. So unprofessional 😑
I'm interested to know how you are going with your writing. I'm so excited to know that you are working on the second book.
🎵 I have my own washing machine 🎶 🙄🙄 I hate WSS too. As Jean-Ralphio would say - it was the woooooooorrrrssst!!!!
If I haven't picked up a libby book in 4 days, I return it and get back in line 🤣
If I have too many books I am currently reading, I skip and let the next person in line get it, so I am not hanging on to it too long😅
@@manem92 ✨️✨️✨️
You precisely describe my West Side Story experiences!
I cannot even believe that. I loved playing that show and got so annoyed with the story at the same exact time. Every single time...
😂
Ohh, what instrument do you play? :D
I'm a trumpet player
Pit orchestra shenanigans were the best 🤣🎻
Speaking of dialogue in books. One thing that bothers me is when a character asks a question, but it's presented in statement form rather than question form. For example: "Where's the dog?" Bob said.
Instead of "Where's the dog?" Bob asked.
Every author does this. "Why?" Avid Reader asks.
You know what’s kinda interesting? I have prefilmed a video going through “writing advice” and one thing is to never use anything other than “said” for dialogue. It makes me wonder if people really take that literally 😮
@@ebnovels I would find that quite annoying. Characters in books can whisper, scream, chuckle, point out, exasperate, etc. They don't have to repeatedly say.
And back to my original point, you don't say me a question, you ask me one.
Picture yourself giving a lecture on writing. At the end, you announce, "Would anyone like to say me a question?" Or would you announce, "Would anyone like to ask me a question?"
Luna's such a beautiful dog.
I always feel like Olivie Blake needs a silent movie organ music soundtrack but you cracked me up with your West Side Story thoughts. “Maria. I just met a girl named Maria!” (Really, dude. It’s just her name.) But you’re right, the music itself is wonderful.
I'm sorry to hear you DNFed Lady Scoundrels. I really liked that book. I haven't read the other 2 yet, but I'm looking forward to reading them.
I didn't interpret the Combat Code example as literal spitting, but verbalising with shortness and disdain
would love to hear more about your history in orchestra :0 !
I laughed so hard when she mentioned that she ate snacks and read books in the orchestra pit! Like, HOW, though??😂
It makes me wonder if these publishing companies are picking up SP books thinking, sweet, we don't have to do anything! It's already publishable! Although tbf I've read a lot of TP this year that had no discernable developmental editing 😬
Have you read The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma? It was previous self published under the title “The Boy with Fire.” It’s so good and being released by Orbit at the end of August.
Hi, Elliot! I've noticed a lot of great books on your shelf, and was hoping you could do a video of all the books you have.
Ha. I also picked up One for My Enemy from my library. I DNF'd it too, as is also usually the case for me with Romeo and Juliet retellings. Really looking forward to Masters of Death though!
4:10 I spy Yona of the Dawn, I hope you're enjoying it. It's one of my favorites.
I feel like in a dramatic story especially in a love story they do that a lot. I think it's a style of that type of story it does not bother me just because I take it as a style choice.
What’s Libby, I’m not a huge fan of audiobooks but it sounded cool how you were explaining it
It's a library app for ebooks and audiobooks. I love it, you just need a library card with a library who is set up with Libby. I have my books with me everywhere, because I always have my phone, and I read in lines, at home, before bed. Definitely helped me read more and more diverse
Someone else explained it perfectly, but if you can get it, it really is awesome! I recommend the app Hoopla as well, if you haven’t heard of that one :)
That’s awesome thanks guys, I’ll have to go check them out
Haha I've done that mixup with audiobook/ebook on Libby so many times. I'm more careful now, but I used to do it all the time.
Ahhh dialogue tags! I'm 100% with you. I recently read Persephone Station, which is traditionally published, and it was the worst offender of too many dialogue tags I have ever seen. EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF DIALOGUE WAS TAGGED! And they didn't even bother to mixup the tags, it was always blank said/says. So annoying.
I was excited to read combat codes, but now I'm not so sure.
I’m glad I’m not alone in both the Libby mix up and the dialogue tag 😅
Once a director told me to think of the rhythms in America from WSS as “hamburger hamburger hotdog hotdog hotdog” and now I can never unhear it
The things people come up with to understand rhythms are always so fun 😄
SO EXCITED!! 💛🩵🩵📚📚📖📙📖📚💛💛🏝️🏝️🏝️🌞🩵🩵🩵🩵📙📙📚📚🌞💛🌞🌞🏝️🏝️🏝️🏝️🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵😊📙📙📚📚🏝️🏝️🏝️🌞🏝️
I did not like combat codes. 😐
And part of it was the editing.
One example that is burned in my brain is: Ball of the heel (of the foot). The ball of the foot and the heel are 2 different things. That’s not a saying. I double checked!😫
I mean, overall I don’t think I’d have liked it anyway, but all of it together with editing after having been picked up just annoyed me enough I couldn’t enjoy it. I can’t say it was bad… though some individual things were (see above example 🙄). overall it’s just fine but not to my taste which I guess just makes it disappointing. I might as well read self pub if quality in trad is going down. (I do read some self pub but wading through them for quality control means I get to a lot fewer).
And…. most editing issues I’ve had lately have been from Orbit. I have highlights in Bone Shard War of issues and it more than just a couple small things. That’s 2 books in the same quarter. Maybe I’m just noticing more as I read more and get older, but with publishers being so greedy I’m having less tolerance for this stuff. It’s really disappointing. I guess you get what you pay for. (Looking at you Hachette, pay your employees more 😒)
I'm a self-published YA Queer Fantasy Author.
It would be nice to get an Ilona Andrews review from you.
I felt the same way about Lady Scoundrels. I DNF'd very quickly.
Lunar is so beautiful and adorable 🥰 love her and if you want someone to read your drafts of your book 📕 I would love to do it please stay safe and healthy too you and your husband and sending you and your husband my thoughts and prayers love your Aussie family friend John ❤❤❤ need to see your husband again please
I hope Huskies can edit books one day.
Haha, that would be adorable! Luna is an Akita, but she does look a lot like a husky 🐾
Luna is absolutely most sweetest and cutest thing and and best dog xoxo 😚 🌞🏝️🩵🏝️🌞💛💛🌞🏝️🩵🏝️📚📚📚📚📚📚📚🏝️🌞💛💛📖📖💛💛🏝️🩵🩵🏝️🌞🏝️📚📚📚📙🏝️🏝️🌞💛💛💛📖📖💛🌞🏝️
18:59 They sound so hostile here. Makes me want to pick up the book lolol
Haha, that’s amazing 😆
I didn’t like One For My Enemy. I DNF-ed about 1/3 in. But I didn’t like Atlas Six either. I felt they were both pretentious and boring. Like you said I am a character driven reader. I have to like ONE of the characters. Then I can keep reading. Olivie Blake writes unlikeable characters. I just cannot get into her books because of it. I wish I liked them. Two books is my limit. If the author doesn’t do it within two book I’m over it
Where's the best place to buy these indie published books? Really want to read Winds of Strife and Sword of Kaigen. My library can't get either. Is amazon the obly option?
I've seen Sword of Kaigen at Barnes and Noble.
One for my enemy sounds like a cw drama. That channel uses names in speech constantly
I don’t think I’ve watched CW since middle school 😆
@@ebnovels 🤣🤣
I hate when people say each others names constantly. I especially hate: "I love you [insert first and last name]" Like no ew who talks like this. They do it in a couple shows I watch too and even in that setting it doesn't sound right and I hate it.
Libby is my favourite thing ever tbh 🥹
play with your dog more please! (not on-screen, generally) (-:
Comebat code love the characters and the story I am definitely going to continue with this series 🩵🩵🏝️💛💛🏝️🩵🩵🩵🌞📖📖📙🩵🩵🌞🏝️💛🏝️🌞🩵🩵🩵🌞🏝️🏝️💛🏝️🌞🩵🩵🩵📖📙🩵🩵🩵🌞🏝️🏝️🌞🩵📚🩵🩵📖📖📙📚📚📚