# Lisa Loves Girls - 99 cents



## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

Lisa Loves Girls B002EZZJ4Q

Read the sample, let me know what you think.


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## hackeynut (Dec 16, 2008)

Ummmm.  Wow is really all I can say.  I would also lend a warning out to folks that the sample is extremely explicit for those of you who avoid such things.

Also, writing in a single tense makes things easier for everyone.


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

Thanks for looking at the sample. You will enjoy the story.


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

Emily...I have to ask. Are you an avid reader? Have you studied the flow of language, and common use of vocabulary? And importantly, is English your first language?

I ask because, while you may have a good story here (the sample is not long enough to determine that; explicit does not bother me as long as it's necessary to the story), the lack of proper punctuation, the seeming use of a thesaurus to replace common terms with words that frankly, aren't correct... Based on the sample alone my gut reaction is that you're either trying to write in a language that is not second nature, or that you have not delved deeply enough into reading to have a grasp of how to structure a story.

You truly may have a very good story here, but I'm afraid most readers are not going to be able to get past the sample; how a story is written matters as much as the story itself. Yes, you can break the rules of grammar when writing, but first you must understand them, and readers can tell.

If this story crossed my desk as a submission for publication consideration, I would send it back with the suggestion to rewrite; take the time to learn and truly understand sentence structure, when to use commas and when to use semi-colons, and brush up on spelling, playing particular attention to homophones. I would also include an invitation to re-submit once your revision was complete.

With work this may be a very good story, but as it stands...currently it's not quite adequate and you would be better served to pull it and work on it.


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

Here is part of the sample :

Lisa is barely off the plane before she is wrapped in her mother's embrace. A blanket of channel and nylon, mother Emily. They move artfully through a crowd to a car's open door. The late model sedan has a hint of that new car smell. Lisa wonders if it comes from an aerosol can. She would ask her mother if she wasn't on the phone. Lisa snuggles against her perfumed shoulder, that new girl smell.

Mr. Arrow is on the other end of Emily's phone, his words seem to dance between bouts of laughter, Lisa has to remind herself not to frown, she rubs the back of her hand against her forehead, brushing away the lopsided bangs and the imaginary wrinkles.

Don Arrow is on his way over.” Emily punctuates the statement with a clicking shut of the cell phone. Lisa wonders if Mr. Arrow has already hung up. She is sure he isn't on his way, he is already parked in the servant's driveway.

Honey, we need to nip this in the bud.” Lisa doesn't respond, she just pushes closer to her mother, clinging to her waist. Emily grips her daughter's pale forearm, "Mom will take care of everything.”

Mr. Arrow waives away the driver and opens Emily's door, his hairy arm in the car, escorting Emily away. Lisa exits from the far door. She is past Miss Anne without eye contact, moving up the stairs to her room. 

Lisa can barely breath sitting behind the locked door.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Well, that does nothing to make me want to buy the book. 

channel? Car's? Missing quote marks. 

A book should not have me reaching for a pen to proof read.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I accidentally purchased the book instead of downloading sample. Since I had it, I decided to read it. It is very short, only 272 locations. It only took about 10 minutes to read. I found the story disjointed and did not enjoy it at all. There is a very thin plot and, but the different POVs are confusing, as is the story moving backwards instead of forward. Just my opinion.  

There were way too many spelling & grammatical errors. (If you'd like to discuss them, you can PM me. I will not discuss them in this thread).


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

Please understand that my subject matter offends some people.


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

I do agree with that sentence needing to be chopped.

Spell check changing chanel to channel, well that kind of glaring error isn't going to keep me up at night.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

I just read the sample to see for myself what the fuss is.  Your subject matter does not offend me.  I did not enjoy reading the sample and found myself unable to find the story within the words because I kept backing up trying to figure out what the sentences meant.  Even your re-editing of the sample above is incomplete, ignoring the incorrect word usage others have already pointed out.  As you mentioned in the other thread, you are biased about your own work.  I think any author would/should be.  I don't think anyone here has criticized you for the story you are trying to tell, but your defensiveness about the way it is "articulated" on paper (or screen) makes it difficult to provide the opinions for which you asked.


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

I am sorry. I just don't think that is a huge grammatical error that will distract a reader from the story.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

emilydowns said:


> Spell check changing chanel to channel, well that kind of glaring error isn't going to keep me up at night.


Nor would it keep me up at night. But I guess if I was writing something for a boss, or for publication -- even informally -- I'd want it to be as correct as I can make it. If it is particularly important, I'll have someone read it over just to be sure I didn't use any homonyms wrong, or forget to close a parenthesis or quotation mark set.

I didn't sample your book, and I won't. The subject matter, as best as I can tell from your description on Amazon, doesn't interest me. And in the bit you posted above, I can't tell what is happening or follow where the story is meant to go. And it doesn't make me want to find out.



emilydowns said:


> I am sorry. I just don't think that is a huge grammatical error that will distract a reader from the story.


Except that the very fact that it's the first thing that caught more than one person's attention means that it _is_ a distraction.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

emilydowns said:


> I am sorry. I just don't think that is a huge grammatical error that will distract a reader from the story.


If that were the only one, then no it wouldn't. However, all of those the little, non-glaring errors add up.


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

"Except that the very fact that it's the first thing that caught more than one person's attention means that it is a distraction."

My work seems to be under a magnifying glass. This is a great forum, where I hope everybody's work is measured with the same yardstick.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Emily, I think the point is that one or two errors is not likely to distract the reader. The number of errors in the few paragraphs you posted here are more then enough to distract a reader. If you are not concerned about a few errors, then you are likely to find many more then a few errors.

When I taught Stats I would have students approach me and ask me what they had to do to get a C. They did not want to take the class and wanted to know what the bare minimum level of work was to get the C that they needed. I always told them that if they aimed for a C that they would end up failing. Every student who asked that question ended up dropping the class or failing.

If you are not concerned with finding every mistake in your work, then you are likely to let a large number of mistakes through. Those mistakes are going to distract your audience. It is not that an editor will catch every mistake but that an editor would help you find many, many more mistakes. This would improve your writing.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

emilydowns said:


> "Except that the very fact that it's the first thing that caught more than one person's attention means that it is a distraction."
> 
> My work seems to be under a magnifying glass. This is a great forum, where I hope everybody's work is measured with the same yardstick.


I expect a published piece of work to be edited. I scrutinized my own work when in Academia for precisely that reason. I send Amazon emails when there are formating issues in any book that I have read (Clancy and Adams come to mind). Those were simple formatting issues.

If you turned in an assignment that contained the type of errors I found in the sample here, you would have probably ended up with a very low grade. Normally I don't have to worry about these things when I am reading a book because the work has been edited and proof read.

I honestly believe that you receive the responses that you do because you almost flaunt your lack of proof reading. Then you tell folks that you don't worry about some of these mistakes. If you don't care enough about your own material to present it to the reader in a professional manner, why do you think I should care enough to pay for it?

That is what I find myself responding to. You don't seem to care about your own work. Then you defend you indifference. All while asking me to read a sample and then spend my money on your work. If you don't care enough to edit your work, why should I care enough to spend my money?


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

I care about my work. 

If my work was junk, people wouldn't be clinging to it like dogs.


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

Your work does look interesting Thumper.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

emilydowns said:


> If my work was junk, people wouldn't be clinging to it like dogs.


I am offended by this. . . . .I believe all posters here -- and I know there are some who can be abrasive -- are trying to give you honest feedback. Please accept that and do not insult us.


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

I have to go to my sister's house for a bit so excuse my lack of response.

I wrote :

"If my work was junk, people wouldn't be clinging to it like dogs."

you wrote :

"I am offended by this. . . . .I believe all posters here -- and I know there are some who can be abrasive -- are trying to give you honest feedback.  Please accept that and not insult us."

I wasn't slamming feedback or meaning to insult. With the dog reference I was trying to paint a picture of readers holding on to my work like it's a rope suspending them in the air.

I was trying to point out that people seem to be affected by my work.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

emilydowns said:


> I care about my work.
> 
> If my work was junk, people wouldn't be clinging to it like dogs.


You may care about your book, but you do not appear to care about the reader.

I really doubt people are clinging to it. They likely find your embittered defense of it a curiosity. That's how I feel about it, anyway.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

emilydowns said:


> I do agree with that sentence needing to be chopped.
> 
> Spell check changing chanel to channel, well that kind of glaring error isn't going to keep me up at night.


The problem is that the error will bother many of your readers. Having read the bit you posted here, I'd never even download the sample, much less pay for it. I don't want to have to translate as I read. You might want to have a friend or family member, one who is good with spelling and grammar, read through it and help you clean it up a bit. That way people who read the sample will be more likely to go ahead and buy it.



emilydowns said:


> Please understand that my subject matter offends some people.


I wasn't offended by the subject matter (I can assume it from the title) - but I am offended by the fact that you don't have enough respect for your writing and your potential readers to put in the time to edit it properly.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

emilydowns said:


> I care about my work.
> 
> If my work was junk, people wouldn't be clinging to it like dogs.


I believe people are just giving you the feedback you requested.

I also think that if you truly cared for your work, you would take the time to proofread and edit and make it the best it could be before you ask people to pay for it.

Just my opinion...


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

emilydowns said:


> I am sorry. I just don't think that is a huge grammatical error that will distract a reader from the story.


Here's the thought process for your potential reader and why it's distracting.
I read "A blanket of channel and nylon, mother Emily."
I think "Channel? Like a TV channel? A channel of water?"
"Oh, she must've meant Chanel."
Spelling errors like that matter because they take the reader completely out of what you've written when they have to translate it. It's totally distracting, and when it's in the very first line you've posted here, I've lost interest in the very first line.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

Meemo said:


> Here's the thought process for your potential reader.
> I read "A blanket of channel and nylon, mother Emily."
> I think "Channel? Like a TV channel? A channel of water?"
> "Oh, she must've meant Chanel."
> Spelling errors like that matter because they take the reader completely out of what you've written when they have to translate it. It's totally distracting, and when it's in the very first line you've posted here, I've lost interest in the very first line.


I don't think that this should be let go of so lightly. While I understand that there might be some confusion about a tv channel (makes sense really) or the perfume Chanel, I was trying to put together chenile (did I spell that correct) and the sentence still didn't make sense to me. I understood the blanket of either smell and fabric or fabric and fabric, but how does that morph into mother Emily? My mind does not wander that way. And I would stop with just these first few sentences. 
Understand that I don't mind the character thinking in strange ways. Lord only knows Henry Kutner used to take us into some real strange psychological places. But I could not follow this to figure out where we were going and why.

Just sayin.....


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

emilydowns said:


> I wrote : "If my work was junk, people wouldn't be clinging to it like dogs."
> 
> I wasn't slamming feedback or meaning to insult. With the dog reference I was trying to paint a picture of readers holding on to my work like it's a rope suspending them in the air.
> 
> I was trying to point out that people seem to be affected by my work.


I still don't know what your first statement means even after reading your explanation in your next statement. How does mentioning a clinging dog (not a metaphor I would choose to entice my readers - comparing them to dogs) "paint a picture" of a person suspended by a rope in the air?

I don't think we various posters who have responded to you are trying to create a "Let's nit-pick Emily to death" thread (although it may feel like that is what it is becoming), we have tried to give you honest responses to concerns about the presentation of your work. You don't seem to feel any of our thoughts are worthy of your consideration. If irritation is how you want me to be affected by your work, you have been successful. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

Chris


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

emilydowns said:


> I care about my work.


Perhaps. The problem is you don't seem to care about your potential readers. You say "let me know what you think." Well, we're telling you what we think. Instead of saying "Thanks, I'll get that corrected", you tell us you don't much care about little things like punctuation and spelling. Fact is, it's punctuation and spelling that make something readable. Glaring errors ARE distractions, whether you want to believe it or not.

And face it - you've posted this to a group of people who love reading so much we've spent a fair amount of money on a device to facilitate our reading. We care about writing. We care about words. We seem to care about the quality of your work more than you do.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

geoffthomas said:


> I don't think that this should be let go of so lightly. While I understand that there might be some confusion about a tv channel (makes sense really) or the perfume Chanel, I was trying to put together chenile (did I spell that correct) and the sentence still didn't make sense to me. I understood the blanket of either smell and fabric or fabric and fabric, but how does that morph into mother Emily? My mind does not wander that way. And I would stop with just these first few sentences.
> Understand that I don't mind the character thinking in strange ways. Lord only knows Henry Kutner used to take us into some real strange psychological places. But I could not follow this to figure out where we were going and why.
> 
> Just sayin.....


See - I didn't even think of chenille. A chenille blanket could make sense. I guessed it was a "blanket" of the scent that she associates with her mother.


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## Laurie (Jan 9, 2009)

emilydowns said:


> I am sorry. I just don't think that is a huge grammatical error that will distract a reader from the story.


It's too bad you think this way because most avid readers are very distracted by that sort of thing. It sounds like you are probably a very gifted storyteller, but you just need help with the editing of your written work. That's the impression I'd get from the people who've responded here. Most of the posts I've read from you - on this and other threads - are very defensive. I understand that it's hard to take criticism, but I honestly think most of the people here are just trying to help you. Accept it for what it is. I don't think anybody's trying to insult you by pointing out the errors. There was a recent discussion about a book that's on the NY Times Best Sellers list that has numerous errors. It was a HUGE distraction and some people chose to delay purchasing the book until the author made corrections. The author received numerous criticisms about this issue. Rather than be offended, he took the opportunity to learn from his mistake. He addressed the problem on his website and said that changes were forthcoming. Had he argued with people or said it didn't matter, I'm sure he'd have lost a LOT of readers.


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

you know what is nice? I can learn to spell Chanel.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

emilydowns said:


> you know what is nice? I can learn to spell Chanel.


Yes that is nice - it's also nice that so many people are willing to give you constructive criticism when you ask for it.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

Emily,

I love your threads because they're total train wrecks and I just can't look away. That may sound harsh, but I'm just being completely honest with you.

Listen:

1. You DO have talent. That much is obvious. However, that's not enough. You also need to possess the discipline to proofread and edit your work. If grammar is your weak point, find someone who excels in it and let them help you. No, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.

2. Your two statements below indicate not only a lack of respect for the reader, but also a lack of respect for yourself and your own work.

[quote author=emilydowns][size=10pt]If my work was junk, people wouldn't be clinging to it like dogs. 
___

Spell check changing chanel to channel, well that kind of glaring error isn't going to keep me up at night.[/quote]

3. You *need* to learn how to take criticism - constructive and otherwise. Instead, you've stamped your foot like a child and lashed out over and over. Your maturity has come into question. If you are this unpleasant on the boards, why would anyone want to spend their time - or money - on your books? Answer: They won't.

4. Bad publicity (which is what these threads have ultimately given you) is not a positive, no matter what you might've heard. Again, these threads have not motivated me - or others - to sample your work.

I'm not trying to attack you, Emily. I'm just laying out the facts - as I see them - on the table for you.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Well said CS.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

emilydowns said:


> I am sorry. I just don't think that is a huge grammatical error that will distract a reader from the story.


But it will detract from the story because I won't understand the sentence, making the reading difficult. We can't read what's in your mind or what you intended to say.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

I'm with CS on this one.  

E:  Whenever you start a thread, I can't help but read it.  They start with some light criticism, are followed by non sequiturs from the author, escalate into harsher criticisms and quickly devolve into arguments over whether readers care about spelling and grammar.  I know how they run, but I can't can't stop myself.  

That said, I do care about spelling and grammar when reading a book.  They help lend structure to a story.  I want a story to envelope me and take me into its world.  Simple issues like run-on and fragmented sentences jar me out of that world and, in the end, ruin the point of the story.

Full Disclaimer:  I did not read your books, just part of the samples.  I am not offended by the subject matter.


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

I have nothing to add on the grammar. As I have pointed out, I will look outside for help. If you think I am ignoring this advice you are wrong. My lack of education makes grammar a more daunting task than most of you can imagine.

I wonder how many views my posts receive on average?

How many of you sit behind your keyboard hitting refresh all evening? I wish I could sell these conversations to you, be your straw man for a dollar. Those of you who seem to be entertained for whatever reason, BUY MY BOOK. 

Good night.


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

emilydowns said:


> I have nothing to add on the grammar. As I have pointed out, I will look outside for help. If you think I am ignoring this advice you are wrong. My lack of education makes grammar a more daunting task than most of you can imagine.


Then seriously...pull your books from publication until you have a working knowledge of grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. I *do* understand how much a writer treasures his or her work, and to make complete changes _hurts_ sometimes, but without understanding the basics, you're doing not only your readers but yourself a disservice.

If you're willing to take advice, take this from someone who has been making a living at it for 25 years: you have the stories inside you, but you do not yet have the talent. Pull your books and start over, and get professional help with them. Don't rely on people hanging around the Internet to help; get someone to teach you the basics, and someone to teach you about story structure. If you're not willing to do this, then it's not possible for anyone--readers or other writers--to take you seriously.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

emilydowns said:


> I have nothing to add on the grammar. As I have pointed out, I will look outside for help. If you think I am ignoring this advice you are wrong. My lack of education makes grammar a more daunting task than most of you can imagine.


An education which was perhaps cut quite short through some unfortunate circumstance is certainly an explanation for the errors in the excerpts that I've read. It's good to know that you are looking for help. Perhaps instead of just having one or two novels edited you'll take the time for the grammar and composition classes that you missed the first time around.

There's no shame in having an incomplete education, and certainly no shame in admitting that fact. What annoys people is the appearance of taking pride in that circumstance, and what frustrates some of us enormously is an uncaring attitude toward the language.

Surely you've read books that you enjoyed immensely, and in which you found yourself admiring a well-crafted phrase. Would you not want your readers to feel the same about your work, instead of letting them re-read a phrase several times to figure out what you must have meant?

You say that you take your work seriously. The work of an author may be chiefly to create and tell a good story, but a true professional also values the basic _tools_ of his work. An author's sole tool is the language; it is an incredibly powerful tool but only if it is kept well-honed. Using it haphazardly and with little regard for precision is akin to using a surgical scalpel to open the cardboard box your Kindle came in.

I hope that you find a good teacher to help you learn, and I hope that you can then re-write your novels so that they become successful. And yes, I can indeed imagine what a daunting task it will be to improve your grammar, since English is not my native language, and I had to learn its proper use too -- and am still learning.

Don't settle for "good enough"! Your novels reflect YOU; don't you want them to be the best they can be?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Nicely said, Susan!

Emily, it's good to know that you are considering the comments you've received after your request for them.

Peace to everyone from London!

Betsy


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## Carolyn Kephart (Feb 23, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> You say that you take your work seriously. The work of an author may be chiefly to create and tell a good story, but a true professional also values the basic _tools_ of his work. An author's sole tool is the language; it is an incredibly powerful tool but only if it is kept well-honed. Using it haphazardly and with little regard for precision is akin to using a surgical scalpel to open the cardboard box your Kindle came in.
> 
> English is not my native language, and I had to learn its proper use too -- and am still learning.
> 
> Don't settle for "good enough"! Your novels reflect YOU; don't you want them to be the best they can be?


My compliments to words so wonderfully well said. I wish all writers for whom English is a _first_ language possessed your eloquence.

CK

(Betsy, is it raining? )


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Carolyn Kephart said:


> (Betsy, is it raining? )


Not yet. Or rather, not now, as it was raining some during the night, apparently. It IS supposed to rain today.
Here's a pic from last night:








Oh, well, it's London...

Betsy


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

I am so tired. I have an exam in a few hours.

Some on you think I am being insulting when I have no intention of being insulting. It is odd, some of you have no problem telling me English isn't my first language, yet when I make a comment pointing out what other posters have stated, "the threads become train wrecks", people posting and viewing a lot, that is insulting?

I have to go study.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

What? These threads do become train wrecks. They are fascinating to watch evolve. It is an interesting little sociological experiment. (Shrugs)

I am glad you are going to work with a proof reader/editor. That will greatly improve the quality of your writing. Hopefully, it will help you sell books. 

I will know that you have matured as a writer when the first bunch of posts in one of your threads are actually about the story and not about the grammar. I will know that you have matured as a person when your response to comments about grammar issues and the like evolve from "I don't see how something like mistake X is a big deal" to something along the lines of "Wow, I didn't realize that the spell checker changed that, I will fix it." or "Thanks for the feedback, I will fix those mistakes."


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## Laurie (Jan 9, 2009)

emilydowns said:


> I have nothing to add on the grammar. As I have pointed out, I will look outside for help. If you think I am ignoring this advice you are wrong. My lack of education makes grammar a more daunting task than most of you can imagine.
> 
> I wonder how many views my posts receive on average?
> 
> ...


I, for one, have never even sampled your books for the simple reason that they're obviously a mess, you don't particularly care that they're a mess, and you choose to insult the people who try to help you improve. I won't give as much as a penny to support that kind of attitude. You come across as very rude. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's the impression I get. From what I read you do have a talent, but that's not enough. I'll read OTHER talented authors who care about their readers and who take the time to present a quality product.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Emily:

If you have an exam, why on earth were you messing around on KB?!  Go study, indeed!

Everyone else: 

Forgive a relative 'newbie,' but in my humble opinion this thread has garnered all the attention it needs for the moment. You've given excellent and articulate advice. Everything's been said and repeated--it does no good to argue with a closed mind.    You've done what you can to be helpful, and if we keep giving Emily cause to respond the thread will just keep roiling and festering at the top of the boards.  Shall we let it flop around on the floor until it dies a natural death? Even a 'train wreck' is only interesting for so long--prolonging this one only makes Emily look worse. Best response is no response at this point, says I. If she baits you, I'd ignore it. She'll learn...eventually. 

Perhaps she can benefit from the example of some of the mature, classy authors posting this forum (Ed, Carolyn, and others too numerous to list), but she'll have to open her mind first.

(Just my opinion, for what it's worth.  )

--Professor Archer
(Crash--I'm a Professor of Equine Science, aka 'Biogeek.' What's your academic area?)


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

> --Professor Archer
> (Crash--I'm a Professor of Equine Science, aka 'Biogeek.' What's your academic area?)


It was Political Science. I am now a Reformed Academic making real money in the private sector and loving life. I miss teaching, I loved the classroom, but not the publishing scene. I got tired of people telling me that my work was great but drop Method X. Well, Method X was what helped me to test my hypotheses and reach the conclusions that you are telling me are great. So how is my worked improved by dropping Method X? The competition between the various methods, Quantitative vs Qualitative in my case, was silly and inhibited the advancement of the discipline. I got tired of dealing with the folks who want to protect their turf and were afraid to learn something about a new and different method.

In the end, Academia was not a good fit for me. I do not have the necessary self discipline to publish or the patience with reviewers who punish people for using a methodology that they personally do not like. I would research a subject, present at conferences to good reviews, and then get bored during the publishing process and move on to a new subject.

I am thinking about teaching part time at a Community College because I do miss the classroom. My brother misses me calling while grading papers and going "Did you know that Germany borders the United Kingdom?". (grins)


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

Ok.
I have had it with self-centered Emily.
Her posts are reminding me of some other "authors" who created a lot of dustups to get publicity.
And I for one am tired of bothering with her.

I will not post in her threads.
And (she gave us the key) I will not read her threads or posts.
She is abusing the forum.

Just sayin......


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I try to keep quiet on these matters, but I agree with Geoff.  This woman does seem to be causing more than her share of discontent in these threads.  I believe it's time she look for a new group of readers or editors, or whatever it is she's looking for.  We are a peace-loving, helpful group of posters and each of her threads reduces to the same suggestions that I do not believe she's actually looking for.
JMO
deb


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Thank you for the kind words, Carolyn and Betsy.


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

So maybe Miss Emily needs to use more emoticons?  I, for one, found this thread refreshing and uplifting... NOT!!  Anyhoo, I wanted to get my three cents in and say to everyone who seriously tried to get into this post with good advice, stop it,  just stop it.  Go and read INTINST's posts in Not Quite So Kindle's Infinity Thread.    Very, very sincerely, Brendan


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Brendan Carroll said:


> stop it, just stop it.


** * * THE END * * **

<credits here>


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> ** * * THE END * * **
> 
> <credits here>


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

My two cents: I like the text to flow. If I am mentally correcting errors as I am reading, it interrupts the flow pattern and disrupts the story. All authors should care about errors; it is professional to do so. There is nothing wrong with taking pride in ones work. However, if someone asks for constructive criticism; they must be prepared to accept it...good, bad or indifferent.

One example: Although I loved the book "The Help" the author having corrected her errors post book and acknowledging their presence, though choosing to ignore them, was unprofessional.

*As for this site and its members; they are a kind and giving bunch* who were _honestly_ responding to a request. I stand behind them. A couple of old quotes come to mind: If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. Be careful of what you wish for.

One final note: Thank goodness for Intinst, Susan and others...I so enjoy the infinity thread...typos and all...lol. It lightens up tense situations and "heavy" threads such as this one.


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## emilydowns (Jul 8, 2009)

Read the sample. Lots of positive reviews. Beware of the subject matter.


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## Bernie (Jan 31, 2010)

I must admit, I clicked on the link to see what the book was about. The subject matter wouldn't bother me in the least. I thought it would be a good thread.

Sadly, I was hooked and had to read the whole thread. I think there is A LOT of great advice given. My fiancee' has been trying to get me to write a book for a while. My grammar and spelling are awful, hence I'm lazy and have not done it. I don't want to just slam a book out for the sake of having been published. If I ever get that far, I will be looking up and asking a ton of advice from the folks who gave the author advice in this thread. 

I may have overlooked the spelling and other errors of this book. May have even order a copy to read. However, after the author got on her high horse and started fighting with folks who were only trying to help. I will spend my money on something else. I'm sure the author wanted everyone to fall all over themselves praising her work. Sadly, that is impossible to do at this point. 

Her last post said to check out the reviews for the books. I was bored and nosy and did so. There are a total of 4 reviews, not quite the amount she would have you think. 1 review is 4 stars and the rest are 1 star. Again, had I been interested in the book before this thread, the handful of reviews would make me pass this book up.


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