Have you ever downloaded an e-book from Amazon or any other source? If so, have you noticed how many typos and other errors they contain? Clearly, many of these e-books have never been proofread or edited. I can understand that many of these books are self-published but that's no excuse to skip proofreading the manuscript. Out of more than a dozen e-books I've read, I've only deleted two without completing them. I deleted them for lack of a decent story and for having cardboard characters, not for typos or a lack of editing.
Many of the e-books I've read tell wonderful stories and have characters I care about. I push through the bad grammar, poor word choices, and spelling mistakes for the sake of the story. Some people tell the most amazing stories. My late brother-in-law, Doug Mount, was one of those people. Sadly, Dougie never wrote anything down. If he had, I suspect his writing would have needed proofreading and editing. I hate the thought of people being deprived of good stories because they can't get past the errors in form to enjoy the substance.
My husband is a skilled candle maker. When he wrote his book about candle making, it was in some language that had only the most tenuous connection to English. The information was stellar, and I wanted people to benefit from it. The published version still contains my husband's words but they are in English, arranged a bit differently, and spelled correctly.
I implore the writers out there -- PLEASE, at the very least, have someone proofread your work. There are companies out there that will do that for you. There are also private consultants who will do the same and can be more approachable. Whoever you choose to complete this step, remember -- your work is not ready for publication until it has been proofread and edited.
Keep writing!
