Reading a self-published novel

sartorias posted a wonderful discussion of issues in selling that first novel: the investment that one's support group has in the success of one's effort; the ease of submission brought about by computers (as opposed to having to type out the manuscript, carbon paper and all, and mail it), and some thoughts on being asked to read -- and supposedly write a blurb for -- a self-published novel.

I am reminded of an experience I had oh, 4 or 5 years ago. I was on a con panel with an earnest (and also disarmingly gorgeous) young man who was promoting his first book. Trade PB, glossy cover. He made lots of typical first-novel comments on the panel, so he wasn't stupid. He sounded as if he were about where any first-time novelist should be. We chatted writerly chat afterward, and he bestowed a copy of his novel on me in thanks.

Glossy covers don't tell anything. It was self-published. And it was awful. Really awful, and I usually bend over backwards to come up with encouraging comments. The Red Line of Doom (the point at which an editor stops reading) would have come on the second line, if not before. Sometimes a dynamite story trumps mediocre prose. (Dan Brown's work is an example, although I think it's exceptionally generous to label his prose mediocre.) I couldn't get far enough to tell if the concept was worth anything, but the prose was so bad, it would have made no difference. The sad part was how proud he was of it and the sincere enthusiasm with which he was promoting it.

I'd read a page, put it down, look at the paper-recycling bin, pick it up again a month later, when my brain had recovered. I kept trying to find a way to say, "Please don't do this. You are seriously damaging your career. For every reader you charm into buying this book, you will create an anti-reader who will never buy anything you write again. You are generating name recognition for all the wrong reasons. Go, learn, get some decent feedback, and then let an editor decide when your work is good enough."

In the end, I put the book in the library-donation pile.