Reading As A Writer

I've noticed since I've been reading many more books recently on my iPad that I'm now reading much more as a writer than as a casual reader.

This is not to diss the casual reader, but a writer needs to read with a much more critical eye - even for pleasure - and when it becomes almost unconscious, I think you'll know at what level you and the author you're reading are writing at.

Now, without pointing fingers, I've read more than a half dozen books in the last 2 months, mainly on my iPad. The experience has varied from thorough enjoyment to wondering WTF the author was doing anyhow they managed to get the crap past an editor - and these are professionals I'mtalking about.

Again, I cannot and will not name names, but some of the stuff I've read over the past week or three wouldn't have passed my personal smell test for editorial professionalism. I'm always disappointed, as well, when an author I think I'll like literally phones the story in and completely glosses over key items such as characterization, story, scene, dialog, and even plot.

Still, they get published and paid money for their work and I literally spend years writing and crafting a work and get rejected over and over. I've literally had a work rejected for spelling blond "blonde".

Go figure.

Tastes may differ, but crap is still crap and some editorial staffs continue to put out books and pay authors for stories that are pure crap - poorly worded, poorly plotted, poorly edited, and poorly just about everything else.

Just slapping a great cover on a book doesn't mean it's a great book. A great cover and a crappy book equals a crappy book and the likelihood I'll never touch that author again.