Self Publishing.

Well now! Thank you both,you are correct. The difference between criticize and criticism, both from the same root, is apparently inexplicable.

So apologies to all, I was wrong to blame Word, I confess to having made an incorrect assumption.

Back to the keyboard; I have unfinished business.

De fault is in de spellchecker, I can't find that as a US variation either, as Ana has said.

I can't find any reference anywhere to 'criticizm' being the US way of spelling 'criticism'.

Just saying.

Blame MS Word. It's the (American) default speling in the software. I leave it there becuase sales are higher in US/English locations.

Speaking of de fault ...no I won't go there, Soutra. Thank you for your response, most welcome.

I hope you have a good proof reader . .. . . * criticiZm*???

To anyone who has endured the delightful agony of producing a book, well done. Storytelling is an art whereas writing is a craft, one that has to be learned like any other. I started writing novels when already in my early seventies. With lots of help from a good editor I learned the nuts and bolts of how to put together a readable novel. Three finished and um... doing reasonably well so far. With the fourth I am at the stage where the thing has taken over and seems to have a life of its own. Delight and agony at the same time.

There's nothing wrong with criticizm. A reader who has paid for a product is entitled to express an opinion about it. Personally I welcome it (yes, really!) because it is the only way to improve, even if one does not always agree with any particular view.

Good luck to you, Mimosa. Keep writing and keep banging the drum.

I find it sad that Mimosa should have been criticised for her motives in posting this thread. IMO her main motive was to get advice and support.

If I had written and self published a book I would be brimming with excitement to tell others.

Well done to you Mimosa and other budding authors! I know personally the work, effort and tears that go into writing a book.

I agree ffinnochio. I thought it could be a really interesting exchange of experiences and in a way it was.

I really did not think that Mimosa was only concerned with pushing her book. Yes, she had something to promote, yet feel that was not the sole purpose of her post. She was clearly interested in advice, support, ideas and contacting others with similar interest and who may have constructive information to share.

Your original post is at the head of the thread, so I don't understand the problem

If you'd just wanted to share self-publishing information and tips, why give such a detailed description of your already self-published book?

ABSENT GRANDMA

Thank you very much for your lovely post, greatly appreciated. x

I don't know why you should be surprised, Mimosa.
I thought the same as Ariadne.
You may not have thought you were advertising but there was certainly some 'product placement' in your OP!

Eloethan
Thank you for your lovely message and support.

Absent, thank you for your interesting comments, they made a lot of sense.

Would just like to make it clear to everyone here that I had no intention of self publicising my book when I wrote the original post and am quite surprised if anyone thought that.

I wanted to know if anyone had been down the self publication road.

I have received some very helpful advice which I am extremely grateful for, but cannot understand where the original post has gone!!!!!

Hi Mike
Thank you so much for your very interesting post. Well done to you as well for doing so well with your books.

I did not actually intend my post to be a chance to flog my book as I am sure you would appreciate, just wanted to know if anyone else had done the same.

Thank you for your support! Greatly appreciated.

OK!

That sounded harsher thsn I meant it to sound. Sorry.

But you seem to think a thread only 'degenerates' when someone has the courage to speak out against nastiness and sniping Ariadne?

Yes, leave the thread by all means but don't tar everyone with the same black brush.

So, I am castigated for commenting on a thread in which I had not taken part until today? No one (apart from once) has ever been unpleasant to me on GN in all the time I have been here.

Ah well, c'est la vie - I will leave this nastiness to those who seem to enjoy it.

Gosh Mike well done! What an encouragement for would be self publishers!

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Congratulations Mimosa on your book, and I fail to see any problem with a delicate piece of self publication. I know exactly where you are coming from with the original question, as I have myself, self published a memoir about 6 month ago. Technology has made writing a book so much easier, but promotion without the assistance of a Publisher is extremely difficult. I do think there is a certain snobbery about self publication which I completely understand , and to a certain extent, agree with. I have been fortunate, because my book has sold very well, and the Kindle version has consistently sold well and has accumulated a host of 5* reviews. It is currently early 20s in the Amazon Memoir / History best selling charts. I did it all myself, writing, editing, proof reading. I'm sure not all the commas, semi colons, full stops and apostrophes are in the correct places, but it has given pleasure to thousands of readers already, and is competing with the likes of Caitlin Moran, Alan Johnson and Boris Johnson in the sales. In a fit of over excitement in the early days of being in print, I posted a link on here and was promptly chastised and removed :-). Go for it Mimosa and good luck. My advice is to utilise Social Media to the full. You go girl !!

This is how I see it.

Whether or not Mimosa was self publicising her book, the thread was hijacked by certain posters who used it as a vehicle to continue certain 'history' between posters (well spotted Jane) and continued with progressively nastier put downs. This seems to have been the flavour of a couple of threads recently

This went on, generally unchecked, ignored by most, interspersed with some useful advice and words of encouragement, until someone actually spoke out bluntly against the 'disruptors'. Which was thought by some to be a 'good' thing but was less well recieved by others.

So what's new? It is always the same scenario. As soon as the worm turns the thread is suddenly deemed to have 'degenerated' ?

Well if you can't take it then don't dish it out in the first place.

At 11 last night it seemed likely that everyone would sleep on it and leave it alone this morning.

Well, mimosa's book has been launched on a choppy sea, but I daresay it will float.