One of my newsletter subscribers subscribers sent me an unsolicited copy of his self-published nonfiction book. He included a note asking me to review it on Amazon.

He didn’t ask me if I’d review it before mailing the book. I wish he had, because it’s not the type of book I read, so I’m not qualified to review it.

But there I was, holding a book that was part memoir, part rant, and all awful.

Much of the content, while important to the author, was irrelevant to the book’s topic. In addition, because there were few paragraph breaks in the text — imagine a book with page after page of text with no white space — it was hard to read.

So I didn’t.

“Did you read it yet?”

The author kept hounding me for an “honest” review, all the while reminding me of how much that review copy cost him to print and mail.

I eventually read several pages to get a feel for his style and content. Then I scanned the rest to confirm that it was a book fueled by a vendetta and not by a need to help others. When I felt confident that I had seen enough to write an informed review, I did so.

I focused on the positives — his passion and topic knowledge — and gave it a three-star rating instead of a more honest one-star assessment.

It wasn’t the glowing five-star comment he expected, so he sent a scathing e-mail about me to his friend . . . or  — imagine “Dateline’s” Keith Morrison asking this question — “Did he?” 

The author sent his cranky message to me by mistake! Ha!

via GIPHY

Quality makes a difference

This author doesn’t understand the importance of quality — in his manuscript, in the finished product, or in his dealings with others.

If you want people to know about, purchase, and read your books, quality counts. It really is that simple.

People don’t tell other readers about books that are “so-so.” But they will do your marketing for you when you give them something worth sharing.

Signs of quality in a book

Whether you plan to write just one book or several, you need:

• A great title (and for nonfiction, a corresponding subtitle)
• An attention-getting, professionally designed cover that’s appropriate for your genre
• Excellent content
• Well-written content (which isn’t the same as excellent content — you can write well, but still produce text that’s useless)
• Text with very few typographical errors and grammar mistakes
• Quality marketing materials (this applies to everything you communicate about the book, from your tweets to your website)

It starts with the cover. There’s that cliche about how you can’t judge a book by its cover, but guess what: We do. And it’s the first thing we see when we discover a book.

Whether it’s a thumbnail-size e-book cover or one showcased on a bookstore shelf, if it doesn’t look “right,” we’ll move along without bothering to read the book description.

What’s more, if the cover looks amateurish, we’ll presume that what’s inside is sub-par, too. Can you take that risk?

Hiring help

If you’re serious about using your book to educate, entertain, influence, or inform, you’ll have to make sure it’s a quality product. Most authors need outside help to accomplish that.

There are all kinds of excellent professionals available to make sure that you’ve got the best book possible — one that represents you and your talents well. Yes, you will have to spend a little money on good talent, but isn’t that smarter than wasting your time producing a book that nobody reads?

Ask authors whose work you admire to refer you to cover designers, editors, proofreaders, and others who can help you take your book to the next level.

You can also use online writers’ forums, your local writer’s group, Facebook and LinkedIn groups, or your social networks to request referrals to trusted professionals.

A few resources for improving quality

I get a lot of e-mails asking me for resources, so here are a few that might help.

• Book covers: I know many authors who have been happy with the process at 99designs. For a more personal approach, consider my cover designer friend Alexander von Ness at Nessgraphica.
• Editing and proofreading help: Use the “Freelance Writer Search” option from the American Society of Journalists and Authors or the Editorial Freelancers Association.
• Ghostwriters: I’m a member of and recommend the “find a writer” resources offered by both the Association of Ghostwriters and the American Society of Journalists and Authors.
• Quality marketing materials: At a minimum, you want an attractive website that appeals to your target reader.

Can you do all of it on your own? Not likely.

If you’re a good writer, you probably aren’t a good cover and interior layout designer.

If you’re a good artist, you might not be a solid writer.

Figure out where you’re weak and get help. You won’t regret it.

What services do you recommend for cover designers, book interiors/layouts, ghostwriters, editors, etc.? Please help others by sharing referrals!

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in April 2012. It has been updated and expanded.)

I co-moderate a Facebook group for self-published authors that doesn’t allow members to promote their books or services. I’m responsible for deleting those posts when they appear so that they don’t clutter the page and interfere with discussion and learning.

One that showed up today made me laugh, so I didn’t delete it, choosing to use it as a teachable moment, instead.

It was from a book editor offering her services. Here’s an image of her post, altered to eliminate identification.

I spotted two editing mistakes immediately.

Ironic, eh?

It reminded me that it was time for me to write about a topic I’ve been thinking about for a while: the importance of making sure that you vet your vendors before hiring them. If you’re spending money with a cover designer, book editor, marketing consultant, or anyone else, you want to be certain that they can deliver on their promises.

Editors who can’t edit? Yikes!

Who wants to hire an editor who doesn’t know how to edit?

But how can you hire someone good if you don’t know what you don’t know? For example, if you don’t know what’s wrong with the message in the box above, then you’re not going to spot the errors I see all the time on the websites of people who say they’re book editors.

Trust me, good editors don’t have spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes on their sites. But, if you can’t spot the mistakes, you won’t know that.

The goal, of course, is to avoid wasting your money on a service provider who doesn’t know any more than you do.

Try these steps

I asked the Facebook group’s members to share how they make sure they’re hiring vendors they can trust. Here’s our combined advice.

1. Ask around.

Keisha Page trusts good word-of-mouth buzz on resources. One of the best ways to get that is to ask people who they would recommend — that’s what Heather Townsend does.

I’ll add, though, that you want to ask people who have an end product that you admire and who share your values.

For example, I don’t decide which movies to watch based on the recommendations of just anyone. I first figure out who also liked movies I liked, and disliked those I also disliked. That tells me that we have similar tastes. It works that way with professional resources, too.

2. When feasible, give them a test.

When hiring an editor, Page likes to see a small sample of her work edited. It helps her gauge skill but also gives her a sense of whether she will work well with the individual.

Before hiring an editor for his book on Mormon history and doctrine, Frank Reid gave a short list of potential editors a quiz that tested their knowledge on that religion.

This isn’t possible for all work that you might outsource, but it is for some of it.

3. Look for people with experience.

I see a big red flag when a service provider’s website “about” page explains that the person self-published one book and is now in the business of guiding others through the publishing process. Experience trumps enthusiasm, whether you’re talking about designing a cover, serving as a book shepherd, or formatting your manuscript. You want someone who’s done the task well many times.

4. Request and check references.

Approach the reference check with a list of specific questions related to what’s important to you, not anyone else. Do you need to work with someone who respects deadlines? Put that at the top of your list. Do you want someone who responds quickly? Ask a question that will get you the information you need.

5. Know what you need.

Chances are, no matter what the task, you’ll be working closely with this person, so make sure you like their approach and style. Reid knew that he wanted his manuscript edited with Word’s “track changes” function, so that was one of his editor requirements.  Someone else might prefer another approach. Know what you need, then look for it.

6. Compare work styles.

Working with several virtual assistants with different work styles has helped me pinpoint what I need. One neglected to note that she would never be available to assist in the morning, while another wouldn’t take phone calls. What do you need from the person you’ll be working with on your project? You want a meeting of the minds.

How do you vet the people or companies you hire to help you with a book project? Please share your advice in a comment.