Here’s the deal: Proofreading your marketing materials is easy. Proofreading an entire manuscript is hard. If you can’t be bothered to make sure that you’ve spelled “diva” correctly in your book video (or worse, that you don’t even know that it’s not spelled “deva”), then we will presume that your book’s manuscript is even worse. Not many people are willing to read a book that is riddled with mistakes.<\/p>\n

Even those who aren’t gud spellrs themselves can spot mistakes that others make — and be frustrated enough to wish they hadn’t bought the book.<\/p>\n

And who is more likely to comment on the book on Amazon, B&N, or any other retail site that accepts reader comments? The person who feels ripped off or the person who thought the book was pretty good?\u00a0We are moved to comment when we’re annoyed, not when we’re satisfied. If your book has problems, it won’t be a secret for long.<\/p>\n

Your marketing materials are a window into the quality of your book. Even if you pay somebody to create them, proofread them carefully, and make sure they are visually appealing. They are your book’s business card. If your book is good — and I know you think that it is — then your promotional materials should be good, too.<\/p>\n

What’s your take on this? What quality level do you expect in a book that you’ve purchased?<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I viewed a book video\/trailer this week through a link provided by the author in a LinkedIn discussion. He had created the video himself and was justifiably proud. Though too long, it had interesting images, great music that suggested the book’s mood and tone, and pulsating text that drew me in.<\/p>\n

It also had a few obvious typos.<\/p>\n