Paul C Skertich | The macabre and horror.

Every writer would love to be a traditional published one, right? Hell, I do. And some are absolutely okay with self-publishing. That's okay, too. It's what they're most comfortable with.  Below, I'll discuss the ups and downs of being a writer.  One thing about being a writer is it takes a long time. Patience. Determination. And getting back up again. You see, reviewers can be great but also nasty. Nasty in a way that really don't help the writer grow. But reviews are reviews. And writers can't get too attach to their reviewers. If they take everything to heart, they won't make it. And the industry is already hard enough to break into.  So, you've just completed your novel. To you, it's a masterpiece. It's the most brilliant piece of work that you've ever created. You sent out your manuscript to hundreds of literary agents. Only to wait. Wait some more. Then suddenly, you get a email. Hot Skippy, you're so damn excited. Could this be it?...

I dared myself to take a peek at the sample pages of my self-published novels: The House On Elm  and Disturb-o-pedia . At that time, I thought they were great. I read the words out loud, chuckled then really slapped my forehead. How the hell could I put this shit out there?  I questioned myself. One thing is certain, I grew with the negative remarks left on the book's reviews section. I'm not in denial, no sir--I am certainly not, and would agree with those negative reviews. Those negative reviewers, harsh as they seem to be, are extremely beneficial, but I won't curl up into a fetal position, place my thumb in my mouth and sob away until the darkness of the night faded into morning. Here's the few things I've noticed as I re-read the sample pages from my self-published novels. THEY DIDN'T FLOW The words from the pages didn't flow like a river down a stream. Words should flow gently and peacefully together--chaining together like links. The words seeme...