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Maximum Speed: Pushing the Limit

August 27, 2011 13 Comments

The contents of this book review have been removed at the author’s request. (6/20/2012)

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About Emily Suess

Emily Suess is a freelance marketing copywriter in Indianapolis, Indiana and a regular contributor at Small Business Bonfire.
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  • http://www.smilingtreewriting.com Dava Stewart

    I wrote a post last week about how I love and hate free ebooks (I don’t know if this one is a freebie or not, but your review reminds me of some of them). On the one hand it feels like being part of a writers group or workshop and I appreciate the authors’ efforts, but on the other it’s annoying because it is SUPPOSED tone a complete work.

    • http://blog.emilysuess.com Emily Suess

      Sadly, this book is not free. It’ll set you back about $10 on Amazon.com. But I do know what you mean. There really isn’t much difference between those free eBooks you’re talking about and a lot of the self-published hard copies that come my way.

  • http://www.austinbriggs.com Austin Briggs

    The Kindle price made my buying finger pause. 

    Good review. Thanks for calling out the examples. I love the honesty.

    • http://blog.emilysuess.com Emily Suess

      Damn.

      I’m shooting myself in the foot, you know? I haven’t made a single cent on Amazon affiliate links for these reviews because I keep telling people the truth about them.

      However, if I save even one reader from… Oh wait, I just did! Congratulations. :)

      • http://www.austinbriggs.com Austin Briggs

        Yeah, that’s one of the reasons I’ve removed all affiliate links from my site (apart from one, a piece of software I truly liked). 

        But your approach should pay back, eventually. Imagine the flurry of clicks for a book that will, some time, get a glowing review from you. 

  • Jamie-Lee

    There’s a reason it’s a piece of crap- it’s self-published with IUniverse, which is a scam. You pay them thousands of dollars to print you book, give you an ISBN and display it on Amazon/their website. It’s a shame really. 

    • http://www.austinbriggs.com Austin Briggs

      I agree that iUniverse isn’t a sign of quality :) but I wouldn’t dismiss a book just because it’s published by them. 

      You do have a point, though – a quality-oriented author wouldn’t normally go through a service like that. I prefer reading writers who self-publish all the way, hiring good editors, good designers, etc. 

  • http://www.grizzbabesden.blogspot.com Grizzbabe

    I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by it’s cover, but could it look any cheesier?

    • http://blog.emilysuess.com Emily Suess

      That’s another thing about using places like iUniverse to publish a books. You don’t get professional editing services, and you sure as heck don’t get real graphic designers. Throwing a bunch of stock photos around a title does not equal a sexy book cover.

  • Kevin Gray

    Actually, Emily professional editing services are available through iUniverse; and we storngly recommend every author utlize the services of a professional editor — either through iUniverse — or from another source. Because iUniverse is an indie publishing company, authors are free to disregard this advice and push forward without an editor.
    Authors are also encouraged to take great care in working with iUniverse in designing their covers. Many authors provide their own artwork or commission the services of a professional illustrator — either through iUniverse or again from an external source. Authors have final signoff on the entire book, including the cover, before the book is put into distribution.
    The fact is fewer and fewer “non-superstar” authors are receiving advances from publishers, making indie publishing providers like iUniverse more and more popular. Whether an author chooses to publish through iUniverse, or to utilize another publishing option, we encourage all authors to seek out the assistance of professionals to ensure their books are the best they can be.
     
    Regards,
    Kevin A. Gray
    iUniverse
    kevin.gray @iuniverse.com 

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