Writer's Digest Self-Published eBook Awards Evaluation

I submitted my book, The Darkness of the Womb, to Writer's Digest Self-Published eBook competition, and this is what they had to say:

Structure and Organization: 3

Grammar: 3

Production Quality and Cover Design: 3

Plot (if applicable): 5

Character Development (if applicable): 4

Judges Commentary*:

What a frightening, thought provoking, terrifying and yet utterly entertaining read. This book really impressed me and I wasn't expecting this reaction after the sort cover. Note to author, consider a cover re-design as this book is so much more powerful than you've depicted here.

I love this story's premise. How ingenious, really! The author is to be commended for actually conceiving (pun intended) of something utterly unique in the often times repetitive book marketplace.

That being said¦there are some issues on the editorial side. I'm concerned with the point of view swapping throughout as it often times makes it difficult to follow. For a story this complex, I'd recommend only one or two at most.

I like the way the author has created realistic dialogue but I'm unsure about the over abundance of internal dialogue. I believe this weakens the impact of several scenes. When you want to emphasize a word like at the end of Chapter 2, there is no need to use all caps or and definitely don't underline and use (!). A simple use of italics to show emphasis is all that is needed. These are small things but they add up and can be distracting to a reader who would otherwise be lost in the fantastic fantasy world you've created.

I'd recommend a thorough line edit by a qualified editor. Otherwise, well done!

What are your thoughts? This is Rich talking again. Do you think I should fix the book and get it out there again? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.