Shelleyo, I am applauding you. That's a great post, and you've nailed several of my concerns and experiences. It's so sad for the writers concerned, and it's what I hope BR&BC helps protect against.
I've seen loads of that sort of book, I'm sad to say. And amateur self-publishers aren't the only ones putting them out.
You're right that there are a lot of incompetent e-presses out there, but they're not all started by sharks. Plenty are started by people with really good intentions, but without the skills or expertise required to do a good job. There are also some incompetent/sharky print publishers, but they tend to fail quicker because it's more difficult to sell dodgy print editions.
Whatever the reasons for poor publishing, though, writers and readers get screwed. And that's sad.
I can't say I've bought any books of the kind you're describing shelley other than one self published free book I picked up on ARE. I guess again these are maybe the new epresses started by sharks that have sprung up because they can bang something up on kindle for someone and take a percentage without doing anything. Mostly I buy from long established epubs I know have a name. I do buy based on publisher, but I know I'm in the minority of buyers there.
I've seen loads of that sort of book, I'm sad to say. And amateur self-publishers aren't the only ones putting them out.
You're right that there are a lot of incompetent e-presses out there, but they're not all started by sharks. Plenty are started by people with really good intentions, but without the skills or expertise required to do a good job. There are also some incompetent/sharky print publishers, but they tend to fail quicker because it's more difficult to sell dodgy print editions.
Whatever the reasons for poor publishing, though, writers and readers get screwed. And that's sad.