The great thing about self-publishing is that anybody can do it...the bad thing about it is so many people are doing it that it's hard to find the good stuff (or to help people find it, if you're the author).
For example, below are a few descriptions, written by the authors, of publications available for sale at smashwords.com. I have not included the names of the authors or their publications because it's not my intention to embarrass anybody, just to show that even the short descriptions suggest that these stories or books have not been edited for grammar or punctuation.
Sadie, a quiet 11 year-old girl is loved by doting yet strict parents who work hard to make a better life for their only child who is friendless and suffers from image problems. Follow Sadie as she meets Clawson, discover her strengths and disappear into thin air from a home locked from the inside.
Ghosts or spirits of Houlton's founders who reside in Evergreen cemetery appear to two local adolescent boys. The ghosts are not threatening, demonic, gruesome, grizzly, or have any intention of interfering with the teenagers' pursuits. Conversely, the ghosts eagerly interact with the youngsters and respond to all of their questions regarding the growth of their community, hardships suffered by (description cut off by length restriction at the site).
Sustainable (Green) Living is a new way living with nature without any adverse effect on it. This type of living stresses upon lesser utilization of natural resources. Sustainable Living decreases the cost living and increase the peace in life.
Her home was attacked and her Goblin master and husband was killed. Seeing the flames consume her husband she chose to die at his side but instead of dying she was pulled from the raging fire and forced to live by a Seelie Jinn. Perhaps the same one that killed her husband and left her heart and her body scared forever. (I'm guessing she meant scarred, but I could be wrong.)
She is the key to stopping a war that has lasted a millennia... And he is the key to her downfall.
In this intense short story by [name ommited], Charlie Task is the unnamed protagonist. He's taking care of business, doing what he can, using his special skills to remove blights from the world.
There's nothing wrong with people getting enjoyment from writing these and sharing them with their friends and family, but putting a price on them suggests that they meet a certain level of professionalism, which they clearly don't. This makes it more likely that readers, tired of poorly written works by new writers, will prefer to buy ebooks by authors with whom they are already familiar.
