I’m not holding back on this mess. This is why people need editors. This is why Self Publishers get a bad wrap.

Ghosts of San Diego reads like someone has put a pedantic visitor’s tour monologue and a historical plaque together with a lack of effort. There is almost no research done to substantiate credible accounts of ghostly encounters. The locations of the sites are poorly described and due to the format of the chapters/sites the addresses are at the end of the information which gives the reader no frame of reference for introduction. A map and key would only help aid those unfamiliar with San Diego put the historical region together with the ghostly lore.

…Oh and unless you are publishing poetry, or making greeting cards center alignment is an amateur move.

Sentence structure, redundancy, word usage, and grammar are crimes against the reader’s time. In the twenty-eight pages the breakdown of word redundancy looks like this.

29 also’s
19 originally’s
17 eventually’s
21 frequently’s
17 located’s

Because of this abuse of terminology sentences are repeated. These sentences are the FIRST sentence in each section.

“The Adobe Chapel is a historic chapel that is located in San Diego.”

“The Cabrillo Bridge is a historic pedestrian and automobile located in San Diego.”

“El Campo Santo is a historic cemetery in San Diego, that is located in the Old Town neighborhood.”

“The Horton Grand Hotel is a hotel located in San Diego.”

“La Casa de Estudillo, which is also known as the Estudillo House, is a historic adobe house in San Diego, that is located in the Old Town neighborhood.”

“The US Grant Hotel is a historic hotel that is located in downtown San Diego.”

What? A book published as “Ghost of San Diego” has content “located in San Diego?” I couldn’t be more amazed than if I found out the bridges were bridges, hotels were hotels, and the cemeteries were infact, cemeteries!

This is writing no-no’s 101. Don’t start all sections of your thesis with the same introduction. Be sure that you don’t state the obvious. Avoid prepositions when unnecessary. Avoid dangling participles. Be aware of sentence splicing. PROOFREAD. EDIT. SECOND DRAFT. REVISE. FINAL DRAFT.

I bought this for three-dollars and Jeffrey Fisher needs to use that toward a writing class or an editor.

Lastly, Fact checking. An author who publishes something like this needs to fact check accounts and not rely on ambiguous or vague, leading assumptions. Who experienced these accounts? How were these incidents confirmed? If it is a rumor, as Jeffrey Fisher often alludes, where is the basis? Who gossips about these occurrences? What stories have a basis in fact or legend?

Even though this guide is about the paranormal which most associate with the ephemeral, deep research make these books exciting. When you visit places with historic folklore in San Diego: The Coronado Hotel, The Whaley House, Cosmopolitan Hotel; there are photos, personal stories, and a wealth of historical relevancy provided.

This is a vulgar insult to San Diego, especially in light that Jeffrey Fisher has over EIGHT HUNDRED works and he gave such shabby offering to the reader.

EIGHT HUNDRED.

Jeffrey Fisher, a word. Quality not quantity.

Ghosts of San Diego Synopsis:

This guide offers information on the haunted locations of San Diego, California. Each location includes information on its history, and the spirit(s) believed to haunt the property.

Purchase Ghost of San Diego:

Amazon