I caught the double fever here in (I think) 1985, started buying American doubles, a Parker among them and bought Peter H. Johnson's "Parker, America's Finest Shotgun." I took away from comments on the book that assistance would have been a big improvement.

It's a mystery to me why any author wouldn't ask another for criticism of a manuscript. Is it accurate? How about structure? Have I qualified properly those long reaches of opinion? Members here with ample skills would probably do it pro bono.

That's what friends are for. I'd put my manuscript into the hands of a person with general knowledge of the subject and the art of plain talk before an "editor" any day.