If You See a Typo in One of My Books…
Many of you have probably heard about Amazon’s new policy to warn readers about errors in books. You might be surprised to hear that I think this is a move in the right direction. While I love that anyone can write and publish a book these days, because it gives readers choices and variety and it gives authors control, some people really need to brush up on their grammar and spelling or hire a good editor.
That said, it is impossible to catch every error in a book. I routinely see typos in books published by big publishing houses. I had a book go through a critique group, a private editor, my edits, my editor at a publishing house, a copy editor, a proofreader, and back to me with galley proofs and a couple of typos STILL got through. It happens.
So, if you see a typo in one of my books, please do me a favor and drop me an email. I really do want to know and the beauty of online publishing is that I can change my books at any time. I do my best to produce a quality book for my readers, but sometimes something slips through the cracks.
If you catch a typo and I fix it, then I’ll name a future character in one of my stories after you, too.
I do think the new Amazon policy will help the quality books do better and that is a good thing for all writers.
January 2, 2017 @ 11:42 am
Hi Lori,
Since you posted this, I enjoyed your other piece “Top Five Ways to Catch Typos and Errors in Your Own Writing” published elsewhere (Dec 13, 2016).
It cheered me up with your reminder that I must not regard myself as a machine and mistakes happen. It’s just so frustrating that you know they are lurking but they continue to evade a procession of proof readers until the moment of the big reveal when the final copy is casually and proudly flicked through and a typo (usually of an embarrassing pedigree) leaps up and twerks before your unbelieving eyes. I think your timely piece has managed to bring me back down from incredulity to the realization that it is a game and my score is getting better by the book and one day, maybe, I’ll win. So it is great when readers can assist in this new ‘e’ world.
The other tip I introduced this time around was to read the M/S from the last page to the first so the story does not trap you into predictive text mode by following the plot. I also added it as a PDF to my Kindle on Amazon’s free ‘Whisper’ service for such files and got their Steven Hawking style voice to read it to me but be warned he cannot say Mr. – only M R point – but it’s good for eliminating reversed wording or repeats and maybe a rather staid piece of dialogue – but he did find crutch instead of crotch for me!
My big advantage this time around is that the book is set in London, England in 1822 and buzzing with authentic language of the time, so – if forced – I may claim that’s the way it was spelt back then. http://www.thecatoconundrum.com/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MTYIXZ6
Warm wishes and a Happy New Year
David
David Kidd-Hewitt
January 21, 2017 @ 11:22 pm
Hi David,
That is an interesting tip. I’ve not tried that. Will give it a whirl on my next round of edits and let you know how it goes.