SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

Ok - so I just needed to vent this into the book universe and figured you folks would get it...

In two recent books - both by big time authors - published by big houses - I have found some major glaring editing issues. Typos - spelling errors - really stupid grammatical mistakes. Not all over the place, but enough to really piss me right off. You want us to pay...what is it now full price hardcover for some of these books...$35? And you have these kinds of mistakes?

Seriously - how many people have taken a look at this manuscript before it goes to press. How many advanced copies did you send out to other authors or critics to get your little back cover blurb? Certainly _____ & ______ publishing company had 20 different eyes on this thing and NO ONE caught it?

I mean, I know I'm hypersensitive to this stuff for various reasons, but it's insulting to readers.

Whew - that feels better.

(Don't get me started on fact-checking.)

I follow a blog for writers (Mad Genius Club) and it's always been this way for mid-list authors at the big houses. They get second-rate service compared to the big name authors.

I've heard they've cut back on the staff even for the big name authors, and don't forget the staff that does that is almost always young, and fresh out of school, and colleges these days don't focus on things like spelling and grammar and continuity and facts. They have much more important victim stuff to teach.

It's part of the reason the big publishers try so hard to hide the fact that authors make more money publishing independently.

The good independent authors pay for copy editing out of their own pockets. Also for cover art. And they still make more money than they would through a contract with one of the big houses.

I try to buy only e-books these days, and even then, I avoid the big publishing houses with their DRM and high prices.

I could have written your post! I've had several books drive me insane lately because of all of the errors. One book had so many inconsistencies, such as the color of a person's shirt being different from one page to another, this character has never been married but two pages later the character's husband left her 20 years ago because she couldn't have children, etc, etc... I couldn't even finish that book for all of the errors. My dream job would literally be to go through manuscripts and fix errors.

Heck, I'm looking at writing my own book and getting a copyeditor. How busy will you he next month chili?

NTV:

Ummm.....let's just say you get what you pay for.

The best things in life are free, right?

What's your new book about, NTV? What will WE get for what we pay for?

(Since I'm not paid to be a perfect gramarian, I use my orneriness and slobby, slang-y profanations of English and grammar much like most ANY artist will nowadays where artistic license trumps rules and reader's rights, all for the sake of cathartic self-expression and the attention and humor that anyone including myself can milk out of the deal.)

But then again, Cephastion Publishing isn't something I'd ever expect any LESS from, frankly.

[This message edited by Cephastion at 3:55 PM, May 1st (Tuesday)]

My book will crush expectations, mwahahahahahahaah!!!!

(Now figure out if I mean that in a good way or bad way, mwahahahahahah!!!)

I am so with you on this, Chili.

I cannot finish a book that has typos and grammatical errors.

I feel a rush job, untruthfulness, dislike and total meh, loss of respect no matter who the author is.

Stoopid Awethurs cain't spell wurth a dang!

&Whats MORE iz that their nevr punctual with they're snetnecez EETHER|

Eye Wish that juzt fer wunce thoze lazee, cheepskate loozers wood haf 2 purrform like the restuvus haf 2 where qwalitee of wurkmunship iz cuncerned.

EEther THAAT, oar elles juzt stik 2 positing on onlyne 4rums lyke SI.

(At least on SI, we know they won't be getting PAID for their tripe!...er, I mean, ut lest wee no thay wont bee getin moolah 4 there 1/2ass trype on Ess-eye!

(Man that was a lot harder to spit out than it reads or looks like right there!)

I herd dat

I work in publishing for one of the "big" trade houses. A large part of the problem is that the people who are reading the ARC (Advanced Reading Copies) aren't as literate as they should be. And, of course, there are big cutbacks in our industry as well.

Cat

Cat: so do you also get frustrated when you read things that are poorly edited? Have you noticed a trend with this as well?

Same thing seems to be happening in most written word industries I think - cutbacks all around. Magazines, newspapers - barely enough funds for writers or editing staff or much of anything really....and I wonder if standards are changing as the way we communicate changes (with a whole new abbreviated text/social media language). And perhaps folks have a new tolerance for inaccuracies.

Which makes me an old grump about one more thing I suppose.

Yes, I HATE inaccurate/poorly written/poor grammar usage stuff. And don't get me started on the misuse of possessives!

I once dated a man who would write to me "I went and got my haircut." Made my teeth stand on edge.

One gets their hair cut. Or gets a haircut. Sheesh--it's not difficult, people!

I date an English major now. He writes beautifully.

Cat

I date an English major now. He writes beautifully.

Cat

Ahhhh, yes...but can he SING as well as he writes?

Seeing this "English Major" you're so enchanted with in my own mind's eye, I couldn't help but have this particular fellow and tune in mind--particularly in light of this thread and the standards we herein all purport to aspire to and/or appreciate so well.

Additionally, the comment about how old and old-fashioned some of us see ourselves as being also added to the connection of the song and its themes and imagery for me as well, since it's taken from an "old" Broadway musical, The Pirates of Penzance.

I am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General: The Pirates of Penzance (Subtitles)--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1dy44jV8EM

(The video quality is not that great, but then again, I've suffered some serious budget cuts in my "industry" as well, and I'm hoping that my audience isn't too discriminating or astute in my use of modern technology where old Broadway musicals are concerned, at least.)