Photo by Nick Fewings via Unsplash
Yes, I wrote that. Worse, it slipped past me, my boss, several continuity readers, and ended up in the pleading that we filed. I didn’t see it until I was sitting beside my boss at the hearing. The judge, who always enjoyed a joke, never noticed it. He’d have made a droll comment. Boy, was my face red! There’s power in seeing what you think is on the page. And danger, too.
Typos, the bane of a writer’s existence. They multiply like rabbits when you’re not looking. Some, like the one above, can be downright embarrassing. Others are merely funny. None of them are pleasant. Of one thing you can be certain—you won’t notice them all until after the book comes out. After multiple reads, one of my books announced to the world on the acknowledgement page that Sisters in Crime is a warm and close-knit group of the most generous crime writers on the plant. Boy, was my face red! Fortunately, few copies of that book sold, and it’s now in rotation for a new edit and a re-release. I shudder to think what else is lurking between those covers.
If only there were a silver bullet. A Lone Ranger of typos. There is a school of thought that suggests indie books are more prone to the lurking typo. A prejudice from the days of vanity press. It may have been accurate at one time. The theory is no longer true. There is something to be said about having control over your work.
Typo Free!
I used to think a traditionally published book would be an insurance against the lurking typo. Not so. I’ve read some that changed character names in mid-stream, repeated paragraphs, and worst of all, identified the victim as the villain—once. Boy, should their faces be red. Editors are overwhelmed. They rely on spelling and grammar programs to augment their solid knowledge of language. In the golden days of publishing, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Wolfe, and other Scribner’s authors had the incomparable Maxwell Perkins oversee their manuscripts. Alas, that level of commercial editing is a thing of the past.
Whether you publish traditionally or independently, the lion’s share of editing falls on the author. Writers write, edit, and polish their books to a high gloss before sending them off to beta or first readers for comment and that invaluable second set of eyes. After addressing beta issues, and finding more typos, the manuscript goes to an independent developmental editor who reads for continuity and common sense. More changes, and colorful language, ensue before the book goes to a copy editor who line reads, and hopefully, finds any remaining typos or grammar problems.
No Typos Here!
These edits are not the sole purview of the indie author. Traditionally published authors often pay for an independent editor before pushing send on their manuscripts. Indie authors have more control over the process. They are hands on at each step. The mind is an amazing thing. It will show you the word you think is on the page. Alas, the mind is often a liar. Fresh eyes are needed at regular intervals.
At the end of the day, an author proudly opens their newly published book to a random page, and finds…a typo. Boy, is their face red.
Typo Free Zone
Readers, if the book is indie published, and you see something, say something. It can be fixed. Speaking for myself, you will earn my undying gratitude. Publication takes a village. Traditionally published authors are not so fortunate. Which is why, if you have an early print copy of one of my traditionally published books, you’ll find references to gunnels. Oops. Boy, was my face red. The typo is corrected in the newly released ebooks and will be correct in when the paperbacks come out.
Readers and writers, how do you handle typos in books? Toss them to the wall? Contact the author or publisher? Chuckle and ignore them.
If there are just a couple, I move on. I’ve never seen one that was so egregious (souse? ha ha) that I felt moved to contact the author.
However, I also remember one traditionally published book where the plot was really quite good, but there were so many spelling and grammar errors that, after I did finish it, I avoided not only the author but the publisher in the future.
Its so sad that publishing houses don’t seem to understand that poor editing has such an impact.
As a frequent reader and reviewer, I can ignore a small number, but when they’re frequent, or one that hits my ‘ugh’ button (think phased for fazed as an example) or when someone uses an oar to propel a canoe, or even worse, gets in a car and exits a truck two pages later, I stop reading and move on.
As for my books, I get a couple copies from Amazon pre-release and go through them with a fine-tooth comb, then have my book wrangler make the changes before it goes live. It’s not foolproof, but pretty close.
So with you! There are some typos that cannot be overlooked and others simply amuse.
Sounds like you’ve got a good system for your books. Nothing is foolproof, but that doesn’t stop us from trying.
Public bone. Yes, I wrote it. Fortunately the copyeditor noticed. It’s amazing how we can skim right past typos because we “know” what we wrote. I console myself with the philosophy of Middle Eastern rug makers who deliberately make a mistake in their weaving, because “Only Allah is perfect.”
Thank heavens for good copyeditors! That would be an easy one to skim right over.
I’ve not heard the the rug makers philosophy. I may have to have a needlepoint made. It’s perfect.
Ah, typos! You fix one and inadvertently produce another. I recently had one that was more than a typo. A weird blithering I still don’t understand. It’s corrected now.
Totally agree. Traditionally published books also have typos.
So glad the blithering is corrected. Sometimes it’s like playing whack-a-mole!
I mistyped “public theater” . . . the missing L really changes the nature of the performance. I do have tolerance for a typo here and there given my own gaffes (thankfully that one was corrected before published).
LOL – Oh, my. Yes, thankfully it was corrected pre-publication!
I always hired a proofreader to check the book after editing. They were imperfect proofreaders. A fellow faculty member at the college where I taught would tell me how much she loved each of my new books, but did I want to know about the typos? She is now my proofreader, and she volunteers for the privilege of being the first to read each book.
I’m not actually anonymous! Is replying while not logged in sort of a typo?
The perfect solution and one I also use. A good and interested reader is an invaluable proofer.
As a reader, I REALLY appreciate your efforts to keep mistakes to a minimum. Unfortunately, I’ve recently noticed that some of the most famous authors with multiple series are leaving more typos in their work. It can be jarring and distracting and darned insulting considering what we’re expected to pay for the latest offering.
More eyes…fewer typos.
Sadly, if they are traditionally published it may be out of their hands. Having complete control over the finished product is one of the benefits of indie publishing. And we appreciate input from sharp-eyed readers.