I've had several experiences where I've read a manuscript several times, more than one other person has also read it a few times, and yet when I begin going through the galleys, I find the most bizarre typos which have completely bypassed everyone.
Once, I was so convinced that a mistake had to be a typesetting error that I went to the trouble of looking at my original ms...and found the typo there. Which meant it had been read at least ten times since then and not one of them had picked it up (including me).
There was one time I found that the heroine's knees had "crumbled". What if that had made it into the book, I thought? What would readers think? So that's my question - what do you think when you come across errors in a book? Do you immediately denounce the book, or do you give it a few more chances? Or does the story matter more to you than the typos?
(p.s. I hope there aren't any typos in this post!)
6 comments:
I think that when the reader is really into the story they won't give a lot of thought to a typo error, especially when the story is really good.
I have been in graduate school for the last few years and my tolerance for typos has decreased significantly. I usually give a book two "freebies" and after that I start questioning the veracity of the editing process. I will still finish the book, but my respect for the work is usually damaged. I'm such a book snob ;)
I think I'm a mix of the two of you (semi-book snob? ;) ). Typos tend to wrench me out of the story, but I'll dive back in if it's a really good book. However, if it keeps happening then at a certain point, it's all over...
I've noticed that as well. Honestly, I'm so engrossed in the story. I can forgive a few typos if the story is fabulous. I'm not letting a misplaced comma ruin my experience.
Laura - those are major typos! I wonder that they weren't picked up. They must've been really good books for you to finish them.
Emma - I'm really surprised about the Harry Potter book. You'd think with something that major, it'd be proofed very carefully. Maybe it was rushed to production?
The fake conversational style bothers me too, especially when the character is meant to be someone who would never speak in that style!
I am readin Caressed by ice right now. In german. Normally i read in English because i like it a lot more. And i found an error that made me a little crazy. Because i‘m not sure if it is the translation or if it is an error in the original book. Jude and the Ghost are talking about Ashaya Aleine and her son. In this book the say he is 14. But in Dorians Book he is just a little boy. And now i‘m a little ocd and have to find out if it is the translation that got it wrong or if it is a error in the book.
This things make me crazy. Typos are not that bad if there aren’t that many. I can life with them but details that change make me a little bit crazy.
By the way i think i am rereading this book for the 7 time and only found the error this time.
Ps: i love you Nalini Singh, you write the best books to just relax and go into another world for a few hours
Pps: sorry for my english (native language is german)
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