I'm waiting right now for first pass pages of Original Sin, which is an authors last opportunity to make changes to the manuscript. It's already been through line edits and copyedits, so you think there wouldn't be much left to find, but I already have a list, and I'm sure it will grow substantially as I start working through the pages. There are a few glaring errors that I noticed after copyedits and, because I can't stand to make mistakes, I hate that those are going to be in the ARC for everyone to see. I'm sure you'll all find them. Don't judge me too harshly.So, for all you readers out there, my question to you is: How much do typos/mistakes in a manuscript bother you as you read? And to all you writers: How obsessively do you edit your manuscript?
As a reader, small typos and mistakes don't bother me at all. When an author has 75,000+ words to go through, I don't expect them to find every little mistake. As a writer (for my own eyes only, so far), I'm a perfectionist like you. I find myself going back to change things half a dozen times before finishing even one page, and then kicking myself because I didn't make much progress. So frustrating! I need to just let the words fly and keep moving.
ReplyDeleteI think you should console yourself with the fact that it's just one. Lots of books these days are rushed though copyediting these days, and have a ton of typos!
ReplyDeleteI may have to thumb through my careworn copy of The Neverending Story when I get home, but I think Michael Ende said that every book has a mistake, and if you find that mistake, you can enter the world of that book. Maybe that's just how my weird child brain remembered it, but I like to think that's true. ;)
I expect to find errors in an ARC. In fact, I'm always shocked if I don't notice several. When I find them in a final, store-bought copy, I've always blamed the editors. And you know what? If it's a good story, no one's going to care about a few typos! And you write good stories, Lisa. :-)
ReplyDeletePersonally, if the mistake is not that noticeable I'm fine. I will state that the last book I read that had glaringly obvious mistakes which tore me out of the book was the new Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan.
ReplyDeleteAs a writer I do tend to critique myself as I go. I don't think any of us are ever finished critiquing our own work. After all, we are our own toughest critics! I can't even begin to count how many times I've been playing my saxophone and I've kept track of all the mistakes I made in the song. Then, I've talked to people after and been shocked they didn't recognize the mistakes.
Little things usually don't bother me. I even get a small sense of pride in spotting things that 'others' didn't. If there are more than... let's say 10 glaring errors, though, I usually start to think someone got sloppy.
ReplyDeleteI'm way too picky about my own work, and I need to get over it if I ever expect to have anyone read my stuff...or finish writing it, for that matter.
They don't bother me as much because when I read, if there's a missing word or something, I can pretty much make out which word is supposed to go there to make more sense. But if I was an author, I think they would bug me so bad! Being slightly OCD and all, LOL :)
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I'm a tad neurotic when it comes to edits. I've been known to curse out loud when I come across a book with a spelling error. Through no fault of the author, editor, or publisher, it's one of those things that just happens. Still, sending off that email only to realize I spelled 'teh' instead of 'the', posting a comment on a blog with a blaytent error of which I notice days later, or hearing my 11 year old say 'Tru dat' irks me to no end.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I have OCD although I think I'd be just as neurotic even if I didn't. ;)
Typos don't bother me to much unless there are more than a few that come one after the other. That's when it starts to bother me a little. My Twin sister just got her B.A in English with a concentration in creative writing. She always has me re-read her work to see if I can catch any last minute typos. The funny thing is that these types of errors are simply human nature. The brain fills in the words automatically even if they are spelled wrong. The brain actually only recognizes the first and last letter of every word and fills it in with what is most common. That's why some of the most common errors are with three letter words like "the" which is commonly spelled "teh." So don't worry about it...it's simply a natural human error. :-) By the way I'm half way through Personal Demons and I'm LOVING IT! :-D
ReplyDeleteI forgive everyone else easier than I forgive myself. Especially for things in the public sphere.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit of a perfectionist, but the good type. If I can't do it well, I won't do it at all. So I thrive at things I have a natural talent for. But nothing else.