I MADE A MISTAKE . . .

When a new book comes out, as my ALL THE LITTLE LIARS just did, I wait for reader reaction. I don’t read Amazon reviews, since they are not signed, but I do get feedback on my website and on my Facebook page. I read it all, unless it’s from an obvious nut (“I will hate you forever”).

Here’s the snag: observant readers tell me about mistakes they found in the book. It’s a terrible truth that no matter how many people read a manuscript, some error may leak through. In the case of ATTL, one person gets told the same information twice. Obviously, this is what I call an “artifact.” I wrote the passage one way, amended it pages later, and then did not catch the first iteration. (I rewrote ATLL more than any other book I’ve written.)

Though I appreciate the readers being so alert, I am at a loss as to what I can do with this information, and it simply makes me feel bad . . . especially when someone points it out for the thirtieth time.

The only upside is that possibly the mistake can be rectified if there’s a second printing. Otherwise, it’s just a sore spot. And every time I think of it – or it’s drawn to my attention again – I feel like a failure.

I also feel that I’m the only writer this happens to. Have you been caught like this in your books? Readers, does such an error throw you out of the narrative?

Charlaine Harris

Comments

[Kristopher]

These kinds of errors get through all the time. I'm not really sure the point of telling an author - unless the book in question is an Advanced Reader's Copy and the correction can still be made.

We are all only human, and many many people look at these books, but things get be all the same. Don't beat yourself up, Charlaine.

[Elaine Viets]

An author friend has a special Murphy's Law for writers, Charlaine: "No many how many times you proofread your book, when it arrives it will open to the page with the error."
Yes, all my books have errors in them, and they make me feel embarrassed and disappointed. I hope readers will forgive me and the error didn't spoil the book for them.

[Charlaine Harris]

Kristopher, I always feel unhappy when I think a reader has been disappointed. But truly, with so many eyes on the manuscript, it's amazing that something always slips through.

Elaine, thanks, that's very comforting. I seldom notice mistakes myself (in others' books). It has to be a truly glaring error for me to pick up on it. I suppose I'm just along for the ride.

[Mark]

I rarely point them out, only if they are obvious, glaring errors. I realize that an author can't do anything about it at this point, but I hope it is something they will be able to fix for any future printings. But usually, I just let them slide.

[Sylvia A. Nash]

Truth be told, I'm amazed more errors don't show up in published books. With so many eyes and hands on a manuscript, I think it gives more room for error than less. But I do understand the cringe. BTW, I love the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries. Also, I tried to follow the femmesfatales blog, but all I get is a page of gobbledygook. I'll try again, though.

[Charlaine Harris]

Mark, thanks. I'd be delighted if the book did go into a second edition, and I'd get to correct the line then.

Sorry that you can't get the Femmes! That's a shame, and I don't understand it. I enjoy the show, too.

[Margie Bunting]

I just finished reading this book and enjoyed it thoroughly! Although I'm somewhat of an "eagle eye" when it comes to printed errors, I didn't notice this issue at all--or at least I don't remember noticing it. We're all human, so don't beat yourself up about it!

[Hank Phillippi Ryan]

Yes, SO agree! I got an email from a person who told me I had referred to seagulls, but really, there is no such thing, they are just gulls. SHe's right...
My email ate her letter, and I feel worse about not answering her than I do about the gulls.
And yeeaah, you can fix it in the e-book, but it's still so stomach-twisting--why do we focus on ONE word and not the other 99,999?
Because we care, and that's a good thing. xoxo

[Charlaine Harris]

That's true, Hank, and so like you to put a positive spin on the situational. Just gulls. I'll write that down in my "I don't care" file.

[Phyllis Brown]

As a reader, I catch many errors. I don't remember ever writing to an author to point them out unless I'm reading a page proof and know errors can still be fixed.

To be honest, yes, errors, including errors in grammar or syntax, do throw me out of the narrative. Repetition of a passage is obviously an accident and is usually easy to forgive. Repetition of the same error(s) in grammar bothers me much more. I start speculating on whether the author is ignorant or is deliberately ignoring the rules. Either way, it completely takes me out of the story. Misuse of a word or using the wrong word also makes me start wondering about the author. Whatever happened to the copy editors who are supposed to catch these things? Are they now all so young that they were never taught grammar themselves? Doesn't anyone use a dictionary? With every year that passes, I find more and more errors in published books, errors that should have been found and corrected before publication. This does interfere with my reading pleasure.

[Charlaine Harris]

Phyllis, I too have the impression that proofreaders are not as sharp today as they were when I began my career many years ago. Of course, I made the mistake to begin with, and that's my bad. I spot grammar and spelling errors much more often than plot errors.