Quote:
Originally Posted by Penforhire
The funny thing about proofing is how many printed novels I read with one or more errors that are locked in for the entire print run.
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Printed novels have errors because the humans who proof them are fallible. Usually at least two people read and correct galley proofs, but mistakes still get by. And sometimes mistakes are introduced in the process of making corrections. The first page of chapter one of Sunborn has a typo that was introduced when the final corrections went in!
As Steve said, every conversion requires a new proofing job. It is astounding how many glitches creep into these processes. And different ebook formats sometimes reveal glitches that were previously invisible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Penforhire
An e-book file can be updated so much easier. It doesn't HAVE to be as well proofed to start with. Heck, crowdsource it!
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True in theory. But not in real life. Oh sure, if I correct something in one of my free downloads, I can just repost the corrected file. (After redoing all the format conversions, if I've fixed something in the source file.) But in the commercial world, it is vastly more difficult. New versions have to be sent out through distribution channels that are far more convoluted than you would think, and it's slow and even costly.
Here's an example:
Look at my novel
Down the Stream of Stars on fictionwise.
Now look at
Down the Stream of Stars on Amazon.
One has a nice cover image, one has a ghastly cover. It was a production error made something like five years ago, and I have been trying to get it corrected ever since. The production guy at ereads has been trying to get it corrected for me. Turns out the only way they can get it fixed is to issue the book with a new ISBN, paying associated fees, and put it out through the distribution system as a new title!
That's to correct an error in cover image.
So don't make assumptions about how easy it is to correct errors in ebooks just because they're electronic. Because it ain't.
It should be, you'd think. But it just isn't.