Register Guidelines E-Books Today's Posts Search

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book General > General Discussions

Notices

View Poll Results: At which point would you inform an author of typos (out of a 70,000 word novel)?
5-9 14 25.00%
10-19 20 35.71%
20-49 13 23.21%
50-100 9 16.07%
Voters: 56. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 04-21-2011, 06:40 PM   #31
Belfaborac
Wizard
Belfaborac ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Belfaborac ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Belfaborac ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Belfaborac ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Belfaborac ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Belfaborac ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Belfaborac ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Belfaborac ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Belfaborac ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Belfaborac ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Belfaborac ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Belfaborac's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,498
Karma: 5199835
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Norway
Device: Sony PRS-505, PRS-950
There's no "1-4" option, so I couldn't cast a vote.

Nah, just kidding. Like several others have said, ordinary typos aren't that big a deal unless they are legion. Consistent bad grammar and the incorrect use of words (a pet hate of mine is the substitution of "quite" for "quiet") and phrases is something else altogether and can cause me to throw the book in the garbage or delete it very quickly. Or, in winter, I'll use it to get the fireplace going.

I'd be unlikely to contact the author; I'd just refrain from ever buying any more of his/her books.
Belfaborac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 01:40 AM   #32
Sweetpea
Grand Sorcerer
Sweetpea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Sweetpea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Sweetpea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Sweetpea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Sweetpea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Sweetpea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Sweetpea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Sweetpea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Sweetpea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Sweetpea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Sweetpea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Sweetpea's Avatar
 
Posts: 9,707
Karma: 32763414
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Krewerd
Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jellby View Post
With one typo every 100th word (1-5 typos per page!) I'd rather send a professional killer.
I'd simply correct the typos and re-read it again. I've noticed that the most typos are repeats. And those are easy to fix and I can continue reading with less errors (as I'll reformat as a matter of course for every single book I buy).

Only once did I buy a book which was so bad, that I'd had to take some real time to fix it. I won't ever buy a book by that same publisher again.
Sweetpea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 04:22 AM   #33
Anke Wehner
Addict
Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.
 
Anke Wehner's Avatar
 
Posts: 249
Karma: 177956
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Germany
Device: PRS-650
Depends on the book and the author.

I sent an author an email pointing out four errors I found in a 100,000 word novel. I liked the book so much that I expect to re-read it more often, so I marked up the mistakes I noticed on my second read to correct them for myself. Since I'd marked them already, and the author was self-published and someone I follow on Twitter, I asked the author if they'd like a list of those few mistakes to fix them, and they said yes, so there.

Books really full of mistakes I might stop reading because of those, and even if I read them to the end, making a list would be too much work.
Anke Wehner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 06:38 AM   #34
pdurrant
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
pdurrant ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.pdurrant ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.pdurrant ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.pdurrant ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.pdurrant ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.pdurrant ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.pdurrant ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.pdurrant ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.pdurrant ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.pdurrant ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.pdurrant ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
pdurrant's Avatar
 
Posts: 73,964
Karma: 315160596
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Norfolk, England
Device: Kindle Oasis
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russell Brooks View Post
If you purchased an eBook or a paperback novel and you found a few typos (less than ten out of 70,000 words) would you still inform the author?
There's no point in telling the author. Telling the publisher might make a difference, but publishers haven't really made an effort yet to be open to typo reports.
pdurrant is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 06:54 AM   #35
caleb72
Indie Advocate
caleb72 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.caleb72 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.caleb72 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.caleb72 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.caleb72 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.caleb72 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.caleb72 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.caleb72 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.caleb72 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.caleb72 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.caleb72 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
caleb72's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,863
Karma: 18794463
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Device: Kindle
If it's an indie author and I can easily contact him/her I'll inform even of one typo/spelling mistake if I find it.

For a traditionally published author I wouldn't usually bother. Possibly I should in those cases where they've clearly scanned.

With my Kindle I just highlight them as I see them and then I compile them at the end and send the info to the author.

Regards
Caleb
caleb72 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 07:01 AM   #36
djulian
Evangelist
djulian ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.djulian ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.djulian ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.djulian ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.djulian ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.djulian ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.djulian ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.djulian ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.djulian ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.djulian ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.djulian ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
djulian's Avatar
 
Posts: 408
Karma: 1786912
Join Date: Nov 2010
Device: Kindle Voyage
I wish Kindle/Nook/Sony/Etc had this option, but in the Libronix Digital Library System (Logos Bible Software), you have the option of highlighting a portion of text in an eBook, and clicking a "typo" button. It gives you a little window to add notes, correct the text, etc, and then it e-mails the publisher/software company. They log these and release corrections on a pretty regular basis.

I decided to add pictures for clarity (no typos in the selected text). I wonder if the e-readers could pull this off--it seems like a strong possibility. Amazon could use the same window they use for selecting and searching text--you could highlight it and press the spacebar and hit, "Submit typo."

EDIT: Just submitted this idea to Amazon.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Capture.JPG
Views:	170
Size:	71.7 KB
ID:	70290   Click image for larger version

Name:	Capture2.JPG
Views:	163
Size:	70.1 KB
ID:	70291  

Last edited by djulian; 04-22-2011 at 07:22 AM.
djulian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 07:29 AM   #37
mldavis2
Coffee Nut
mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
mldavis2's Avatar
 
Posts: 410
Karma: 298350
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Missouri
Device: Kindle 3; K4PC; Calibre
I am both sensitive to errors as a volunteer for Project Gutenberg, and forgiving of errors in that I can ignore most of them when reading for content. I also know how easy it is to overlook errors when reading rather than proof-reading.

The real issue with notifying an author of errors is twofold. One is trying to mark the errors for one complete submission to the author's attention rather than sending multiple e-mails over a period of time. The other is the constant problem of locating and referencing the error within a page number-less environment that exists and varies with different eReader formats and font size choices. These factors currently discourage me from taking the time and effort to bring errors to the author's attention.
mldavis2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 07:42 AM   #38
rhadin
Literacy = Understanding
rhadin ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rhadin ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rhadin ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rhadin ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rhadin ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rhadin ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rhadin ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rhadin ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rhadin ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rhadin ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rhadin ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
rhadin's Avatar
 
Posts: 4,833
Karma: 59674358
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: The World of Books
Device: Nook, Nook Tablet
Quote:
Originally Posted by Catlady View Post
I make a mental distinction between typos (a simple spelling mistake) and what seem to me to be usage errors (e.g., it's / its). I have a higher tolerance for the former, but the latter drive me crazy.
I agree in general, but I wonder what most readers consider a "simple" spelling mistake. For example, do most readers consider "seamed" in this sentence a misspelling or a usage error: "She seamed to be older than she appeared."? Contrast seamed/seemed with affected/effected.

I find separating usage from spelling errors to be very difficult because both affect understanding and meaning. The it's/its combination strikes me as more a misspelling than a usage error, although I have no sound basis for making such a distinction with those words as opposed to other combinations.
rhadin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 07:56 AM   #39
Anke Wehner
Addict
Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.Anke Wehner can program the VCR without an owner's manual.
 
Anke Wehner's Avatar
 
Posts: 249
Karma: 177956
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Germany
Device: PRS-650
Quote:
Originally Posted by djulian View Post
I wish Kindle/Nook/Sony/Etc had this option, but in the Libronix Digital Library System (Logos Bible Software), you have the option of highlighting a portion of text in an eBook, and clicking a "typo" button. It gives you a little window to add notes, correct the text, etc, and then it e-mails the publisher/software company. They log these and release corrections on a pretty regular basis.
With the latest generation of Sony readers you can mark the mistake (and preferrably a few words before and after to make searching easier), put in an annotation, and export an RTF file with a list containing the text snippets you marked and the annotations you put in, which you could then email to the author or publisher.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mldavis2 View Post
The real issue with notifying an author of errors is twofold. [...] The other is the constant problem of locating and referencing the error within a page number-less environment ...
Digital files can be searched easily, so if you copy out the whole sentence including the mistake, or at least a few words to make a phrase not found elsewhere in the book, no page numbers are needed.
Anke Wehner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 08:37 AM   #40
Poppaea
Lucifer's Bat
Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Poppaea's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,577
Karma: 20638583
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Earth/Berlin
Device: Kobo Libra Colour
I only did mark the errors once in a book that was error ridden. Then I sent the book to the publisher asking them to pay back the money I paid for the book.

Why should I, who has paid for the book, do the work of an editor? They are to cheap to pay for a professional service and their customers shall either do it or live with a defective product?

Not in this life!

If it is only one typo here and there I won't say anything, if it is riddled I sent it back and ask for my money as I am not able to read it anyway because it makes me angry.
Poppaea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 12:50 PM   #41
Catlady
Grand Sorcerer
Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Catlady's Avatar
 
Posts: 7,418
Karma: 52613881
Join Date: Oct 2010
Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip
Quote:
Originally Posted by rhadin View Post
I agree in general, but I wonder what most readers consider a "simple" spelling mistake. For example, do most readers consider "seamed" in this sentence a misspelling or a usage error: "She seamed to be older than she appeared."? Contrast seamed/seemed with affected/effected.
In your example, I'd say that "seamed" is a simple spelling error. Unless I saw it more than once; then I'd want to throw the book across the room. Confusion of affect/effect I would consider a usage error. Obviously it's quite subjective.

Quote:
I find separating usage from spelling errors to be very difficult because both affect understanding and meaning. The it's/its combination strikes me as more a misspelling than a usage error, although I have no sound basis for making such a distinction with those words as opposed to other combinations.
While it's possible that it's/its confusion is just a spelling error, it's one of those common mistakes I expect the writer/editor/proofreader to be especially aware of. So I expect them to fix it, and if they don't, I blame them for ignorance. Like "between you and I," or--my pet peeve--misuse of lie/lay (that one may be a losing battle, though).
Catlady is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 12:54 PM   #42
Catlady
Grand Sorcerer
Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Catlady ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Catlady's Avatar
 
Posts: 7,418
Karma: 52613881
Join Date: Oct 2010
Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poppaea View Post
I only did mark the errors once in a book that was error ridden. Then I sent the book to the publisher asking them to pay back the money I paid for the book.

Why should I, who has paid for the book, do the work of an editor? They are to cheap to pay for a professional service and their customers shall either do it or live with a defective product?

Not in this life!

If it is only one typo here and there I won't say anything, if it is riddled I sent it back and ask for my money as I am not able to read it anyway because it makes me angry.
Exactly. I would only report specific errors in books that are volunteer efforts, like Project Gutenberg or the MR library. Otherwise, no way!
Catlady is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 02:10 PM   #43
Nyssa
Series Addict
Nyssa ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nyssa ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nyssa ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nyssa ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nyssa ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nyssa ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nyssa ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nyssa ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nyssa ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nyssa ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nyssa ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Nyssa's Avatar
 
Posts: 6,180
Karma: 167189477
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Florida, USA
Device: Kindle Paperwhite (2nd Gen)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poppaea View Post
I only did mark the errors once in a book that was error ridden. Then I sent the book to the publisher asking them to pay back the money I paid for the book.

Why should I, who has paid for the book, do the work of an editor? They are to cheap to pay for a professional service and their customers shall either do it or live with a defective product?

Not in this life!

If it is only one typo here and there I won't say anything, if it is riddled I sent it back and ask for my money as I am not able to read it anyway because it makes me angry.
Nice move! Did you get your money back !?!
Nyssa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 03:07 PM   #44
mldavis2
Coffee Nut
mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mldavis2 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
mldavis2's Avatar
 
Posts: 410
Karma: 298350
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Missouri
Device: Kindle 3; K4PC; Calibre
Quote:
Originally Posted by Catlady View Post
Exactly. I would only report specific errors in books that are volunteer efforts, like Project Gutenberg or the MR library. Otherwise, no way!
I'm not sure how long Project Gutenberg has had their 5-tier proof-reading and formatting levels, but aside from some minor format inconsistencies among the various platforms, I can't imagine many errors being found in recent PG offerings. Their proofing system is quite robust these days and errors found may be from older digital scans done before the current level of proofing.

Currently there are 3 separate proof-reading runs made. The first run is done by newer proof-readers and is mainly concerned with catching scan errors made by OCR software that may have difficulty with strange fonts, 'dirty' scan input and old language or spelling conventions. The second proofing scans are done by more experienced proofers and catch almost all errors missed by the first proofers. A third scan is made by more senior proofers as a quality check.

There are then 2 levels of formatting which deal with paragraphs, font variations, footnotes, images, subtitles and other insets and printing variations. Both formatting levels are staffed by experienced proofers.

Then a final run-through is made by the top level proofers/formatters in preparation for final submission to the eEditor for device formatting.

Simple spelling errors are virtually eliminated, and formatting glitches are extremely rare. This process may not have been followed in the early years and many older digital captures are being re-evaluated to eliminate these problems missed in the early days of PG acquisitions.
mldavis2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-22-2011, 03:22 PM   #45
Poppaea
Lucifer's Bat
Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Poppaea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Poppaea's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,577
Karma: 20638583
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Earth/Berlin
Device: Kobo Libra Colour
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyssa View Post
Nice move! Did you get your money back !?!
No, which made me send a second letter, this time an application as office manager because I assumed my letter and the book must have been lost

No answer once more.
Poppaea is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Authors and readers unite! Let's solve the problem together... ficbot News 42 04-25-2011 10:09 AM
Safe Haven for Authors and the Readers Who Like Them [contest-post 2] PhilipChen Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers 7 12-17-2010 12:10 PM
Inform new users of forum guidelines kenmark Feedback 2 11-07-2009 11:42 AM
What Authors Own ebook Readers? Dr. Drib Writers' Corner 13 09-25-2009 11:02 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:31 PM.


MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.