I found an error-free book

[shalym]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

There's no apostrophe in CDs, and should be broadcast.

Actually, I would think it should be "broadcasted"

Shari

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

They are publisher's errors. Nobody expects authors to be perfect, that is what editors and proof readers are for.

What I mean is that they look like errors the author made in his or her original manuscript--clearly the author is apostrophe-challenged--not errors that were introduced in the publishing process.

Yes, if the book was edited and proofed, the errors should have been caught. That's why I wonder who the publisher is.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by arjaybe

Not necessarily. There is a way for broadcasts to be okay. Where it's referring to the broadcasts rather than to the act of broadcasting them.

If you want to be pedantic about it, podcasts aren't broadcasts.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by Catlady

What I mean is that they look like errors the author made in his or her original manuscript--clearly the author is apostrophe-challenged--not errors that were introduced in the publishing process.

Yes, if the book was edited and proofed, the errors should have been caught. That's why I wonder who the publisher is.

It's Deadite Press.

[arjaybe]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

If you want to be pedantic about it, podcasts aren't broadcasts.

True.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

It's Deadite Press.

Thanks. Once again, it's not a major publisher. It's a specialized indie publisher. I suspect there is no copyediting or proofreading whatsoever.

Why would it be a surprise that the material is rife with errors?

I note that the book you found without any errors WAS from a major publisher. Coincidence?

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Thanks. Once again, it's not a major publisher. It's a specialized indie publisher. I suspect there is no copyediting or proofreading whatsoever.

Why would it be a surprise that the material is rife with errors?

I note that the book you found without any errors WAS from a major publisher. Coincidence?

Not really, since it was the first book this century that I have found without any errors. I still have a list of mistakes in the first 4 books in this series, all from the same publisher, if you doubt me. As well as plenty more examples of corporation published books that are filled with mistakes.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Not really, since it was the first book this century that I have found without any errors. I still have a list of mistakes in the first 4 books in this series, all from the same publisher, if you doubt me. As well as plenty more examples of corporation published books that are filled with mistakes.

The two examples of error-filled books that were specifically given in this thread were both from small indie publishers.

[Sweetpea]

Maybe I'm unique, but I don't expect to find 0 errors in a book. Even the best proof reader can miss one error, especially if there are few of them. Using a period where a comma should be doesn't really bother me. But using the wrong words (especially ones that clearly come from bad OCR'ing) does. (comer instead of corner, for instance). And it's even worse if it doesn't happen once (again, everybody can miss something), but multiple times.

At least with ebooks, I can change the original...

[mandy314]

Originally Posted by Catlady

The two examples of error-filled books that were specifically given in this thread were both from small indie publishers.

Isn't PanMacmillan a major publisher in your book? - Sorry to quote myself:

Originally Posted by mandy314

An example - Winston Graham: The Little Walls (from 1955, republished as ebook in 2013 by Bello (PanMacmillan))

Okay - error-free to error-filled has a wide margin. I agree with you that new releases of ebooks (by major publishers) are as error-free as it get compared to pbooks - the occasional typo may be a given.

But if you buy ebook-re-releases of books which have been out of print for many years there is a good chance to get more than the occasional error - this is my experience at least and with major publishers. I think the books have to prepared for digital processing and that is the basis for the ebook-specific errors like OCR-artefacts, bad formatting, incomplete TOCs etc.

More examples:
- Nancy Pickard novels by Pocketbook (Simon & Schuster) from the 80's
- Ross Thomas novels by mysteriouspress from the 70's

Btw: is it only me, or will there be - if you have an error-filled book - more errors at the end of the book compared to the beginning?

[Ripplinger]

Originally Posted by mandy314

...
Btw: is it only me, or will there be - if you have an error-filled book - more errors at the end of the book compared to the beginning?

Definitely, like the longer the proofreaders read, the less they cared about finding errors and more with just being done with it.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by Catlady

The two examples of error-filled books that were specifically given in this thread were both from small indie publishers.

There was a thread here last year or so with a list of mistakes in both corporation and small published books, there was no difference between the two as to how many mistakes were in each book.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by mandy314

Isn't PanMacmillan a major publisher in your book? - Sorry to quote myself:

Okay - error-free to error-filled has a wide margin. I agree with you that new releases of ebooks (by major publishers) are as error-free as it get compared to pbooks - the occasional typo may be a given.

But if you buy ebook-re-releases of books which have been out of print for many years there is a good chance to get more than the occasional error - this is my experience at least and with major publishers. I think the books have to prepared for digital processing and that is the basis for the ebook-specific errors like OCR-artefacts, bad formatting, incomplete TOCs etc.

More examples:
- Nancy Pickard novels by Pocketbook (Simon & Schuster) from the 80's
- Ross Thomas novels by mysteriouspress from the 70's

Btw: is it only me, or will there be - if you have an error-filled book - more errors at the end of the book compared to the beginning?

I'm sorry, I didn't remember seeing your examples. I haven't noticed it in my own reading, but backlist OCRed books from major publishers do apparently have a lot of errors; I was thinking in terms of new books in the past 20 or so years of digital publishing.

As to more errors at the end than at the beginning--could just be fatigue and deadline pressure. The proofreader might have spent too much time on the opening chapters and then have to race through the rest to meet a deadline.

Ripplinger: It's not a matter of caring, it's a matter of a deadline. A proofreader can't just take unlimited time to work on a manuscript.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

There was a thread here last year or so with a list of mistakes in both corporation and small published books, there was no difference between the two as to how many mistakes were in each book.

There is a difference between a book that is proofread by professionals and one that is not.

[icallaci]

Originally Posted by mandy314

Btw: is it only me, or will there be - if you have an error-filled book - more errors at the end of the book compared to the beginning?

I've noticed this too.