Smashwords Question - Page 2

MrPLD · 02-11-2011, 06:30 PM

Yep, typos are a 'norm' in books... likewise bugs in software. Every one you find you swear will be the last, but inevitably another one crops up.

As Neil says, proofing your own work is not really ever going to work too well, even with a spell checker and grammar assistant on the PC. Editors and proofers can be expensive (though proof-reading is fairly cheap) but they're well worth the money in the end.

Paul.

Anke Wehner · 02-12-2011, 04:47 PM

I found two typos in the professionally published book I'm reading now, and I'm only halfway through it.
The last self-published book I read averaged something like one mistake (missing or misused words, mostly) per double page, if not more.

So, sounds to me like you're doing fine.

Namekuseijin · 02-15-2011, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcmay

Software has bugs, books have typos. It happens

great quote there.

indeed, as a software developer you're correct in that software has bugs. But one thing it has that should be of help to writers is something called a compiler. A compiler translates your software written in high level algorithmic language into low-level machine language. It can't prevent bugs arising from bad logic, but it ensure that everything written down can be checked against certain rules.

One of these checks is that of typos: it simply warns you of possible typos and won't compile further while you don't correct it. It's indeed a spell checker, except it doesn't allow you to "publish" while you don't get them right.

HistoryWes · 02-15-2011, 01:04 PM

We all have this problem. I had a dozen beta readers and went over my book at least 50 times and still found typos. The best strategy that I've found so far is a product called Text2Go, though any text to speech program should work just as well. When you've got the final edit ready to go, have the computer read it to you. You will hear "he bartender" or other typos (my big problem is though and through) and then you can fix it.

Anke Wehner · 02-15-2011, 01:11 PM

Spellcheckers are of limited usefulness.
They don't catch it when you drop pronouns, particles or other small words your brain fills in automatically when you go too fast when looking for mistakes.
Or when you use a word that exists, but is not what you mean. "Bare with me" or "peasant hunting season", and the like.

mjhudston · 02-15-2011, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anke Wehner

Spellcheckers are of limited usefulness.
They don't catch it when you drop pronouns, particles or other small words your brain fills in automatically when you go too fast when looking for mistakes.
Or when you use a word that exists, but is not what you mean. "Bare with me" or "peasant hunting season", and the like.

I see nothing wrong with "peasant hunting". We have to control the population somehow.

jrlewis · 02-15-2011, 07:13 PM

Yeah, that's a little frustrating. It's even worse when the reader *thinks* something is a typo or error when it really isn't, they just mis-read it. And yet that review is out there on the internet forever and ever...

That's a writer's life!

bhartman36 · 02-18-2011, 06:54 AM

Thanks!

Actually, the reader was kind enough to read the updated version and change his review. I wasn't even aware that was possible, but when I looked, he'd given it an additional star and removed mention of the typo. So it all worked out in the end, luckily enough.

I appreciate everyone giving me a sanity check, though.

jumpingjack42 · 02-22-2011, 10:30 AM

One more advantage of digital. Even the reviews can change.
(not if they are in print!)

Which is really good because my spelling is atrocious.
(Yes I had to look atrocious up)

crich70 · 02-22-2011, 11:35 AM

Also whether a typo is a problem or not can be considered cultural I think. I mean for example the Chinese always leave a little area of things like their sculptures unfinished because they have a philosophy that says nothing of the world can be perfect. I can imagine the literary equivalent is the odd typo. Not to say a book should be published with the MS being filled with such, just that one or two little errors shouldn't be that big a deal in the mind of the author. If you think about it a minute the grammer, etc. that is used for writing a book and the English that we study in school aren't quite the same either. Writers break the rules all the time. So the odd typo is a small thing I think.

ChristinaSng · 04-23-2011, 03:39 PM

That was great of the reviewer to revise the review. In my case, a reviewer gave away the whole plot and the twist at the end.

Sometimes after years of not reading a story or poem I wrote, I look at it again and find typos I swear I never saw before, even after editing it a zillion times.

The brain sees what it wants to see.

bhartman36 · 04-28-2011, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChristinaSng

That was great of the reviewer to revise the review. In my case, a reviewer gave away the whole plot and the twist at the end.

Sometimes after years of not reading a story or poem I wrote, I look at it again and find typos I swear I never saw before, even after editing it a zillion times.

The brain sees what it wants to see.

That's too bad, Christina.

Smashwords ought to have a policy on spoilers. (Or do they already?)

I have gotten very few reviews so far (and I'm gearing up for some more negatives, since I've got a book of short stories I'm putting up today), but I have to admit that I need to get a little more thick-skinned about them. I got a one-star review (on the Nook bookstore) that called my story "predictable", which I found kind of amazing, considering I left the ending intentionally ambiguous and I actually had people ask me how the ending was supposed to be interpreted...

Anyway, I'm trying not to let stuff like that get to me.

bhartman36 · 04-28-2011, 04:49 PM

Since I titled this thread "Smashwords Question", I might as well ask another one here.

What is it that takes Smashwords so long in uploading? I assume it's not just doing a conversion, as Calibre could do that in a few minutes. Does it take that long to update and index the e-book you're uploading?

Sorry this is such a newbie question. I'm just curious.

TrineDaely · 04-28-2011, 10:53 PM

I've been wondering about the upload time, too. It's about ridiculous. Another thing I'd like is a way to preview it BEFORE it goes live there like you can on KDP. An in-browser editor for post-uploading to do small tweaks that are needed would be wonderful, but I guess that's asking for too much.

Anke Wehner · 04-29-2011, 11:25 AM

One possibility would be that the meatgrinder at the moment can't convert as many books per day as are submitted. Just speculating.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Question about Smashwords and short stories	bhartman36	General Discussions	9	01-01-2011 03:23 PM
Smashwords.com	Mitzasuro	Nook Color & Nook Tablet	0	11-30-2010 04:24 PM
Smashwords question	drdann	Writers' Corner	11	11-26-2010 10:32 AM
Smashwords - question about buying and formats	texasnightowl	General Discussions	20	08-11-2010 03:16 PM
Hello from Smashwords	Smashwords	Introduce Yourself	0	05-07-2008 09:45 PM

02-11-2011, 06:30 PM	#16
MrPLD Author's pet-geek Posts: 933 Karma: 1040670 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: North Queensland, Australia Device: Kindle 3 Wifi, Onyx Boox M96	Yep, typos are a 'norm' in books... likewise bugs in software. Every one you find you swear will be the last, but inevitably another one crops up. As Neil says, proofing your own work is not really ever going to work too well, even with a spell checker and grammar assistant on the PC. Editors and proofers can be expensive (though proof-reading is fairly cheap) but they're well worth the money in the end. Paul.

02-12-2011, 04:47 PM	#17
Anke Wehner Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 177956 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Germany Device: PRS-650	I found two typos in the professionally published book I'm reading now, and I'm only halfway through it. The last self-published book I read averaged something like one mistake (missing or misused words, mostly) per double page, if not more. So, sounds to me like you're doing fine.

02-15-2011, 01:04 PM	#19
HistoryWes Teacher/Novelist Posts: 632 Karma: 2274466 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nevada Device: Nook STR, iPad	We all have this problem. I had a dozen beta readers and went over my book at least 50 times and still found typos. The best strategy that I've found so far is a product called Text2Go, though any text to speech program should work just as well. When you've got the final edit ready to go, have the computer read it to you. You will hear "he bartender" or other typos (my big problem is though and through) and then you can fix it.

02-15-2011, 01:11 PM	#20
Anke Wehner Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 177956 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Germany Device: PRS-650	Spellcheckers are of limited usefulness. They don't catch it when you drop pronouns, particles or other small words your brain fills in automatically when you go too fast when looking for mistakes. Or when you use a word that exists, but is not what you mean. "Bare with me" or "peasant hunting season", and the like.

02-15-2011, 07:13 PM	#22
jrlewis SF/F Author Posts: 160 Karma: 349656 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: USA Device: Adobe Digital Editions	Yeah, that's a little frustrating. It's even worse when the reader thinks something is a typo or error when it really isn't, they just mis-read it. And yet that review is out there on the internet forever and ever... That's a writer's life!

02-18-2011, 06:54 AM	#23
bhartman36 Wizard Posts: 1,316 Karma: 1515835 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 3 Wi-Fi, Craig CMP738a Android Tablet	Thanks! Actually, the reader was kind enough to read the updated version and change his review. I wasn't even aware that was possible, but when I looked, he'd given it an additional star and removed mention of the typo. So it all worked out in the end, luckily enough. I appreciate everyone giving me a sanity check, though.

02-22-2011, 10:30 AM	#24
jumpingjack42 DiSpLaCeD Posts: 98 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: kindle 2	One more advantage of digital. Even the reviews can change. (not if they are in print!) Which is really good because my spelling is atrocious. (Yes I had to look atrocious up)

02-22-2011, 11:35 AM	#25
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Also whether a typo is a problem or not can be considered cultural I think. I mean for example the Chinese always leave a little area of things like their sculptures unfinished because they have a philosophy that says nothing of the world can be perfect. I can imagine the literary equivalent is the odd typo. Not to say a book should be published with the MS being filled with such, just that one or two little errors shouldn't be that big a deal in the mind of the author. If you think about it a minute the grammer, etc. that is used for writing a book and the English that we study in school aren't quite the same either. Writers break the rules all the time. So the odd typo is a small thing I think.

04-23-2011, 03:39 PM	#26
ChristinaSng Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: iPhone	That was great of the reviewer to revise the review. In my case, a reviewer gave away the whole plot and the twist at the end. Sometimes after years of not reading a story or poem I wrote, I look at it again and find typos I swear I never saw before, even after editing it a zillion times. The brain sees what it wants to see.

04-28-2011, 04:49 PM	#28
bhartman36 Wizard Posts: 1,316 Karma: 1515835 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 3 Wi-Fi, Craig CMP738a Android Tablet	Since I titled this thread "Smashwords Question", I might as well ask another one here. What is it that takes Smashwords so long in uploading? I assume it's not just doing a conversion, as Calibre could do that in a few minutes. Does it take that long to update and index the e-book you're uploading? Sorry this is such a newbie question. I'm just curious.

04-28-2011, 10:53 PM	#29
TrineDaely Connoisseur Posts: 54 Karma: 601022 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: Kindle 3	I've been wondering about the upload time, too. It's about ridiculous. Another thing I'd like is a way to preview it BEFORE it goes live there like you can on KDP. An in-browser editor for post-uploading to do small tweaks that are needed would be wonderful, but I guess that's asking for too much.

04-29-2011, 11:25 AM	#30
Anke Wehner Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 177956 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Germany Device: PRS-650	One possibility would be that the meatgrinder at the moment can't convert as many books per day as are submitted. Just speculating.