Rayda Jacobs’ Masquerade is published by Umuzi, an imprint of Random House.
I’ve read ninety pages and have already found two typos. They’re not your average misplaced-apostrophe typo though. They indicate that the editor is not familiar with the English language, which is worrying.
Even Word doesn’t recognise ‘make-belief.’ And who the hell is Mary Quaint?
I don’t believe I’m being too pedantic. People were paid to pick up this sort of thing. If the author insisted on these phrases because they are, say, ‘family’ words; then tell me by putting them in italics.
Someone needs a new day job.
That would really annoy me too. I read magazines with a red pen in hand. It’s a disease.
There’s been a lot of gossip on the industry blogs about this actually. The problem isn’t the writer or editor, it’s that the final draft (at some publishing houses) is retyped in by out-sourced people over seas.
When you say the person writing it doesn’t know English as a first language, well, yeah… that could be it exactly. Not everyone has updated to computer drafts for the final press. And if someone has to hand-type the entire book again into the computer. Well, no wonder we have errors!
Check out the agent blogs and you’ll see instances where 1) an early draft was published not the final 2) people have written the author about mistakes (as if you can fix it) 3) flagrant errors perpetrated in the last stages of editing.
Your best bet to avoid the problem is to avoid various publishing houses and imprints. Random House seems to be one of the worst offenders.
@ Tamara – LOL! I correct the typos in the books. But with a pencil though. I still believe that a book, any book, is sacred. Thanks for visiting.
@ LadyV – This is horrifying! I had no idea this was happening. I’d really appreciate it if you could point me to those industry blogs. And yes, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen Random house mentioned in a negative light. Seems like they need to do some serious damage control.
You’re welcome. And ditto. Yes, I’m the same with books. I don’t mind scribbling all over magazines, but books, even typo-ridden ones, are not to be bent, written on or taken to the bath 😉
http://lianabrooks.blogspot.com/
Check my side bar for the addresses for
Pubrants (she’s the one where they published the wrong draft)
Janet Reid
Nathan Bransford
All three have mentioned this is the past month.
And random House is getting hammered for their decision to pull Jewel of Medina because there was concern that extremist Islamic sects would react negatively to anything being published about their religious leader. No one said it was a negative book, but it was a story about his wife so *shrug* no one knows anything because the publishing house waffled rather than risking ire.
@ Tamara – I’m afraid I’m a philistine. Even though I don’t write in books, I read them on the beaches, I read them on the landing grounds, I read them in the fields and in the streets, I read them in the hills.
And they surrender. Dog-eared and limp.
@ Lady V – Thanks. Fascinating stuff. And I’m definitely following your blog and links.
I also hate typos. But to leave out a marriage??? (To George in Cape Town) makes the whole thing seem a bit fake.
Jill, not quite sure about your reference to George and a marriage. Did you perhaps post this comment in the wrong place ? Happens to the best of us!