E-book Typos and Display Issues
Discussion
I understand why older books scanned into electronic format have OCR typos and other display issues but I sometimes come across modern books that have the same problem. Surely they are all natively electronic now so should not have /136 in random places in the text or "arms" substituted by "anus" as reportedly happened with one book.
Even with older books it would be nice if the paid-for ones were proof read or at least corrected when reported.
Even with older books it would be nice if the paid-for ones were proof read or at least corrected when reported.
You're right, they should be.
However, I loathe E-books and Kindles and all associated with it. It's why not one of the books I've published has ever been available as a 'Kindle' version etc. I know stuff evolves and moves on, but you don't have to move with it. In my case in 1990 I was reliably informed by 'experts' that the 'book' (the physical thing you hold) was dead. I was wasting my time. Ha ha ha.
As I said, stuff moves on. For one, I note you put 'proof read' - I used to be called a proof reader at one point (did it for a while in the late 60s and 70s). Then it became a proof-reader. Today (just to correct your bit) it's proofread (or proofreader, proofreading) believe it or not. No hypen, no space.
This is just a plug for 'real' physical books. Still selling well and ahead of 'leccy' books.
However, I loathe E-books and Kindles and all associated with it. It's why not one of the books I've published has ever been available as a 'Kindle' version etc. I know stuff evolves and moves on, but you don't have to move with it. In my case in 1990 I was reliably informed by 'experts' that the 'book' (the physical thing you hold) was dead. I was wasting my time. Ha ha ha.
As I said, stuff moves on. For one, I note you put 'proof read' - I used to be called a proof reader at one point (did it for a while in the late 60s and 70s). Then it became a proof-reader. Today (just to correct your bit) it's proofread (or proofreader, proofreading) believe it or not. No hypen, no space.
This is just a plug for 'real' physical books. Still selling well and ahead of 'leccy' books.
Edited by dandarez on Monday 28th December 23:06
Oddly enough, I hesitated over proof read. I had a feeling it was one word but also suspected it wasn't. Even though I had the power of the internet behind me, I did not bother to check so I am as guilty as the publishers. I can't even claim it was a failure to proofread, it was a conscious decision to pick the wrong one.
Now I have made the effort to Google, I've learned that it's a common etymological pattern of change for words to start out with open spelling (proof read, to day), go through a hyphentated stage and end with closed spelling (proofread, today) so that's something I can throw into the conversation one day.
I'm mixed-used when it comes to e-books and physical books. My preference is for physical because they can't take those away from me. It's a slightly conspiracy nutjob stance but it has happened - Amazon removed an edition of 1984 of all things from all the Kindles of the world. That was a publishing rights issue and not a sinister act of censorship but it did demonstrate they could do it if they wanted whereas they could not take physical copies. I can also see the opportunities for remotely "updating" e-books if they contain unfashionable attitudes or unfortunate truths.
On the other hand, there are some bargains on Kindle. I have just bought a set of four books that would have been £80 as books but under £26 as Kindle. The author is long dead so he will not mind. The little tinkers at Amazon did them as 99 pence (to get me hooked), £9.99, £4.99 and £9.99. However, I have caught them doing 99 pence "bargains" that are public domain and therefore free elsewhere.
Now I have made the effort to Google, I've learned that it's a common etymological pattern of change for words to start out with open spelling (proof read, to day), go through a hyphentated stage and end with closed spelling (proofread, today) so that's something I can throw into the conversation one day.
I'm mixed-used when it comes to e-books and physical books. My preference is for physical because they can't take those away from me. It's a slightly conspiracy nutjob stance but it has happened - Amazon removed an edition of 1984 of all things from all the Kindles of the world. That was a publishing rights issue and not a sinister act of censorship but it did demonstrate they could do it if they wanted whereas they could not take physical copies. I can also see the opportunities for remotely "updating" e-books if they contain unfashionable attitudes or unfortunate truths.
On the other hand, there are some bargains on Kindle. I have just bought a set of four books that would have been £80 as books but under £26 as Kindle. The author is long dead so he will not mind. The little tinkers at Amazon did them as 99 pence (to get me hooked), £9.99, £4.99 and £9.99. However, I have caught them doing 99 pence "bargains" that are public domain and therefore free elsewhere.
Personally I like Kindle (well the app on my Ipad) I read far more books and of a greater variety than I ever used to do with Paperbacks. I've seen quite a few typo's, often scanning issues, found some of those in one of Winston Churchill's books, I'm sure he didn't type it wrong. But as mentioned I also see them in books written for kindle, self published and occasionally professionally published ones.
I've also been at the sharp end of trying to eliminate them for my Wife's self published books and its bloody difficult to do. I find MS Word a nightmare to use, our editors have generally used tracked changes to alter the manuscript, but I find this regularly leads to errors as we end up leaving parts in that should come out, or missing parts out that should be in. It also seems to retain tracked changes even when its turned off, I've had it transfer them right through the formatting of processing for the ebook.
On her first book we read through it time and time again to eliminate everything, finally published it and I found a typo on the very first page after I downloaded a copy for myself!.
I've also been at the sharp end of trying to eliminate them for my Wife's self published books and its bloody difficult to do. I find MS Word a nightmare to use, our editors have generally used tracked changes to alter the manuscript, but I find this regularly leads to errors as we end up leaving parts in that should come out, or missing parts out that should be in. It also seems to retain tracked changes even when its turned off, I've had it transfer them right through the formatting of processing for the ebook.
On her first book we read through it time and time again to eliminate everything, finally published it and I found a typo on the very first page after I downloaded a copy for myself!.
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