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If typos, misspellings,
inconsistencies, and repetitive phrases or words catch the attention of
readers, imagine how much more noticeable they are to writers. Any author who
has been through the editing, revision, and proofing processes of writing a book
must, from necessity, sharpen his or her eye for problems. We all would like to
identify our own mistakes, and fix them, rather than have them caught by a
reader or reviewer. And preferably, long before our books reach publication. This
tends to create a sensitive hyper-critical focus for errors. Sometimes, it’s
hard to turn off this internal lens when reading for pleasure.
My co-author and I have
turned editing into an exhaustive process. It takes days and days to proof,
edit, and revise our work. We are attuned to it now. And even with all
that scrutiny, little things still slip past. So I can certainly understand how
it can happen to other writers, even best-selling authors with professional editors
at their service.
Indie authors have to be
particularly meticulous since our errors are judged a bit more harshly than those
of traditionally published authors. However, once you flip that switch from
writer to editor, it’s hard to turn it off. Last night I was reading a book by
a top-notch big-name author, a very good book I might add, and was surprised to
find myself mentally editing the book as I went. Although the book was
published by one of the Big 6, it had several typos in it and some very
redundant word usage that was distracting. But that’s not the point. The point
is that my reading enjoyment was being diminished by an unnecessarily critical
eye.
I sometimes have to remind
myself it is not my job to edit other authors’ published work. My role in
reading is to simply enjoy the story!
Are there any other
authors/writers out there whose reading enjoyment has fallen victim to this
phenomenon?