My editors can't spell

cebasham · May 12, 2006

OK, I realize I am venting more than asking a real question, but this week it happened twice. Two different articles, two different publications, and in both cases the editor changed my correct spelling to an incorrect spelling.

What do you do when you editor can't spell? Is there a gracious way to tell her that cuisine cannot please your "pallet" or that a lace curtain is not "shear"?

Once I send in my articles, they are in the editors' hands. I respect that. But by the same token, she is a professional and should recognize her own weaknesses, and ask someone (even if it is not me) if the word I used is really the word that belongs in there.

Now, I am in a position where two different publications this week alone have published something with my name on it, that makes me look like an idiot. Ugh.

Lauri B · May 12, 2006

Yikes. This would make me crazy. We've definitely let some typos slip in books we've published, so it certainly happens. What kind of publications were these? If they are daily papers, for example, editors are often so busy getting the paper out that they miss more than editors on glossies. I would mention it to both editors you usually have as your contacts at the publications. They need to know that their editors aren't proofing properly, and you'll alert everyone that you're paying attention.

cebasham · May 12, 2006

thanks, nomad

And yes, after stewing about this I think I need to calmly call the office and ask how to handle these things.

Caaallllllmmmmllllyyyyyy.

Because I want my work to come across as professional, but I don't want to be perceived as hard to work with. Both of these publications (and several other regular writing jobs for me) are published by the same group of people. I don't want to kill the goose that is laying my personal golden egg, for the sake of my ego. But by the same token, it's not just ego, it's my professional reputation.

One of the publications is a weekly "advertorial" thing, and only my editor touches it. The other is an annual promotional book for a local association, and I know that in that case they were working under unrealistic deadlines and had about 5 people editing my work--there's no way to be 100% sure just who made the error that makes my teeth itch.

The thing is, it's a small town, and there's my name, prominently displayed under a cringe-inducing headline. Whenever this happens, I want to go from house to house saying, "Hey, that crazy typo? I swear to GOD that wasn't my fault!"

Lauri B · May 12, 2006

I hear ya--the same thing has happened to me (and probably every other writer I've ever met).
Good luck!

citymouse · May 12, 2006

my editor can't spell

Sadly we live in times where editors who work for $$ don't do their jobs.
Here is an example that taught me a hard and expensive lesson.
My editor ran spell check on my ms but clearly didn't give it a final read. Here is how I found out.
This is a sentence I wote in a novel.

“The shoes,” was the kid’s saucy reply, as he moved off in a narcotic induced wobble.

My editor's version is “The shoes,” was the kid’s saucy reply, as he moved off in a narcotic induced wobbling.

If one runs MSsc on that sentence the word wobble becomes wobbling. That was my first sense that things were not well in the land.

I have since changed editors.

Lauri B · May 12, 2006

Well, your editor also missed the hyphen in between narcotic and induced. And I'm not quite sure any decent editor would have kept "saucy reply" in a sentence. Good idea to switch.

punstress · May 14, 2006

You have every right to be upset, and frankly if an editors gets mad at YOU for pointing out the errors put into your story, then maybe you are better off without those markets. They should be apologizing to you profusely. But the editor might not even know she or someone is doing a lousy job unless you point it out to them.

Are they anywhere nearby? Maybe you can offer to help them do a final proofing of your story once it's been laid out. Or they could fax it to you.

You could approach it as, hey I know you guys are always busy and you do a lot of great work every month. How can I help so changes like this don't happen next time?

mistri · May 14, 2006

Missing errors is bad enough, but at least there can be excuses for it. But I think putting errors in is pretty much inexcusable for a professional editor.

I think you should be able to mention something like that to them, though I'll admit to not knowing the best way to do it

My editors can't spell

cebasham

Lauri B

I Heart Mac

cebasham

Lauri B

I Heart Mac

citymouse

fantasy dweller

Lauri B

I Heart Mac

punstress

mistri

Sneezy Member