The Author Weighs In

You might remember a couple of months ago when I blogged (ok, went on a rant) about the poor quality and editing of ebooks.

That post,  Are eBooks Held to a Different Standard? chronicled my frustration with the fact that book after book after book available on my Kindle is riddled with typos and errors.

Finally, I was driven to write The Letter to both publisher and author outlining my dissatisfaction with a particular book that was particularly error-filled.

Customer Service at Publisher X responded within the first 24 hours. It was a relatively brief and somewhat uninformed response letting me know that my comments would be passed on to the appropriate editor.

The Author finally responded today. And, quite frankly, I believe her response clearly shows an author's perspective, and frustration, with mainstream publishing today. Even bestselling authors have begun to struggle with the increasingly lackadaisical approach to good editing, copyediting and attention to detail. In the rush to make books available as eBooks for the various available readers, the true core of good publishing and good editing appears to have fallen to the wayside in the rush for profits.

I must admit, I take this all quite personally. I hate to have a good read spoiled by poor editing. It ruins the entire story. But apparently, I'm not the only one. The Author's voice, too, falls on deaf ears.

Her response to me, below.... 

(Please note: author name, publisher name and editor name have been pulled from this correspondence along with any personal information that might identify any of them.)

Dear Bethany,

    I forwarded your e-mail to my agent who then forwarded it to my editor, demanding that they crack down on the "quality control" of the books they license to Kindle.  I was so horrified by what you told me, I couldn't even look at the edition myself.  I've complained to Publisher X about typo's in my books and sloppy Kindle editions, but your e-mail was so specific and articulate, I knew it would carry more weight than the author griping about the bad reproduction of her books.  My agent has just gotten back to me saying that my Editor finally got back to her. Anyway, she has started taking the problem seriously and has promised to pay more attention to both the regular publication of my books and the Kindle editions.  After all, this problem reflects on Publisher X  and Editor.  I do not set the type for my own books or do the final proofreading.

    Thank you for the e-mail.  It helped tremendously!

Let's face it folks, when an author's complaints about typos and sloppy editing is categorized as "griping", our industry has taken a huge step backwards. Publishers really need a good wake up call that consumers, and authors, are tired of poorly produced books.

Special thanks to this special author for responding so thoughtfully to my email!

Are eBooks held to a different standard?

I had the opportunity this weekend to spend another day with the fantastic members of The Space Coast Writer's Guild. I always enjoy spending time with a group of writer's that really "gets" it.

As I boarded my plane back to Chicago yesterday morning, I was busy downloading a couple of books to keep me company during my flight home. I was thrilled to see a favorite author of mine had two more books available on Kindle. Yay for me!

Or so I thought....

For the first time in the 18 months that I've owned my Kindle  (And, in fact, for the first time in the more than 12 years I've worked in the publishing industry), I am planning to spend my afternoon working on....

The Letter

The Letter often arrives at a publishing house on ripped up and worn paper. It's occasionally typed but often hand written. Sometimes it's legible, and sometimes it's not.

Usually, The Letter addresses the disappointment a reader feels about a book. Sometimes it's a valid argument. Oftentimes, it's a rant that gets stuck up on a bulletin board or read among colleagues as entertainment. Depending on the publisher, it's taken seriously or it's discarded along with the day's trash.

I have never written The Letter.

Today, that changes. The Letter will be sent to both the Publisher and the Author. If I can find the name, The Letter will also go to the agent of record for this favorite author of mine.

You see, after spending my $7.00 to download a fun novel, I found myself with a product that I couldn't enjoy. I found myself with a product that I couldn't read. I found myself with a product that was unpublishable.

And yes, I'm with all of you who believe a book is a book....not a product. Yesterday, however, I bought a product....and a defective one at that.

My new eBook is so riddled with typos, that I can't even get in to the story. Every four or five words is spelled wrong. In fact, throughout the first three chapters of the book, the word "the" is spelled "die" and that includes the word "them", now spelled "diem". Every Time!

How am I supposed to enjoy the building suspense? How am I supposed to get lost in the story? Several times, the misspellings created words that make no sense. And, in fact, made the story impossible to read.

And so, I will spend my afternoon writing The Letter.

I will include chapter numbers and page numbers. I will include specific examples. But, I'm afraid The Letter will fall on deaf ears at a publishing house so big that it apparently doesn't care about the quality of its eBook program.

This is not the first eBook that I've encountered with spelling, spacing and layout problems. In fact, it's the exception rather than the rule to download an (almost) perfect eBook. But this is by far the worst.

And so I must ask:

Are eBooks held to a different standard?

Has the ease of upload made publishers lazy about quality?