Dontcha Just Love Authors Who Slag Off Their Own Editors?
Sunday, August 20, 2006Posted in: Uncategorized
There’s a bit of a mini to-do on the All About Romance list serve at the moment. Basically, the subject was about errors in romance books, and was going along quite nicely, with everybody giving good examples of glitches in books, such as clothing changes in scenes, seating plan errors, etc, then this bint waded in with her size 12’s.
As for ebooks, the truth is, the editors aren’t always the greatest and you can tell when they just skimmed through a section. They don’t really care because they are just random people hired to edit the books. That’s why they suck. lol
I read this yesterday, and sat back and waited for the shit to hit the fan. As it happens, everybody was well behaved, Godammit.
Anyway, AngieW, who is never backwards in coming forward, posted this comment:
Wow. Just wow.
Nothing like burning your bridges in the epublishing world. Or not bothering
to defend the industry that gave you the opportunity to be published.
They don’t really care because they are just random people hired to edit the
books.
I don’t even know how to respond to this, I’m just that floored by it.
to defend the industry that gave you the opportunity to be published.
books.
I have a feeling she didn’t think about how she would come off sounding.
Lynne Connolly, AAR regular, weighed in with this comment:
When did you last read an ebook?
Editors are often the same as in New York – most editors are freelance – and if you look at editors’ names, you’ll find them repeated over New York and the ebook world. Also, ebooks are now dividing into separate entities.
At the top are the larger ebook companies like Ellora’s Cave, who have their books in bookstores as well as online. Then there are the ebook only companies, and these vary wildly. Some are excellent, some aren’t. Best way to decide before you buy is go to the site and read the extracts.
So please don’t give wild generalisations.
The writer ( then gets kind of huffy and tries to defend herself:
It was not a “wild generalisation”, actually. I just released a novel from extasybooks about two months ago. I found the editor did not seem to catch things even I could see after going over.
There were a lot of places where I could see she just skimmed over rather than reading. This is from experience with an ebook publisher, NOT something I am making up from a book I read. So, thank you very much. You know what, I thought opinions were welcome here.
Apparently not.
Ooooh handbags! Talk about knickers in a twist, heheh.
The thing is, never mind the generalisations about ebook editing sucking GBHDB, she doesn’t seem to realise that she’s just slagged off her editor at Extasy. Maybe her editor is the understanding sort who doesn’t bear grudges. Maybe.
Anyhoo, there are several well-reasoned, and articulate follow-ups from Lynne Connolly and Angie, so if you’re an AAR list member, go have a read, and if you’re not… erm, join up I guess.
In other news, Tom Cruise has come last in a poll to find the celebrity, people would most like to have as their best friend. Shocker.
Sandy Schwab
August 20
6:54 pm
Oh wow. What a bright move! Brings to mind bulls and china shops …
I found the editor did not seem to catch things even I could see after going over.
So why the heck didn’t she proofread her ms before she sent it to her editor???
(Karen, I’m not quite sure whether this is my first post on your blog or not, but I hope don’t mind me coming out of lurkerdom and butting in.)
Karen Scott
August 20
7:06 pm
Hey Sandy, I love people coming out of lurkerdom!
And I though exactly the same thing myself when I read her comments.
Katie
August 20
7:41 pm
Hi Karen and Sandy. I decided to come out of lurkedom too *G*.
Because this is just too fuc***g unbelievable. I would love to be a flee on the wall when “this bint” gets her due, she practically blacklisted herself.
Thanks for letting us know. *Sigh* now I’ve joined yet another group. GRR. 🙂
Jaye
August 20
10:59 pm
I’m on that AARList, but I tend to just read the digest (I have far too many Yahoo groups). Can’t wait to get the next digest. gg. Yeah, not very smart slagging off her editor.
georgia
August 20
11:46 pm
wow! Talk about giving your writing career the Kiss of Death. Her 1st ebook only just came out in June. Idiot.
Rosie
August 20
11:51 pm
Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe people want to be successful in their chosen profession when they so diligently go about shooting themselves in the foot.
Ditto “Idiot”.
Jana J. Hanson
August 21
12:38 am
Wow! At first I thought she was making a bit of a joke (though not a funny one to e-publishing editors who do care aka me). Once I read her additional post, I think she just shot herself in the foot big time.
I’m all for speaking your mind and saying what you think but there’s a time when you’ve got to look at the big picture. Especially when you want people to take you seriously as a writer and buy your books.
Marie Bellevaux
August 22
5:19 pm
Hmmm…didn’t SHE also go over the book in edits? It is HER book, not the editor’s.
Bam
August 25
2:42 am
damn… does anybody have a copy of this book? I want it!
Doesn’t the stupid bitch know that you kiss the editor’s ass, not… oooh, i don’t know… shit in their soup?
Karen Scott
August 25
10:00 am
Evidently not Bam, evidently not!
Anonymous
August 25
1:04 pm
Not only is she rather stupid, her excerpts are nothing to write home about. She really should be thankful for ebooks, because I doubt she would have been published elsewhere.
Karen Scott
August 29
3:15 pm
Anonymous, I too have read her excerpts, and lets put it this way, if anybody out there wants to send me a copy of her book to review, I shall be more than happy to do so. Either that, or you can send them to Dear Author, who I’m sure would do just as good a job. *g*