Would you be surprised to know that my guilty pleasure is reading other editing blogs? I have several favorites, but for a quick fix, I know I can always depend on Laura at Terribly Write for funny/sad/pathetic/amazing mistakes. Laura has an eagle eye for this stuff, and if you aren’t already a fan, I urge you to visit her blog and check out the pages filled with common mistakes. Today’s post is a doozy that I just have to share: Everyone needs an editor.
Proof that everyone needs an editor, even professionals. #editing #writing Share on XHappy Editing!
—Candace
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Oh man. I strive to polish my writing so there are as few of those shudder-worthy mistakes as possible, but I know they happen from time to time.
Thanks for the share. Made me feel better about my own writing, in an indirect sort of way 🙂
Oh my, how I enjoy Laura’s blog. I was just reading it, in fact.
Laura deserves lots of fans–glad to hear you’re one of them, Eric.
Thanks for mentioning Terribly Write. It can make most of us feel better about our own scribblings when you consider all the examples are from professional writers and editors who work for Yahoo! and whose words are read (sometimes with great difficulty or glee) by millions of people around the world.
My pleasure, Laura. I’ve followed and loved your blog for awhile, and I’m happy to spread the word. The examples you post are graphic examples of why we all need to have someone look over our writing before we share it with the world.
Thanks for the introduction to Laura’s blog, Candace. I’m a follower now!
I’m happy to make the introductions, Jill. You’ll be amazed at some of the stuff she finds to post.
In this past week, I’ve had two friends tell me about two separate self published books they’ve read with errors and Editor could have prevented. One misspelled her own characters name (sometimes it was Sara and other times it was Sarah) and changed her car from a Grand Prix to a Grand Am. The other one had sentences like “my face turned read with anger.” Why don’t people think they need another eye?
Thanks for these thoughts, Angela. Mistakes happen, but the types of mistakes you’ve highlighted here are easily avoided. Hiring a proofreader (at the very least) is a wise investment for any author; if we want to be viewed as professionals, we need to act professionally. I think I’d die if I’d spent months writing a book only to have it blasted for poor editing, especially when there are so many top-notch editors and proofreaders out there!
Yeah, mistakes do happen. I’ve even seen errors in books published by big publishers.