The Typo Debate

https://www.facebook.com/groups/girlfriendbookclub/permalink/1966150417103202/

Carolynn Clark:

"I am reading The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles which is a great book BUT how annoying when I find errors that were missed in editing…… what do you all think of this sentence? I can’t believe the word PORPOISE was used instead of the word PURPOSE. Am I missing something? is this a legitimate word to use in the following sentence? “What Woolly did not tell Billy was that sometimes-like when he first arrived at St Paul’s-he would wind the watch sixteen times for six days in a row on porpoise so that he could be half an hour ahead of everybody else.”"

My reply:


Viking Publishing is owned by Penguin, a big 5 publisher.

So yeah, I am surprised there would be an error.

One of the "arguments" certain readers use for reading Big 5 publications instead of Indie books is that the Big 5 can afford editors to check everything with a fine tooth comb.

But really, Indie authors tend to be the ones checking and rechecking and using editors.

*Not all, in either case. Just more often than not.



It's funny how they'll tell authors that one typo can get you rejected. Then say that it's okay to have a typo because that's what an editor is for! And then books come out with a typo and the audience absolutely crucifies the author (not the publisher, not the editors) in reviews, memes, etc. Then a few people will debate, on behalf of the author, as to if spelling and grammar are tools of racism and if language exists to foster oppression. (Which is an intriguing debate, especially since outlawing literacy is and always has been specifically implemented to oppress and control people.) A debate possibly created by the PR firm for the Big 5 publishers, proving that no press is bad press.

🤔

And that right there is the real rub. Because then you have to ask yourself if the typo was put there on purpose to force a debate?

Because there's a comic from 20 some years ago that is still true today, that states if you want to get the attention of everyone on the Internet, misspell a word.

🤔🤷‍♀️🤔🤷‍♀️🤔🤷‍♀️🤔🤷‍♀️🤔🤷‍♀️🤔🤷‍♀️

That sounds nutty, right?

It couldn't be true.

There's no way such a ploy could ever work!

Readers cannot be manipulated that easily.

🤔😶

Oh.
Ummm...
Huh
😒
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What are your thoughts?

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