What's Happening?

 

Yes, writers need editors.

But what happens when the editors miss something?

What happens if, after multiple edits and several rounds of revisions, years apart ... you STILL miss an important detail?

Well, at least be happy that READERS didn't catch the glitch either, and didn't call you out on it.

Or should I be grateful? I mean, that kind of means that the people who did read the book weren't really paying attention?

Or is it just a sign of the failures in the public school system?

What am I talking about?

Doing the edits of narration for the audiobook of MUSIC IN THE NIGHT, (releasing January 15 in print, ebook and audiobook) I came to a scene where my heroine, Ess Fremont, is out killing time and doing some sightseeing in New York City. She decides to go to Ellis Island. Then comes the first of 2 dreaded sentences ....

She notices that the ferry taking her to the island has come so close to one of the buildings that it obscures sight of the Statue of Liberty ....

Ummmmm .... The Statue of Liberty is on Liberty Island, not Ellis Island ..... DUH!

Okay, easy enough to delete that sentence without leaving a logic hole in the story. But what if I mentioned her looking up at the statue as she's walking around the island?

I only found one more reference to the statue -- I stated that Ellis Island was used for naval operations during the Civil War, and airships (this is a steampunk story, so don't go shouting about how airships weren't invented until several decades later, like a certain jerk reviewer did.) (Excuse me? Don't you know the conventions and rules of writing steampunk?) (Where was I? Oh, yeah) .... and airships tied up from the crown of the Statue of Liberty.

Also easy enough to delete without messing up the story and readers scratching their heads, sure that something important was left out.

Because even if the first "generation" of readers didn't catch that blooper, putting the statue on Ellis Island, the new readers getting the revised and re-released MUSIC IN THE NIGHT (did I mention it's coming January 15?) might just catch it. Wouldn't want to disappoint all of you!!

Rant over ....