Welcome to "Feedback" where you can read some of the responses we've received from authors, literary critics, and other interested parties.
August 9, 2012 - Query from HarperCollins Publishers regarding review of Under the Volcano:
Do you ever run alerts when books are reissued with corrections made? I ask because our old edition of UNDER THE VOLCANO by Malcolm Lowry was rife with problems, as your site smartly noted. But we've since re-proofed it and reissued it. Your site would be a great place to make note of that as we still get emails from readers frustrated when they've come upon an old edition with lots of problems.
[Reply from HarperCollins Publishers upon receiving notice of errors in re-proofed edition.]
Thank you so much for your help and for alerting me to the new errors. I will definitely have them fixed in any reprints.
February 3, 2011 - Response from columnist and author Chris Cleave regarding the finding of a single error in Little Bee:
I've replied in the comments forum to the comment you left on my website - for which, many thanks.
I like what you're doing. In particular you've helped me fix my error, and in general you're standing up
for high standards in publishing, which is a cause dear to me also.
Thanks & all best,
Chris
[Reply from ChrisCleave.com comments forum.]
Thank you; you are quite correct. (As we say in London, "It's a fair cop - I'll come quietly").
I will talk with my publishers to see if my mistake can be fixed in future printings.
I am lucky to have excellent publishers who check copy the old-fashioned way, and they catch most of
my errors. For the occasional one that slips through the net, I am grateful to have skilled readers like you.
Thanks for taking the trouble.
All best,
Chris
June 22, 2004 - Response from columnist and author Joel Achenbach regarding the finding of no errors in The Grand Idea:
hey! thanks so very much for alerting me, i will forward this email
instantly to my publisher. i did hear of another error: chomping at the bit
should be champing at the bit. that's not a typo, thats just me not knowing
the correct expression! thanks again...cheers, joel
February 25, 2004 - Response from columnist and author Joel Achenbach regarding the finding of no errors in Captured By Aliens:
wow, thats incredible...thanks patrick!!! i'm so proud! no typos, but
unfortunately NO SALES EITHER...how do you do this?
February 6, 2004 - Response from an email sent to Jonathan Yardley, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist and book critic:
Thanks. Since I no longer write my old Monday column I don't really have a
forum to discuss matters such as this, but (a) I agree with you that sloppy
proofreading is a problem and (b) I must remind you that things were much
worse in the good old days. I've recently reread Jane Eyre and am reminded
by the intro to the Penguin edition that early editions of Victorian novels
were cesspools of errata. So were early editions of Tom Jones. Errors are
unfortunate but: To er is hman.
yrs,
jonathan yardley
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