But making millions from your first novel is a tough job. It's difficult to even get one foot through the publishing door. So one member came up with the idea of putting Amazon's self publishing theory to the test.Thus was created the wonderful cooperation known as Starfish Publishing. The works from within our group would be published under this cooperation and sold on Amazon Kindle. A website was designed and built and to date there are four titles listed as available - and a glorious banner was designed with our logo and the words Starfish Publishing. Being clever, we even replaced the 'A' in Starfish with an actual starfish. Things were looking good.
This website went live back in November. Only last week an 18 year old pointed out an error that none of us - an entire group of writers, I must add - ever saw.
There appeared to be no 'R' in Starfish. It would seem not only did the five legged picture replace the 'A' but also the 'R'.
I reiterate the fact that this error was missed and over-looked by an entire group of writers for about four months, but having laughed off our shocking embarrassment, we set about putting it right. Thus the tale of the Starfish Publishing website has a happy ending.
We all make errors like this. We're human. It even happens to professionals, and how many of you have picked up a book and noticed a spelling error within its sea of words?
Sometimes, no matter how hard we look for those trees, the forest just always gets in the way...
I suggested an idea like this last April or so but no one would bite on it. I have to say it would probably be about as good as my publisher.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great way for those thinking of going the self-publishing route. It also means they don't have to go it alone - which can be daunting for some.
DeleteActually, he's 12 years old and is a bad speller.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the competition!
12??? *hangs head with even more shame...lol
DeleteI like the logo for starfish publishing. And grumpy...the reason no one would bite is because publishing is hard.
ReplyDeleteThank you Michael. It does look good, doesn't it :)
DeleteI constantly deal with a tendency to miss glaring errors in my novels, as well as glaring errors that slip by in my office where we publish books for a school district. Sometimes even with several of us reviewing things, we miss stuff. It seems to be a hazard of the publishing trade. We just do our best and thank anyone who happens to help us by pointing out the boo boos.
ReplyDeleteExactly. my book, Son of Jack, was published back in November and I'm still getting people coming up to me saying there are spelling mistakes in it, even though I went through it with a fine tooth comb. I think, when we hit the final editing stages, we try to disconnect from the actual story in order to see these errors, but the story still has a way of sucking you in in places and allowing these little errors to slip by. As you say, occupational hazard :)
DeleteThere are those who dream and those who do. Actually it's better if you can do both : ) Good luck!
ReplyDelete