A few weeks ago I recorded the audio version of one of my novels.
Parts of the experience were very good.
And yes, parts were, uh, not so great.
The bad: Typos. Lots. I hate typos. They’re embarrassing and disrupt the reader’s experience.
It drove me nuts.
There I was, cruising along with the recording and BAM! a typo would jump off the page and zing me. Not once. Not twice. No, don’t ask, I’m not going to tell how many times.
I’m positive none of the typos were there when I looked over my galleys and did my final proof.
Okay, you see where I’m going so let’s skip ahead: Read your manuscript out loud. Do it. I don’t care if you’re pre-published or have written more novels than Stephen King, doing that will slash the typo count drastically. (If you found any in this post, please ignore them, they’re Gina’s fault.)
Do you read your manuscripts out loud? If yes, for the reasons I suggest above or another reason? If not, why not? Do you loathe typos as much as I do?
James L. Rubart is the best-selling, and award winning author of ROOMS, BOOK OF DAYS, and THE CHAIR. During the day he runs Barefoot Marketing, helping authors make more coin of the realm. In his free time he dirt bikes, hikes, water skis and take photos. No, he doesn’t sleep much. He lives with his amazing wife and teenage sons in the Pacific Northwest and still thinks he’s young enough to water ski like a madman. More at www.jameslrubart.com
You're right. Reading aloud does make a difference. Also, reading backwards works for some.
ReplyDeleteDon't feel bad, though. I find more than one typo in every book I read. Found 5 in the last novel. And, these books have been edited and proofed by pros.
It always helps to know you're not alone. Thanks, Emily.
DeleteI not only read my manuscript out loud, several times, but I use a reading software (Natural Speak) that reads it back to me. I have a tendancy to type so fast I miss words. I've discovered by doing it this way, I catch most of those errors.
ReplyDeleteGood idea, Kathryn, probably something I should try.
DeleteImpressive madman skiing photo.
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteI read mine out loud. I even write a lot out loud. That explains a lot, right? Natural Speak, huh? Does it really sound fairly normal and not like Glenda the Garmin?
ReplyDeleteLetting your fingers do the talking ... I like that.
DeleteAnd with my dyslexic fingers, I need help. ;o)
ReplyDeleteI do loathe typos, especially other people's! :-) And yes, I read my manuscripts out loud, as much as I can stand to do it. I have to make sure nobody else is around, though. It feels too much like talking to myself.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Julia.
DeleteI read manuscripts out loud because I'm better at identifying needless repetitions / redudancies that way. I also find any hiccups in the text that need to be smoothed out.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that too, Amimee. You hear repetitions that you can't see.
DeleteI read my manuscripts out loud, but for some odd reason, I often do it with a British accent. Explain that one! Call me weird, but I think it's fun. SMILE. The other thing I've found personally helpful is to convert my working manuscript to my Kindle. For some reason, the typos, punctuation errors, etc. JUMP out at me on the Kindle. I think it's because I've stared at the computer screen or a printed version (in a notebook) too long. My mind's eye sees what it wants, not what's actually there.
ReplyDeleteI think we need an MP3 sample of you reading, JoAnn. :)
DeleteGreat advice. I have read my ms out loud on a recorder and then played them back to me. I learned a lot. Mostly that I do not like to hear my own voice. But I found many typos, repetitions, awkward dialogue and choppy, uneasy sentences. A good practice - if you can stand it.
ReplyDeleteJodi
Yes, even thought I hate the sound of my own voice! For some reason, word & phrase repetitions also jump out when I read them out loud.
ReplyDeleteI convert my manuscripts to a pdf and then let it read out loud to me in the nice little British man's voice. Then I read it again myself for flow. I quite often catch things that I skimmed over because I knew what it was supposed to say.
ReplyDeleteSound advice, ar-ar. I take full blame for all your blunders in life, Jim. My older version kindle has a text to speech app so it will read my books to me. That comes in incredible handy not just to catch typos but also the flow of the book. What looks good on paper doesn't always sound good. And, in my opinion, if it sounds good, it looks good. I also find even more problems when my husband reads my chapters to me. His southern gentleman's voice is so lovely which makes mistakes stand out all the more.
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