Fixing Errors

Recently a reader messaged me on Facebook about an error he found in an old book of mine. I’d like to show you a bit of what goes on behind the scenes when I get a message like that.

Back in the old days of print and traditional publishing, if a reader found an error all I could do was thank them and apologize. There was no way a publisher would be able to change the publication files, often in a program like Adobe In Design, and then set up a new print run, unless it was a huge and significant error, or one that might lead to legal ramifications.

Even with digital publishing, a publisher may not want to bother going through all the steps of correcting the error and republishing. But as an indie author, I want to give my readers the best experience of reading my books, so if someone points out an error, I’ll fix it.

In this case it’s a typo in Deadly Labors, the tenth book in the Mahu series, which originally came out in 2019, about the death of a police officer named Brian Yang.

Here’s the context:

I saw Ralph Kim come on, and hushed Mike and Kitty so we could watch. “New developments in the death of a valiant HPD officer at a bar in Waimanalo,” he said, doing a stand-up in front of the Crazy Bar. In the distance behind him I could see waves slapping the shore.

“HPD officer Brian Kim was killed in the bar behind me three weeks ago. A confidential source at HPD has told me that even though a suspect is out on bail, the investigation continues. A witness met with our KVOL sketch artist this afternoon and described a man considered to be of interest in the case.”

Can you spot the error? I didn’t, no matter how many times I read through the manuscript. The dead officer is Brian Yang, not Brian Kim—a mix-up I probably made because I had TV reporter Ralph Kim in mind.

What happens now? I open up the original Word document on my computer and change the name. I have separate files for the e-book version and the print version, so I have to change them in both places.

Then I upload the corrected Word docs to Amazon, who will create a new epub document for readers. Presumably anyone who orders the book after the new upload will get the corrected file. (Though with Amazon, you never know.) Amazon is supposed to also provide the updated file to anyone who has purchased the e-book, but again, no one really knows how that process works.)

I am also a “wide” author. No, that doesn’t have to do with the size of my hips! It means that I upload my files to a distributor called Draft2Digital. Then they pass the e-book along to retailers like Apple and Barnes and Noble. So I have to upload the corrected file to D2D as well, and it may take a while for the new epub they create to get disseminated to over 40 retailers around the world.

I go through a similar process, though much quicker, when I need to change prices of books for promotions or sales. And often when I’m working with an older book I discover things that need to be changed, like a book that’s missing acknowledgments or one where the links have been changed or expired.

All that takes time away from writing. I try and keep my mornings free for creative work, accompanied by a vat of café mocha, and then do admin work like this (and writing newsletters) for the afternoon, after I’ve walked the dogs.

 All four of the Angus Green FBI thrillers are now available through Ingram, which distributes to bookstores all around the world. If you’d like a print copy and want to support your local bookstore, you can now order these titles as well as the golden retriever mysteries. Next up will be the Have Body, Will Guard series and the Mahu investigations. Right now only the most recent two are available in each series.