If you spot a typo in something you’ve read feel free to smile to yourself at the inaccuracy, perhaps you might even write to the editor pointing it out. But for the love of God please don’t send a four page letter condemning the entire staff just because you spotted two it’s without apostrophes and a sub-head that read Windows 98 and 95 instead of Windows 95 and 98. Please try to bear in mind that a 96 page publication with no advertising that’s out every two months has quite a few words in it. The fact you spotted three errors DOES NOT make you a candidate for a non-existant sub-editors job nor does it mean that none of us is capable of editing a publication.
I’m sure that when you went to school standards were much higher and you were taught properly unlike everyone that works for me (and me), especially as we missed those ‘its’ and screwed up the style for Windows iterations. Try to keep in mind, however, that not everyone who works for the publication is the same age and some of them might even have gone to school at the same time as you. In the Kevin Kegaan sense I’d love it if we could print an issue with no errors or misprints but sadly, like Newcastle Utd. that year I think we fall short - not by much and certainly not through lack of effort.
Read the 11th April issue of MacUser, specifically page 23. In the bottom corner is a question: What frustrates you? The answer?
People that assume that my work takes no time at all and is somehow easy.
It takes time, it’s not easy, like every job if you’re not the one doing it you might not be able to judge just how difficult it is.
P.S. Your letter had three mistakes too, sadly the customer services manager won’t allow me to write back and let you know that. And no I’m not going to sack the proof reader he’s shit hot and there’d be more for you to complain about were he not doing such a fantastic job. Dullard.
* Mistakes on this blog don’t count because I didn’t get a proper education and there’s no staff to spot my crappy grammar.
Here here. As I’ve also put on Sally’s blog…
Yes, there are mistakes. As a PR I can afford the luxury of looser deadlines and a host of subs (account execs etc) to spot the mistakes.
PRs also have to have perfect copy because we’re so often peddling such cr*p that any typo will leave it in the bin. If it was a good story that wasn’t sent out by spam mail I’m sure journalists would tolerate a typo or two in our copy too.
But ultimately it’s amazing that there are so few typos in The Times / Telegraph etc. and yes, even in the Grauniad. Get it done, don’t get it perfect is a good motto.
I know what I’d rather see - a strong piece that has been researched well yet contains a typo or a press release reprint.