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Topic: editor error - advice please
| Author | Message |
| ExpatJane | Posted – 1/16/2008 10:44:46 AM | show profile | email poster I'm new at this, but my first newspaper article was published today and the editor made a huge error. I refered to the Berklee School of Music and the editor changed it to Berkley School of Music. 1) that's wrong and 2) Berkeley is spelled with an e, so the correction is wrong. They're going to run a correction when the seciton is published again next Tuesday. I want this to be my start to freelance writing, but now I'm scared because the editor is clearly careless. Should I attach citations and documentation to my writing like it's an academic article? I mean all he had to do was Google it (but he didn't.) Maybe if I show I've already done my fact checking they'll limit their editing to grammar and spelling. I'm freaking out. This is a English paper printed and sold in a foreign country, so most readers aren't going to pick up on it, but still. My concern is about those readers who do know the difference and just for the sake of the integrity of my writing. That shouldn't have been changed. Help. Regina aka ExpatJane ------ "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it." - Chinese Proverb http://expatjane.blogspot.com |
| candylilacs | Posted – 1/16/2008 10:40:57 PM | show profile It happens. Take a deep breath. Let it go. If you worry this will be a regular occurrence make sure to CQ names so they know you have it right. You will write more and you will have more clips. Good luck! ------ http://www.mswritesguide.blogspot.com |
| ExpatJane | Posted – 1/17/2008 7:07:20 AM | show profile candylilacs, Thanks a lot for chiming in. My perfectionistic soul is going to have to adjust because once I submit something to an editor it's out of my hands at that point. I'm trying to let it pass. So far so good. I mean it's out. The paper is in circulation and there isn't a darn thing I can do about it. It's just irksome that it's an error that I didn't even make. I am concerned it will happen again. It just means I'll have to cite to make sure the editors don't screw up again. Again, thanks. |
| jcpatterson | Posted – 1/17/2008 12:38:40 PM | show profile The above advice is excellent. Also, please don't assume from one error that the editor is careless. That is one possible explanation, of course, but the mistake could have crept in from other places, like an outside proofreading service (or an in-house one) or someone else that was editing the article. For all we know, someone in house actually know of a "Berkley" School of Music and went on autopilot without checking. It is definitely worthwhile when submitting your articles to attach a note (in your email, perhaps) to the effect "Berklee is an uncommon spelling, but I have verified it to be correct." If you are using this article as a clip, you could simply state that a misspelling of the name crept in between submission and publication. Don't freak out. If you really want to do this job, you will have to find ways of dealing with this kind of error and moving on. It happens to all of us; one day, you will make an error that makes it into print, too. |
| ExpatJane | Posted – 1/18/2008 6:17:43 AM | show profile | email poster jcpatterson thanks a lot. As it's Day 2 at this point, I'm pretty much over it as I've gotten some good feedback and suggestions. Yeah, I know I'll make an error that makes it to print. In fact, I sometimes catch errors made in haste on my blog. It's just that someone could have fact checked it. I just know when I Google the school the official website pops up first. It seems that "Berkley" is a common misspelling as a few people have it listed as that too or maybe there is another explaination. Someone suggested that maybe I should ask to see a final version before it goes to print. For now, I'm letting it go. However, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that it wasn't an outside service. I know our section has close to no budget. My editor named who allegedly did it and that person is an in-house writer. I'll start asking to see the final version should something like this happen again. I know to just cover my bases more and they know that I'm one of their more detail oriented writers. ------ "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it." - Chinese Proverb http://expatjane.blogspot.com |
| Village Gal | Posted – 1/18/2008 10:02:43 AM | show profile Leave it alone, move on, stop obsessing. Unfortunately, this happens. In fact, far worse things can happen- like changes in meaning. This is only a spelling error. You can ask to read before publication but many places don't have time for that. |
| chucho | Posted – 1/18/2008 11:47:58 AM | show profile Benjamin Franklin's Ninth Principle: MODERATION: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. *** Do not -- I repeat -- do not sent any communication in this regard to the editor (and especially CC:ed to others!) ANYTHIGN you think might need citations and supplementals "like it's an academic article." It's a simple mistake. And editors, just like writers, can "clearly" be "careless". But if you overreact I can almost guarantee that this editor and his or her colleague will lablel you a drama queen. Don't lose you edge (that you were injured by the mistake) by turning everyone off to working with you. It's an honest mistake, which elicits the following short email to the editor: Dear NAME, I know you're probably under a lot of pressure with deadlines and the mistake in my article -- changing "Berklee" to "Berkeley" -- is likely due to your workload. If possible, please send me edited copy and I can quickly review it and get it back to you. I promise to be quick about it. Otherwise, please be more careful in the future because I ma using these clips to kick off my freelance career. Sincerely, YOUR NAME *** And after you send this email. Forget about it. Move on. Nothing else to see here. PS: I do think you should say something, but it should be a short and sweet and something that portrays you as a forgiving soul willing to keep things in perspective. That means you're easy to work with. And that means more work for you. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 1/18/2008 12:21:53 PM | show profile It's painful, of course. The advice to breathe deep and go on is good, as is gentle notations in future instances. I've had an editor give me an opportunity to proof and edited story, I've fixed an error and sent it back with notation -- only to have the original error appear. I also had an editor Google ME, assume that work by someone with the same name was done by ME, and attribute that material to ME in the tagline of an online piece. (If you can imagine how that would make the other person of the same name feel.) I will say that in that instance, I reacted a bit strongly, and have never gotten another assignment from that site. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 1/18/2008 3:00:34 PM | show profile The editor made a mistake. Such is life. I wouldn't stress out over it. In the future, if an article has a name with an unusual spelling, just append a note alerting the editor of that. |
| cynthiarupe | Posted – 1/18/2008 11:51:20 PM | show profile It's a huge dissappointment to have an error in your first clip. But there will be others. Not every editor will be this way. A good rule of thumb is to list your sources in the body of the e-mail (story attached in a Word doc). Or to put CQ under your story, letting your editor know that you quality checked the piece, including names, titles, etc. If anything looks odd, I add (sic) next to it, so he/she knowsI didn't misspell. I've had errors happen to me several times with different editors. The first time it happened, I was on staff and couldn't do anything. But now as a freelancer, if it happens consistently with a publication, I'll be moving on despite the income it brings in. I don't recommend asking an editor "to please be more careful.: It's a fine line with editors and tact is essential. You can mention the error and ask for a correction and hope they print one. Otherwise you just have to take the lumps and move on. There are amazing editors out there. Luckily I've had the chance to work with those more than the other kind! |
| joyeuxnoelle | Posted – 1/19/2008 4:47:41 AM | show profile | email poster maybe you can add the correction to the clip Hi ExpatJane, That happened to me on one of my first clips. The editor assumed that the name of a pub I listed was written wrong and *corrected.* The also made an assumption about one of my captions, even though I provided captions, rendering the information false. I still use the clip and I havent gotten any questions on it. I never said anything because I was worried about getting labled nitpicky and high maintanence. If I were to write for them again, which is very likely. I would graciously mention what happened last time and kindly ask to see the final version. With something like your situation, I would colate the correction with the original story, if I ever used it as a clip, so that whoever you send it to understands that you actually know the difference. Good Luck P.S I checked out your blog. We are neighbors! I think we have something else in common too. Email me off board. |
| ExpatJane | Posted – 1/19/2008 9:32:06 AM | show profile | email poster Wow, this has blown up with some great advice. Thanks everyone! I've pretty much calmed down. I know mistakes happen. I just see it as more than a mistake. It's pretty clear that what's irking me is the "correction" of something that wasn't wrong in the first place AND the fact that it was my first article in a newspaper. But you all are right. I'm moving the heck on 'cause that's life. As for being easy to work with, that's a consideration. I do push myself pretty hard. However, I've had my say and that's it. I'm sure they'll be more careful (I hope.) The online version is corrected, and I'm sure they'll print a correction on Tuesday as they promised. Then I'll blog and link it, but not before then. It seems like there is a real mine field of ego when dealing with editors, so I'll have to take a gentler tone. That's not my usual character, so I'll have to adjust. I'll admit I didn't do that, so mea culpa for that. Live and learn. ------ "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it." - Chinese Proverb http://expatjane.blogspot.com |
| chucho | Posted – 1/19/2008 11:08:16 AM | show profile >> real mine field of ego when dealing with editors, << It's been my experience that writers tend to have more mines in that field. Think about it: Editing, by definition, is often a "behind-the-curtain" type of profession. At best you get a 6-point typeface name in a masthead among dozens of other names. Editing naturally turns off people who need to be visible and have the public eye, get attention for their work, be recognized for their work, etc. Editors can be schmucks -- but the ego minefield is far more prevalent among writers, IMO. And editors often have to deal with writers who take themselves and their stories far more seriously than the rest of the world does. None of that is an excuse for editing mistakes, of course! Writers have every right to have some amount of resentment about this, depending on the severity of the error and the reaction of the editor toward being informed of his or her mistake. But it sounds to me like your editors have responded in a mature manner. |
| ExpatJane | Posted – 1/19/2008 7:50:38 PM | show profile | email poster chucho --- Right, but I'm not trying to make this a thread about editors vs. writers. The two editors who work on the section my column shows up in are also both writers for the paper. So maybe they're simply overworked, abused, and underappreciated writer-editor egotistical hybrids ;-) However, taking my quote as throw down to start an editor vs. writers thread is off the mark. I was responding to cynthiarupe's suggestion: "I don't recommend asking an editor "to please be more careful.: It's a fine line with editors and tact is essential. " I think there are more than enough egos to go around on both sides. I'm sure you're right that writers have the bulk of it. However, I think being behind the scene and having people snip at you when you're under pressure can cause it's share of ego bruising too. I appreciate being told to keep myself in check. From that perspective, it's good it did happen on the first article 'cause I learned that lesson quicker than most. See the error, point out the error, take it as graciously as possible and keep writing. ------ "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it." - Chinese Proverb http://expatjane.blogspot.com |
