Why publishers need good proof readers

Claudia

Claudia

I know this is not a unique problem, but it's still incredibly irritating.  I spend literally hours and hours editing and polishing a piece of work until I'm satisfied that each and every sentence is as perfect as I can make it.  Then what happens?  It gets published, which is marvellous and I am always truly happy when an editor likes my work enough to want to publish it.  BUT - why oh why does carefully constructed work get mangled somewhere in the publishing process?  Now, small typos make me wince (especially since it's not me who's made them but hopefully readers realise it's the publisher not the writer's error) but when a word is added or taken out so that it changes the meaning of a sentence I get wild because it makes me - the writer - look incompetent.  (It doesn't help when my words have been “corrected” by a person for whom English is not their mother tongue.)
I wish there was a system that allowed the writer to proof the copy before it went to print.  Failing that - what's happened to good proof readers these days?

cooper

I used to contribute a diary to a freebie mag here in Spain.  They totally messed one entry up which led to several people getting cross and complaining.  The worst part about all this is that I was expected to do the apologies!!  In the next issue I duly apologised and stated that I would no longer continue with the diary.  This saddened a great many people but I was furious over the whole affair.

Claudia

That's a sad tale Cooper.  My post was triggered by my latest published article - but your story puts my whines into perspective.
This is what I like about this forum - someone out there always manages to offer words of wisdom, or just a comforting "know what you're feeling, I've been there too". 
Sometimes we all need to know we're not alone in this irritating, challenging, wonderful writing life.