# Is it worthwhile to send corrections in books to an editor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worthwhile-to-send-corrections-in-books-to-an-editor/557674 "2010-10-19T16:57:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worthwhile-to-send-corrections-in-books-to-an-editor/557674/1 "2010-10-19T16:57:06Z")
For instance, last night reading one of the “Owls of Ga’Hoole” books, I came across a typo where instead of saying “before the comet comes”, it said “before the come come”. Now obviously not going to be picked up by spell check, and there is enough context that I don’t know if I would have noticed it if I weren’t reading aloud. So is it worth collecting the mistakes and sending them to someone? Who? Follow on question, I have noticed more mistakes in eBooks (like on the Kindle) than either paperback or hardcover books (However, I have never compared the two directly for the same books). Is this due to using a different edition of the text? I would imagine these would be much easier to correct if I sent them to someone. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worthwhile-to-send-corrections-in-books-to-an-editor/557674/2 "2010-10-19T17:08:13Z")
I’ve written/edited more than a dozen books. Can’t speak to the e-book issues, but as far as corrections, I emphatically say “yes!” Most authors have websites these days through which you can contact them. Failing that, simply send it to the author care of the publisher. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worthwhile-to-send-corrections-in-books-to-an-editor/557674/3 "2010-10-19T19:10:52Z")
And definitely ask for your money back. If you ordered a meal and it was prepared with wrong ingredients, you would definitely get your money back. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worthwhile-to-send-corrections-in-books-to-an-editor/557674/4 "2010-10-19T19:34:24Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > And definitely ask for your money back. If you ordered a meal and it was prepared with wrong ingredients, you would definitely get your money back. You can’t be serious. Over a typo? It’d be more like if you ordered a meal but the asparagus was positioned a centimeter closer to the sauce than it’s supposed to be. Good luck getting your money back on either. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worthwhile-to-send-corrections-in-books-to-an-editor/557674/5 "2010-10-19T20:00:50Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > And definitely ask for your money back. If you ordered a meal and it was prepared with wrong ingredients, you would definitely get your money back. No—hang onto it in case it becomes a [valuable collector’s item](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_Bible). ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worthwhile-to-send-corrections-in-books-to-an-editor/557674/6 "2010-10-19T20:13:37Z")
I’ve sent several (very minor) typos in to the editor of a textbook (listed in the front matter). I was credited in online errata and they were fixed in the next edition. Go for it. The worst they can do is ignore you. ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worthwhile-to-send-corrections-in-books-to-an-editor/557674/7 "2010-10-20T01:12:41Z")
If you find an error in one of Donald Knuth’s books (or one of his computer programs) you [actually get a reward.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knuth_reward_check) Though, as the article says, the check is worth much more for being a Knuth check than its actual face value. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worthwhile-to-send-corrections-in-books-to-an-editor/557674/8 "2010-10-20T17:14:29Z")
If you think there will be another edition, sure. A student recently found a bunch of errors in my book. Although I corrected them on my copy, I am pretty sure there will be no second edition, so correcting them helps only me. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worthwhile-to-send-corrections-in-books-to-an-editor/557674/9 "2010-10-21T00:28:53Z")
Sure, why not. I e-mailed the publishers of Carrie Jones’ novel **Need** about a typo. It’s theoretically possible that the line was really about hearing a sucking nose, but probably not. Noise makes a lot more sense.