Letter from John
Hi Todd
Don’t worry about the criticisms of alleged typos! Most of us are well aware of the differences between American English and English English, and make allowances for them when reading. Anyway, while you live in California you’re allowed to use Americanisms (grin). And it is simply not true that “and” must never be followed by a comma, I can think of examples wher it _must_ be followed by a comma if the correct meaning is to be conveyed.
As a proofreader of technical books and for other novel writers I can asy that I’ve always been pleased by the high standard shown in your and your mother’s books, there have been very few oopsies that caught my eye.
Cheers
John
Hi John,
Thanks. I guess I answered the letter because the writer seem so unhappy.
I will confess to being guilty of not just Americanisms but Irishisms and the occasional deliberate Toddism (not to much some incidental language challenges posed by the characters themselves).
Our novels are so good not just because we try to maintain high standards but because we have a dedicated team of editors (in the US and the UK) who are probably Pern fans first and editors second, as well as similarly dedicated copy-editors (and, finally, proof-readers!).
Getting a book published is truly a collaborative process from initial idea through to book on the shelf… and into the hands of the ultimate collaborator, the reader.
Thanks again for the kind words!
Cheers,
Todd