Proofreading 2

To keep the books in a series looking like they go together, I use each finished book as the starting template for the next one. That way, all my paragraphs use the same fonts, all headings are the same size, and the titles line up on the cover.

It’s a handy publishing trick that saves time and keeps everything looking right.

Until it doesn’t.

So, I finally got my proof copy from the printer. I’m not particularly happy with the trim size — they cut off nearly a quarter-inch more off the height than they should have. 6 x 9 is an industry-standard book size, and there’s no excuse for messing that up.

But I almost missed the bigger problem. Today, when I picked up the book, I thought the cover looked strange. That green color on the subtitle just didn’t fit. Then I actually read it and realized I had forgotten to change that part of the cover. The title is right, but the subtitle belongs to the previous book.

Oops!

So I guess the proof copy paid for itself there. My eyes skipped right over that error in the electronic proof, but the physical book helped me catch it. I’ll count that as a win.

Now I’ve got a notepad in hand and a cup of coffee by my side, ready to curl up on the couch and read until dinner.

I wonder what else I can catch…