Thursday 13 January 2011

What you take for granted 13th January 2011.

It’s amazing they way, when you expect something from someone, you take it for granted they will do as you expect. I suppose its human nature at both its most ordinary and at the same time most exasperating.

A case in point, something we’ve never ever encountered before. We hadn’t heard back from two of our authors about edits so I gave them a chase call. In one case, they hadn’t received the edits so didn’t know we were expecting them back. That was obviously soon dealt with and she’s happily (or unhappily) beavering away.

The second case was slightly surreal; I can’t explain it any other way and is the focus of this article. Yes the author had received the edits, and had fully processed them resulting in a completed manuscript. Unfortunately the author hadn’t realised they were supposed to return them to us so hadn’t done so.

I almost didn’t know what to say in response.

Now, I’m quite sure most, if not all, of those reading this will exclaim in disbelief, having made exactly the same assumption that we had done. It’s patently obvious the editor or publisher wants the edits back.

Actually, especially for a newbie, it’s not so obvious is it?

You actually do have to spell everything out.

So, we learned a valuable lesson, and maybe so have you...

4 comments:

  1. David,
    Just so you know, I'm working on mine!!!! Had to find some caffine to do it, but they should be back as soon as I can get them there and they be correct.

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  2. Oh, and while I'm in edit mood, it's 2011 bty! :)

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  3. LOL. We were sure you would (be working on them, not the caffeine thing - although the caffeine is good too!)

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  4. Ta pa. Touche and 15-all to mix my sports, only one of which was I any good at (and it wasn't tennis!).

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