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Good for a Giggle
BG: I am an editor at a publishing company. I post this to show the stupidity of some 'authors'. Obviously many people can't write, spell or use an apostrophe correctly, and that's fine. However, if you want to be published, learn to string a sentence together, or face the mockery of BookBint.
In an effort to make everyone's day that little bit brighter, us editors print out examples of really bad writing/spelling/grammar and put it on the notice board in the office kitchen. Here are some of the choicest offerings. The ones with a (*) are cases where, when the editor corrected the sentence, the author argued, saying that the original was correct, in one case writing a complaint letter to the head of the company saying that his editor was 'shanghai-ing his book'. Behold, the SCs of the publishing world.
Italics are descriptions of the books (not the real titles), to give context.
A local history of a fishing village
Many sailor's made most of their living fishing herring, of which great shawls used to be found out to sea. [Mmm, warm and cuddly.]
Guide book to London
The beast way to get around london is in a taxicab there are many to be found they are usually black. the drivers know the entir lay out of the city. [Yet the layout of the English language remains a mystery...]
English Civil War
Under the cover of darkness the Parliamentarians were able to viciously attack the Royalists' rear. [This was one of mine; not an error, just made me giggle like a schoolgirl.]
Guide to family history research
Even the least experienced family historian can find out a little something something about their ancestors. [A little 'something something'? Oh baby...]
Memoir*
As you can imagin I was surprising to know that my father wasnt not a soldier at the time afterall. Records show that he joined the regiment in 1921, but he said he joined in 1924, four years afterwards. [Sometimes spelling and counting are hard.]
Boer War history*
Unsurprisingly the Colonel found the black natives to be uncouth, their ways as uncomfortably alien as they are to us today. [Wow, now I feel uncomfortable. The author complained to the head of the company, saying he wasn't racist, just stating fact.]
Ghost sightings
Naturally the vicar got quite a freight!
Ghost sightings x2
Some reports stated that a figure was seen hoovering around the graveyard, but that it disappeared when investigated. [Nice of them to tidy up I suppose...]
Second World War
Even before the last attack had been made, several men of the 6th Division made a concerted effort to find a strongpoint from which to base their offensive against the last German machine-gun implacement which was situated on a rise near Hill 66 and against the backdrop of the German reserve which had been brought up to the line several days previously in order to provide support for the expected defence of the line which had been weakened by successive Allied attacks, both by air and on the ground, principally made by the newly bolstered corps of the RAF who had been unable to fly due to extreme weather conditions, there having been several lightening storms which made flying impossible, even when ... [this sentence went on and on for seven more lines before he ran out of steam and used a full stop (period in the US). You get the general idea.]
Biography*
Clive X made a long and difficult journie to China in 1863. [Author complained that he was right, the singular of 'journeys' was 'journie' because with singulars you add 'ie'. No, dear. Just no.]
There are many more. But my fingers are tired, as the actor said to the bishop.
In an effort to make everyone's day that little bit brighter, us editors print out examples of really bad writing/spelling/grammar and put it on the notice board in the office kitchen. Here are some of the choicest offerings. The ones with a (*) are cases where, when the editor corrected the sentence, the author argued, saying that the original was correct, in one case writing a complaint letter to the head of the company saying that his editor was 'shanghai-ing his book'. Behold, the SCs of the publishing world.
Italics are descriptions of the books (not the real titles), to give context.
A local history of a fishing village
Many sailor's made most of their living fishing herring, of which great shawls used to be found out to sea. [Mmm, warm and cuddly.]
Guide book to London
The beast way to get around london is in a taxicab there are many to be found they are usually black. the drivers know the entir lay out of the city. [Yet the layout of the English language remains a mystery...]
English Civil War
Under the cover of darkness the Parliamentarians were able to viciously attack the Royalists' rear. [This was one of mine; not an error, just made me giggle like a schoolgirl.]
Guide to family history research
Even the least experienced family historian can find out a little something something about their ancestors. [A little 'something something'? Oh baby...]
Memoir*
As you can imagin I was surprising to know that my father wasnt not a soldier at the time afterall. Records show that he joined the regiment in 1921, but he said he joined in 1924, four years afterwards. [Sometimes spelling and counting are hard.]
Boer War history*
Unsurprisingly the Colonel found the black natives to be uncouth, their ways as uncomfortably alien as they are to us today. [Wow, now I feel uncomfortable. The author complained to the head of the company, saying he wasn't racist, just stating fact.]
Ghost sightings
Naturally the vicar got quite a freight!
Ghost sightings x2
Some reports stated that a figure was seen hoovering around the graveyard, but that it disappeared when investigated. [Nice of them to tidy up I suppose...]
Second World War
Even before the last attack had been made, several men of the 6th Division made a concerted effort to find a strongpoint from which to base their offensive against the last German machine-gun implacement which was situated on a rise near Hill 66 and against the backdrop of the German reserve which had been brought up to the line several days previously in order to provide support for the expected defence of the line which had been weakened by successive Allied attacks, both by air and on the ground, principally made by the newly bolstered corps of the RAF who had been unable to fly due to extreme weather conditions, there having been several lightening storms which made flying impossible, even when ... [this sentence went on and on for seven more lines before he ran out of steam and used a full stop (period in the US). You get the general idea.]
Biography*
Clive X made a long and difficult journie to China in 1863. [Author complained that he was right, the singular of 'journeys' was 'journie' because with singulars you add 'ie'. No, dear. Just no.]
There are many more. But my fingers are tired, as the actor said to the bishop.
More, gimme more 
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