Indie Authors Monthly Magazine For Authors and Readers discussion

Great idea!!

I think it's a brilliant idea E.C, I use the Read Aloud function in Office 365. I wouldn't be without it.

E.C. wrote: "Hello All,

I've been using Adobe Reader to narrate my stories while I search for hidden manuscript errors. It really helps, and works on all platforms (I know some, but not all, word processing pr..."

Never thought that can help. I should give that a try and maybe suggest that to my sister; she needs help with her essays at her college

Thanks for sharing this, it is a terrific idea.

I recently had a fan, an English major, contact me with a typo in our newest novel, it was the use of the word 'taut' and not 'taught'. I am always so appreciative when a fan alerts me to typos. I read all of our novels at least ten times and pay a professional proofreader, but things still get missed and it is the eye of the reader that helps us make our manuscripts 'perfect'. But even now having your suggested tool available it would not have alerted us to the 'taut' typo.

I put Micheal's books through four or five different editors, proofreaders and betas and those silly errors still pop up! arrrgh!

Well if the professionals are missing them it makes me feel better about the random extra fullstop and speech marks my daughter found in mine. I have picked up similar taut and taught type errors whilst having the book read aloud but only as I also watch the screen while it’s narrating.

Great tip, E.C. I will definitely have to try that! I always try and sit down with my printed manuscript and read it aloud (when possible!) as I find I spot things far easier that way than re-reading it over and over on screen. I'm an editor myself as well as an author (though I still pay someone else to edit my own novels!) and this is one tip I always suggest to my clients. Reading it aloud prevents your mind adding in the words you think should be there or stops you skipping typos for the same reason.

hahaha. Oh oh.