How do I report errors I see in pre-pubs?

[SomeOldGuy]

General requirement is that editors can find the WHERE the error is, and know what needs fixing. If the volume has not been released as an ebook yet, there should be an active topic for that volume; the reports should be made there. The pre-pub parts will (usually!) include a link to it at the end, marked "Discuss on the forums."

If the ebook has already been released, you really need to check the released ebook to see if the error survived the final editing process! If it did, the report needs to be sent to support@j-novel.club, rather than posting to the forum.

Note that pre-pubs are not necessarily updated for reported errors, so what you see in the pre-pub may not be in the epub!

First, verify that the error hasn't already been reported. Just because you see the error in the pre-pub does not mean it hasn't been reported. See the note above!

As mentioned, the editors have to find the error you're reporting. Report it in the topic for the volume, include the part number, and approximately where you saw the error (percentage displayed in the reader works).

Including the original text works well, but sometimes you might not be able to copy/paste it in to get it exact. Highlight the error.

Show the correction you think should be made.

How that happens varies with who is making the report. You can see examples of reports in most volume topics; @Terabyte uses a different style from me, @yumenokage is different from both of us, @hiroto covers quite different things besides simple errors, etc. I do not think any one of us uses the format of another, but the editors figure it out.

The composition window has some tools you can use to make text bold, italic, and strike-through. There are others, such as the "back quote" character found next to the 1 on most English keyboards, which will turn things red when used. There are probably others, but I haven't needed them.

Sometimes the reason you think something is wrong is helpful; not every thing that looks like an error is an error, in the context of the novel in question. Please don't take offense if someone points this out!

And remember, there aren't any "hard rules" on how to report errors, so long as you get the point across.

[LegitPancake]

You don't technically have to include the percent, since the editors can just search the context.
But in my opinion, reporting on errors for prepubs, unless the editor is actively engaged in the forum, is more or less a waste of your time. The editors and QA checkers are paid to do that, and not all of them will comb through the pages upon pages of conversation in a volume forum (especially as popular a title as Bookworm, for instance). Not to say that it's not a bad thing to do, but not always will it amount to much.

What I think is much more useful to the company is to purchase the ebook, either through JNC or other stores like Kindle, and then report errors in the final book through email. The final ebooks don't go through periodic checks, except before being adapted for paperback, so finding errors that survived through publication is a good service to the company. As well as supporting the author! It also may help prevent typos from making it to paperback in series that are being released physically.

[SomeOldGuy]

You don't technically have to include the percent, since the editors can just search the context.

Quite true, except that the percentage helps eliminate multiple reports of the same issue.

As for how effective it is to report things, I think that varies by the translator/editor team. For the series that I follow, they do monitor the forum immediately after the release. And even a busy topic like Bookworm gets watched, not just for the error reports. I cannot say anything about series I don't follow, though.

I strongly agree that buying the ebook is the main way to support the company. And I usually do buy the series that I submit reports on. If I care enough about the content to read it, I'll add it to my library. And you mention helping to prevent problems in the dead tree editions; you really can only do that if you're buying and reading the ebook.

[Serah]

Seeing this makes me think about how good it might be to have a system of keeping track of reported errors - not just for the editors but for the fans who contribute alike.

Last time I reported errors (was not with prepubs) I included the percentage for exactly the said reason, so it is easier to pin point where in the book you can actually find the error. I also included screenshots and information of the version + platform the error occurred - assuming some format error might only appear on this or that device.

Thinking back of how I wondered how to report stuff - how about putting this kind of information on the front page, for non-forums users? I mean, before I started to check on the forums, I used the information on the contact page to report the errors I found.

[Rahul Balaggan]

@serah putting it on the front page would imply that this is some kind of J-Novel Club mandated requirement, which it 100% is not.

That could potentially give people the wrong impression of this service, making them think they have to work after paying for the subscription.

[Serah]

@rahul-balaggan Not sure how someone would think that, but I see your point.

I am somewhat used how it goes general - maybe it even differs for German publishers. I am used contact often publishers to inform them about typos and mistakes in books I like reading. To me it always feels something like a fan contributing to what they like.

Maybe if it is phrased simpler, like a way to contribute feedback aside from the forums?

[SomeOldGuy]

@serah There is actually a forum set aside to report bugs, which includes typos. However, the forum has evolved away from using it for anything but reporting bugs in the reader applications and the website itself.

I started this topic because, while everything described in it is available elsewhere, I think it is better to have one place to refer people to when they ask the question. Should JNC decide to make a formal "Frequently Asked Questions" entry for it, this topic will have outlived its usefulness.

Also, I'm lazy and don't like typing the same thing multiple times

As @Rahul-Balaggan points out, reporting typos is not something required of members. It's more of an outlet for the obsessive-compulsive among us to vent, and (hopefully) improve the final product. Personally, I think it is part of the entertainment value.

When reading, I do find my self asking, "How did THIS make it past the pre-pubs? Oh, wait - this isn't a JNC novel!"

[jcochran]

@someoldguy said in How do I report errors I see in pre-pubs?:

As @Rahul-Balaggan points out, reporting typos is not something required of members. It's more of an outlet for the obsessive-compulsive among us to vent, and (hopefully) improve the final product.

Obsessive compulsive? Us? that has to be a joke. No one here is compulsive in any way, shape, or form.... Ouch! Excuse me, I seem to have bitten my tongue for some reason

[SomeOldGuy]

@jcochran Just so long as there is no disorder to your obsessive compulsiveness, it is fine. :)

[SomeOldGuy]

Another argument for including the percentage, "make reports easier to spot in busy forum topics."

"Most" people posting error reports include the percentage, and most OTHER posts do not include the percent sign (%), so having % as a search parameter makes it easier to spot report messages.

[jpwong]

The percentages make it a lot easier for me to check really quick if something's already been reported, especially when you have a discussion topic where 5 or 6 people have already submitted corrections.

[Serah]

@someoldguy Having someone using this topic to report an error somewhat underlines the need for the rules your suggested and probably for an easy to understand structure to contribute such feedback.

I still have not figured it out why there is a special very visible forums section for manga yet none for light novels.

@alexdarcio thanks for your feedback. Hopefully one of the editors is going to pick it up.

[SomeOldGuy]

Regarding recent changes, some titles will, going forward, have a SEPARATE topic for reporting corrections. Ascendance of a Bookworm is the first to get this, and there will probably be more.

When this happens, please remember not to include the corrections in the DISCUSSION topic for a volume, if a [CORRECTIONS] topic exists. Some novels have a lot of discussion about the book and what's happening, and just a few corrections.