On Writing - Fact Checking - Does It Matter?

We write novels, and work hard to build sales

We write novels, and work hard to build sales. We want to engage followers who will come back for our next masterpiece. Yet it can be easy to lose this opportunity to gain long term fans. Recently I read a thriller written by a New York Times #1 Best Seller name. He has numerous books to his name and is obviously prolific. However, my enjoyment of the book was limited by numerous inaccuracies of fact. I struggled through, nearly to the end, but couldn't complete what had become for me, a chore. I wouldn't want to read another of his works.

Now, it may well be that he has a team of writers putting these books together - (indeed subtle variations in style are apparent) - but facts are straightforward to verify.

I've read many hundreds of books over my lifetime, and know what spoils a book for me. I also have lots of life experience and reasonably wide knowledge, so I believe I am adequately qualified to give an opinion on fiction writing. It follows that my own writing is informed both by my reading and by my experience. I check my facts, and descriptions of cultural issues too. I would be mortified if the sort of factual errors that were in 'that book' were present in any of my work. I am not talking here about typos and grammatical errors. If it is factory writing, then they need a quality circle in their writing factory.

Escapist reading is great, but inaccurate facts bring me back to earth very quickly.

Even more worrying - to me - is that this author's books are published by one of the world's most renowned publishing houses. Do the publishers not have editors and fact checkers?

Am I being overly fussy about detail? Maybe mine is a singular voice in the ether. Does it spoil the enjoyment for other people too? The novelist is obviously in demand - (he sells millions) - so I assume that the good points in his work outweigh the negatives that I see, in the minds of the majority of his readers.

I am an avid reader of thrillers. To what level of consumer is he trying to appeal?

Finally, the reviews for the work, by leading publishers' periodicals, are glowing, with no mention of the poor level of quality control and frequent factual errors which are obvious to anyone with half a brain.

The failure is on three levels - the author (and his team of writers), the publisher, and the trade press which is not suitably critical. It could be said that the publishers' ads fund the trade press, but that is cynical.

I've added his name to my list of two (now three) authors whose work I avoid. No doubt, there are some that will put me on their list too, as I'm a detail person when it comes to writing. I don't believe that everything has to be explained, or should be explained, to the reader. However, facts should be checked.

by: James Marinero

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