Aug 18 2011
An Allegory About the Importance of Proofreading
An aspiring airplane designer is discussing one of his test-models with a prospective buyer at United Airlines. Suddenly the test-model bursts into a fireball on the runway.
The designer sips his coffee. “And I’ve also achieved enviable fuel economy and a sleek but stylish frame.”
“Your plane just exploded.”
“But what about the paint job?”
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If your writing isn’t getting as many responses as you want (from prospective reviewers, publishers or agents), I’d recommend considering whether you’re sending them an exploding plane. Please check hard for mechanical errors* before submitting your stories to other people. Few things convince readers that a story is not worth their time as quickly as proofreading errors. (Also, even the most altruistic reviewers hate getting used as a punctuation-checker).
*It’s okay to groan here. I did.
Did this really happen? If so, where?
It’s fictional.
Oh. I guess if it really happened, I would’ve heard of it. 🙂