An Editing Nightmare

Now, don't get worried...I'm not about to throw some author under the bus for a manuscript.  I'm going to tell you about an actual nightmare.  Well, maybe not a nightmare...just a bad dream.


I was sleeping in my dream and a call on my cell phone woke me up.  A bit groggy, I looked at the number and recognized it as one of my authors.  Not sure why they were calling, I answered with a panicked, "Hello?"

Right away, Mark (and I have no idea how I knew his name) started in on me.  I realized this wasn't actually one of my authors but her husband calling me.  He was ranting and raving about how the books were getting slammed in the reviews, especially for typos.

I asked him what specific book he was talking about as I am now magically in front of my computer, trying to start my accounting program and check what titles I had actually done for his wife (I'm not that good at remembering every title I've ever done when I get woken up by a phone call, apparently - even in my dreams, I'm not that good!).

He rattles off a title.  And then he says something to the effect of well, you might not have worked on that title.  I'm still fumbling with my password, so I breathe a small sigh of relief.  I ask what the next title is that he's seeing the negative feedback on.  He rattles off another title.  I'm starting to engage my brain at this point and the title doesn't sound particularly familiar.  He stops for a second and admits I might not have worked on that one, either.

By now I have my program open.  I click the customer section and find the author's name.  One title.  That's it. I've only worked on one title and yet the guy is yelling at me (either very late at night or very early in the morning) for things I haven't worked on. EVER.

I'm starting to boil inside.  I can take criticism. (Well, maybe.)  I can admit I'm not perfect. (Unless my husband asks, in which case I am perfect.)  But I certainly don't have a magic wand that, when I work on one manuscript, fixes all the others that are ALREADY PUBLISHED.

So, just as I'm getting my dander up and getting ready to try to politely tell this author's husband (not even the author herself!) to go pound sand...

Dudley jumps up on the bed and wakes me up from my nightmare.  He gives me a lick, settles down between me and the hubby, and stays there from 1:41 a.m. to 6:30 or so (when it's clearly time for breakfast).

And that was the end of that.  I hope.

What about you guys?  Have you ever had any dreams about readers giving you a hard time about your books?