Atari History Book

[flashjazzcat]

Your opinion.

 

Well not really: grammar's not really subjective and there are a few other people who want this book to be as good as possible and who also think it could stand tidying up a bit.

 

Nothing wrong with the example cited, as was stated elsewhere, this book is specifically written in present tense throughout. In the example cited, you're in the then "present," which is being discussed along with something that will happen "in the future". ("wasn't long before Steve would go...")

 

I take your point, but ultimately it doesn't read well, which is why I tripped up on it. I'll grudgingly concede that the example I used is a subjective, stylistic one.

 

Per the additional two lines you cited,

 

"If there's any minor typos that escaped the process..."

 

Each chapter has been gone over many many times. There's bound to be issues like the above in the first edition, just as there are in any first edition including those that are not self-published.

 

Well not really: it took minutes for those examples to leap out at me, and they don't smell of typos - they smell of bakers' apostrophes which none of the proofreaders had the confidence to flag up as wrong.

 

We're very happy with the proofing that's been done on a book this size, in the timeframe allowed, by a very qualified individual. Thanks for your concern.

 

Well, as long as you didn't actually pay them, I guess...

 

How is stating "If there's any minor typos that escaped the process they'll be addressed in the next edition" in relation to said apostrophies defending anything? This is really just getting insane already with some of you.

 

Why, why, why must we have the typical indignation that always seems to come after someone corrects glaringly obvious poor grammar? I'd really expect "wow - thanks for picking these up, guys, this will save us having dumb-looking errors in the first edition - now excuse me while I go fire the proofreader". But no, we're the ones at fault for trying to improve the draft, which - we're told - has already been proofed many times.

 

The only thing being "defended" was someone coming on here and calling this "obviously a rough draft," which comes off a bit publicly insulting after all the work and editing put in, and a concern they could have just as easily addressed privately.

 

Am I wrong, or can the sample be read by everyone here? There's nothing private about those errors (and I cited only a couple, assuming there'll be others), and you are publishing this text. So if you find perfectly reasonable attempts to make the text look professional at this stage insulting, wait till people can (publicly) review it on Amazon. If you're embarrassed by the highlighted errors, don't be, since it's not my intentioin to create embarrassment or say "wow - look at my great grammar skills". But this is a publishing exercise, and much has been made of careful drafts, structured narrative, repeated proofreading, and yet we've still got level 1 English errors which take no time for someone who isn't a proofreader to spot.

 

Do you think I get all defensive when someone emails me to tell me that I've made this or that typo or missed out an apostrophe in some PDF manual which I gave away for free and didn't have proofread properly? And they do email me. Why? To show off? Or because they correctly assume I want to know about the errors? Well, I correct the error and say thanks for pointing it out. I don't have a crisis of confidence and start jumping up and down saying "this is insane".

 

Sack the proofreader and publish this great book! In any case, we can't wait to read it.

 

The period goes before the quotation mark.

 

Heh... does it? I thought it would in quoted speech, etc, but Claus' usage looks OK.

Edited November 24, 2012 by flashjazzcat

[+Stephen]

I agree 100% with what fjc said. I honestly believe that most people here are trying to be helpful and improve the quality of the book you are releasing. Many years ago (1996 I believe) I got to play a beta version of Battlesphere at Toad Computers in Maryland. There was a typo in the opening credits (it's instead of its). I sent Scott & Steph an email, and they corrected it and thanked me. I was never accused of being a dick for pointing out the mistake.

 

I also spotted two mistakes when reading the latest teaser. I wasn't being an asshole and trying to degrade your work. I pointed them out in the other thread. I guess if I find any other errors, I won't bother pointing them out.

[high voltage]

To me words like Colour, Honour, Famous are always spelled wrong in the American language.

BTW, I read a book by Lee Child, crime novelist, full of spelling errors.

[+Stephen]

The book has been released Congrats to all involved, I can't wait to read it. I hope Amazon ships them quickly.

[tschak909]

I haven't received any notification that it has shipped…

 

-Thom

[JohnBuell]

It is finally listed as an available product on createspace. I had a message (Facebook? I don't remember now) that they'll be filling the pre-orders as quick as they can.

[+Stephen]

I haven't received any notification that it has shipped…

 

-Thom

In the other thread, Curt has said that Amazon should be shipping within the next 5-7 days.

[joeventura]

Is this Paperback for $39.99 or Hardcover?

[Stormbringer]

Is this Paperback for $39.99 or Hardcover?

 

I'd like to know too, looks like its soft cover. If it is, will there be a hardcover version?

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Atari-Inc-Mr-Curt-Vendel/dp/0985597402

Edited November 27, 2012 by Stormbringer

[spookt]

Is this Paperback for $39.99 or Hardcover?

 

According to amazon.co.uk it is paperback (softcover).

[Retro Rogue]

According to amazon.co.uk it is paperback (softcover).

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/205778-atari-inc-business-is-fun-now-available/#entry2646418

[Bunsen]

Got mine today :-)

[joeventura]

Sorry to pile on, but look at Amazon for the listing of the book, you two are the only 2 authors on Amazon with "Mr." before the authors name.

 

Just saying.

[flashjazzcat]

I also spotted two mistakes when reading the latest teaser.

 

Well, check out "Style" and "Typos/Errors" (the latter in the "OTHES" section, ahem) in this very even-handed review. I wasn't the only one to pick up one the use of present tense, then, but the reviewer also maintains it's a personal preference thing. Like everyone else, he's entitled to his opinion.

 

BUT ANYWAY: I'm glad the book's being generally well received.

Edited November 30, 2012 by flashjazzcat

[Rhod]

HELP PLEASE

 

 

I can not see my order on my amazon.com account

this is my order number from the beginning of July

Curt?

 

Order ID 103-7202683-8317846:

1 of Atari, Inc. Business is Fun [ASIN: _ASINLESS_]

 

------------- Begin message -------------

 

Your shipment is automatically generated by Amazon, your actual order does not ship until after we go to print on July 27th, thank you for your order and your support.

 

 

Syzygy Press Team

 

------------- End message -------------

[Retro Rogue]

HELP PLEASE

 

 

I can not see my order on my amazon.com account

this is my order number from the beginning of July

Curt?

 

Order ID 103-7202683-8317846:

1 of Atari, Inc. Business is Fun [ASIN: _ASINLESS_]

 

------------- Begin message -------------

 

Your shipment is automatically generated by Amazon, your actual order does not ship until after we go to print on July 27th, thank you for your order and your support.

 

 

Syzygy Press Team

 

------------- End message -------------

 

As we mailed out to everyone back in August, that's not a valid shipping notice. The book was first published this past week, pre-orders will start being fullfilled by Amazon within 5-7 business days of the publication. It's entirely in their control.

[Rhod]

my order for the month of july is good? why I do not see more in my amazon account? as whether I will receive good book, or if I have to re order?

[+Allan]

my order for the month of july is good? why I do not see more in my amazon account? as whether I will receive good book, or if I have to re order?

 

You won't. It's in your Amazon Payments account. It's a separate thing. It's Amazon's version of Paypal. I looked and it's still there but it's marked as complete since it's just a payment.

[+Allan]

And remember people the reason you paid early is you got a discount.

 

Allan

[Rhod]

So, my order ok, and sending will be done?

thanks for your help

[joeventura]

Ok so here is my quick review:

 

The content is amazing, the writing is good, few typos, but does not take away from the book one bit.

 

The worst part of the book is the lack of an index, and even without an index, there are all kinds of subsections/subchapters that are not even listed in the table of contents.

 

For example there is a section called the Beach Clause, that I tried to get back to so I could read it, I can't find it!! There is no reference to it.

Some memos and such are unreadable and there is no text below them to tell you what they say.

Less pictures would have been fine. I would have given up 25 pages of pictures for an index.

[Retro Rogue]

The worst part of the book is the lack of an index, and even without an index,

 

 

The lack of index was not just a page count issue, it was also a time issue. As this is self-published, it would have taken us another 3-4 months to sit and go through everything to put one together. Too many people were complaining about how long it was taking as it was. Likewise, many first editions of these types of books have not had indexes either, they're often added in a later revision.

 

We are in the process of putting together an index to be available via our website (ataribook.com). We are also trying to take a unique approach with it by crowdsourcing it, so everyone is invited to participate:

 

https://revisionator...dC9WX47cU7/view

 

 

there are all kinds of subsections/subchapters that are not even listed in the table of contents. For example there is a section called the Beach Clause, that I tried to get back to so I could read it, I can't find it!! There is no reference to it.

 

?? All sub-chapters are summarized in the table of contents at the beginning of the book. In the case of your example above, it is listed under Chapter 7, which is summarized as "Chess, Coin expansion and a mass exit to the beach." Those directly correlate to the titles of said sub-chapters, "How About A Nice Game Of Chess?", "Flip Side Of the Coin" and "The Beach Clause." Simply listing the chapter titles would have had people complaining about there not being a summary, and there simply was not room for both.

 

Regardless, thanks for the review and we hope you enjoyed the book.

[joeventura]

Thanks for the feedback, don't agree, an online index is of no value especially when it is written wikipedia style

 

I don't know how many pages would have had to be given up, but the photo album at the back with the employee IDs of irrelevant people and other events provided no value to me at all.

 

All that being said, I want to say that I wrote a 5 star review on Amazon for this book. I've known Curt personally for (shudder) 32 years so I have the right to criticize a friends work, but I always have his back. And as I said in my Amazon review, this is the most comprehensive and complete book ever written on this company, no one on the planet has the resources to create anything better. It will never be surpassed (except by volume 2)

[+wood_jl]

Maybe now that The Company Formerly Known As Infogrames ( henceforth TCFKAI) is belly-up, something can be written about the final era. Retro Rogue previously said "we're not interested in covering that era." I figured that would be the best thing to say and do, when under the eye of sue-happy people like the TCFKAI. Or, maybe they have no interest, for real. I submit that there is interest on the part of potential readers, however. Rather, I ponder, how could there not be interest? It's a later chapter in the story. There has been much discussion of the post-Tramiel era here. I'm sure people's interest doesn't just die with the Tramiel era. There was so much interest in the latest bankruptcy that so many threads were started that Albert had to go around locking duplicate threads to consolidate the discussion in one place. Evidently, people are interested in all eras. I'd like to read an authoritative account of what happened when things moved to Hasbro. I'd like to know what went on there, and how TCFKAI came into the picture, etc. Preemptively, I declare that I'm sure Retro Rogue has no interest in taking suggestions from me. I merely point out that there is interest in the final (as of now) era of the Atari story, and it would make good reading in somebody's book.

[Retro Rogue]

Thanks for the feedback, don't agree, an online index is of no value especially when it is written wikipedia style

 

I think you're confused, I said we're creating it that way - i.e. working on it that way. It's not going to stay "wikipedia" style in it's final version, it'll be located on our website and available as supplemental material as a lot of books do.

 

I don't know how many pages would have had to be given up, but the photo album at the back with the employee IDs of irrelevant people and other events provided no value to me at all.

 

I'm not sure how they're irrelevant, those are all people talked about in the book. But you're entitled to your opinion, others haven't agreed and actually were very happy to see the material.

 

All that being said, I want to say that I wrote a 5 star review on Amazon for this book.

 

We certainly appreciate that.

 

I've known Curt personally for (shudder) 32 years so I have the right to criticize a friends work, but I always have his back.

 

Thanks, but I have no idea who you are and this book is a partnership (50/50). As such I was simply addressing some of the points you mentioned and provided explanations - which as partner in the book I'm allowed to do as well. I don't believe anyone was saying you don't have the right to criticize.

 

And as I said in my Amazon review, this is the most comprehensive and complete book ever written on this company, no one on the planet has the resources to create anything better. It will never be surpassed (except by volume 2)

 

Yes, we both worked very hard in resources and interviews. Very happy on how it all turned out, and we're working on book 2 right now.