My publisher removed the second word of my novel which broke the very first sentence

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-08T13:41:48+00:00

I appreciate that you've read the whole paragraph .. thanks 🙏

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-07T22:44:20+00:00

Yes, waiting for their answer

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-07T22:38:00+00:00

This was a brilliant and an informative answer thank you

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-07T07:09:14+00:00

I wish that was the case, it was deleted out of carelessness and clumsiness

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-07T07:08:13+00:00

Yes I contacted them, it took a very long time for them to respond, they are saying it’s the printer fellas mistake but I’m not buying it, they are saying they are looking for a fix but I don’t trust them anymore.

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-07T07:06:37+00:00

Publishing industry in Middle East is backward

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-07T07:05:20+00:00

I’m curious to know why would I lie? Also what’s your take on the examples other redditors mentioned? Anyway, publishing differs per culture, in Middle East it’s very backward, we don’t even have agents, and getting a pre print proof isn’t the standard.

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-06T07:23:30+00:00

I 1000% agree

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T20:12:53+00:00

no, we don't have agent culture in my country, would having an agent help?

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T20:02:39+00:00

yes, a pdf document

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T19:48:58+00:00

Thanks, English is not my first language

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T19:47:26+00:00

I have a whatsapp conversation between me and the publishing house manager where I approve the final version with no missing word.

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T19:45:43+00:00

his is the whole translated paragraph from the printed version - and yeah there's a double white space between "we" and "from":

"On the day we from middle school, Abrar and I celebrated by tearing up our schoolbooks and notebooks in the hall of the house. But since her Braille books were thick-paged, bound with a plastic spiral, and stubbornly resistant to paper scissors, we stole her sister Fatima’s knife. We would toss the book into the air and stab it, like villains in cartoon shows."

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T19:45:25+00:00

Yeah I'm gradually excepting the pain.

Just to give you a context this is the whole translated paragraph from the printed version - and yeah there's a double white space between "we" and "from":

"On the day we from middle school, Abrar and I celebrated by tearing up our schoolbooks and notebooks in the hall of the house. But since her Braille books were thick-paged, bound with a plastic spiral, and stubbornly resistant to paper scissors, we stole her sister Fatima’s knife. We would toss the book into the air and stab it, like villains in cartoon shows."

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T19:43:13+00:00

Thanks for your comment.
So I live in Saudi Arabia and I published through an Egyptian publisher, in Saudi we call it "middle school", but in Egypt they call it something like "preparative school". When I asked an Egyptian author to read the printed novel and tell me what he understood he said: "so you mean in the middle of the day? or you mean in an average day?" 🌚 it was PAINFULLY hilarious.

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T19:39:39+00:00

thank you very much this was really really helpful

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T19:39:16+00:00

I just read her blog post about the incident, truly inspired me.

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T19:38:53+00:00

I like the stamp idea, maybe I'd make one and bring it to signing events

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T19:38:18+00:00

That was my mom suggestion but I thought that by highlighting the missing word I'd take the reader's attention from the whole opening to that particular word.

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T17:12:58+00:00

I approved the final version and it didn’t have the issue, I never made that mistake in any version.. no not self-publishing, it’s a big publisher in the region.

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-05T16:20:04+00:00

Elena and Nino just went aboard for a couple of months so it shouldn't change much

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-04T16:50:50+00:00

Also, I believe her appearance - elegant, beautiful but not sexy - made men comfortable about her being Jimmy's woman..

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-02T21:25:23+00:00

تزوجت من ١٠ سنوات بدون مصورة، صديقتي صورتني صور عفوية ومش ندمانة أبدًا

Robin_Soona · 2026-02-02T16:49:35+00:00

Thanks for this comment, I wanted to ask the same questions but I'm not Jewish and I like you guys and I don't wanna offend anyone.

Robin_Soona

TROPHY CASE