How do I manage corrections after a book is published?
- Maintain a running errata list of reported and found errors.
- Fix in the master manuscript first, then regenerate each format.
- Re-upload corrected files to every retailer that carries them.
- Track which formats and editions received each fix.
- Reserve a new edition or ISBN for substantial changes, not typo fixes.
Manage post-publication corrections with a process, not ad hoc edits. Keep a running errata list of every reported or discovered error, fix them in your master manuscript, regenerate the affected formats, and re-upload to each retailer. Track which formats and editions got each fix so print and ebook do not drift apart. Minor typo fixes do not need a new edition or ISBN; substantial content changes do.
Chapter i·Why it matters
After launch, corrections arrive piecemeal from readers and your own re-reads, and fixing them directly in one format creates exactly the drift that causes the ebook and paperback to disagree. A single errata list and a master-file workflow keep every correction flowing through one place and out to every format. Knowing when a change warrants a new edition or ISBN — and when it does not — keeps your catalog clean.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A running errata list with source and location of each error.
- A master-manuscript-first fix workflow.
- Regeneration of every affected format from the master.
- Re-upload to each retailer carrying the format.
- An edition log noting what changed and when.
- An ISBN/edition decision rule: typos no, substantive changes yes.
Chapter iii·Example
Three weeks after launch, an author has collected nine reported typos. She enters them in her errata list, corrects the master manuscript, regenerates the ebook and print PDFs, and re-uploads both. Her edition log records the date and the nine fixes. Because everything routed through the master file, the paperback and ebook stay identical — and she did not waste a new ISBN on typo fixes.
WriteLoom keeps your master manuscript and an errata log together, so every correction flows out to all formats from one source.
Manage corrections