It's not perfect, but what is?

If you have seen The Developers, maybe you passed over the copyright page, which contains random stuff that every book has. The ISBN is listed, as well as the publisher and a note that explains the book is fiction. Also nestled into this page is a little note that says "To help debug future versions of this book, please send corrections and comments to info@benwoods.com."

Luckily, some people have read this and have sent me minor errors they spotted in the book. I will list them here.

Before I do so, I would like to thank all of my editors, especially the three people who proofed the entire book: Elizabeth Woods (my grandmother and publicist), Betty Weber (my aunt) and Mary Rising (my mom). Both my grandma and aunt had had previous book editing experience, so that came in handy as they were deciphering the book. Even books that go through major publishing houses come out with mistakes. It's inevitable that something will get through.

The idea is to catch as many things as possible. Here are some of the items that still exist in the third edition. If you have a first or second edition, the page numbers may be slightly different, but it should be close by.

1. Telephone operator: It's a fact that there was never an actual telephone operator seen on The Andy Griffith Show. On the first page of the book, you'll notice a reference to seeing the operator and the switchboard, which never happens. There isn't anything necessarily wrong with what I wrote; Matt thinks about the show when thinking about the switchboard. Why? Hey, you'll have to ask him. Wait a minute, he's fiction!

2. Elude/allude: Homonyms pop up even when you forget about them. One reviewer found the wrong word used on page 317. Yes, it should be allude, because the character is referring to someone, not trying to escape it. That was a great catch; something that most people, including myself and other editors, failed to see.

3. Missing period: On page 171, there's a missing period. I could tell you where it is, but it might be more fun if you look for it.

4. Bingo can be a verb: One reader mentioned on page 222 that a sentence containing "bingo" as a verb was a little awkward. Even though the sentence is grammatically correct, I agree, it's a tough read. Thanks again for pointing that out.

5. Basketball halves: On page 200, I mentioned that Kevin arrived at Jane's game in the third quarter. Of course, there are no quarters in college basketball, only halves. This mistake occurred due to the fact that I changed the game from high school to college somewhat late in the writing. Regardless, it's a small item in the book, as all of the editors are basketball aficionados but failed to catch it.

6. Leave it to Beaver's dad: In a reference to Ward Cleaver, I accidentally call him "Ward Beaver." Does anyone care? I didn't think so.

7. Where does Jen live: The first time I mention Kevin's sister, she lives on the second floor. The second time, I say that she lives on the ground floor. I could technically argue these are the same thing (if the basement is considered the first floor), but I think I just forgot to go back and change the references.

If you find any other errors, definitely let me know. I corrected a handful of grammatical errors from the first to second edition, but other than that, maybe it's good to go. Thanks again for your help!