Just a quick note on the importance of revision, and how the only truly final draft is the one that hits the shelves:
Some people noticed after reading an ARC of Seaborne that I am not a sailor. It’s true. I thought a “league” represented a distance of 6 feet. Turns out, it’s closer to 3 miles.
That might not sound like an egregious error, but it’s hard to gloss over when I have my characters swimming through a flooded tunnel that is 3 leagues long. (Swimming 9 miles without coming up for air? I don’t think so).
To my nautically-minded readers, I say fear not! The error has been noted and corrected in time for the hardcover release. I thank you for your diligence. Really, I mean it. I am pretty sure that any other seafaring lingo I used in this book is spot-on, and I know for a fact that my descriptions of the sea-serpents, gold-bearing trees, and kite-boarding pirates are all historically accurate.
Two more things before I go:
1 – Anyone interested in learning more about leagues, should read this transcript of an SNL skit on the subject. Very informative.
2 – I think we can all agree that the biggest mistake ever made involving the term “league” was actually the 2003 film “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” which was awful.