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British Books Edited for the US Market

by AnniePot
11 replies
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I'm a Brit who has been living in the US for many years and I have several long time favorite British authors whose books I always buy immediately they become available here.

Recently I've noticed that these books have been heavily edited for the US market and they are losing their identities. It's a shame. Brits don't drive on freeways, they drive on motorways. They don't walk on sidewalks, they walk on the pavement. Their cars have windscreens, boots and bonnets, not windshields, trunks and hoods. They are fueled with petrol, not gasoline.

As for editing for the spelling differences, I could go on all day.

Surely, if people here in the US buy books written by British authors, written around an exclusively British subject, they should expect to read it complete with all its British vernacular.
  • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
    Originally Posted by AnniePot View Post

    I'm a Brit who has been living in the US for many years and I have several long time favorite British authors whose books I always buy immediately they become available here.

    Recently I've noticed that these books have been heavily edited for the US market and they are losing their identities. It's a shame. Brits don't drive on freeways, they drive on motorways. They don't walk on sidewalks, they walk on the pavement. Their cars have windscreens, boots and bonnets, not windshields, trunks and hoods. They are fueled with petrol, not gasoline.

    As for editing for the spelling differences, I could go on all day.

    Surely, if people here in the US buy books written by British authors, written around an exclusively British subject, they should expect to read it complete with all its British vernacular.
    I agree with you Annie!

    Those things you mentioned are part of the charm of reading books by British authors. If you take all of that away, they lose their charm.

    Terra
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  • Profile picture of the author taskemann
    Don't forget 'color', 'favorite', 'pants', etc. What a shame.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      Surely, if people here in the US buy books written by British authors, written around an exclusively British subject, they should expect to read it complete with all its British vernacular.
      Why must there be a "should"? I enjoy British novelists as they write - but if sales increase by transposing to US phrasing....I can understand that, too.

      Phrasing changes when books are translated to different languages, too - but the goal is to sell books to as many people as possible.
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        It works the other way to.

        In America, when an author talks about a "Drive by shooting" it has to be translated into a "Drive by snarky insult".

        And when there is a shooting homicide in an American book, it has to be changed to "The butler did it with a candlestick".

        "Cosmetic Dentist" has to be changed to "Chimney sweep".

        Even Captain America is called "Colonel Colonial"

        "Shag carpet" has a completely different meaning in Britain.

        These are just facts. Yes, I'm a world authority on the subject. :rolleyes:
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        • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          It works the other way to.

          In America, when an author talks about a "Drive by shooting" it has to be translated into a "Drive by snarky insult".

          And when there is a shooting homicide in an American book, it has to be changed to "The butler did it with a candlestick".

          "Cosmetic Dentist" has to be changed to "Chimney sweep".

          Even Captain America is called "Colonel Colonial"

          "Shag carpet" has a completely different meaning in Britain.

          These are just facts. Yes, I'm a world authority on the subject. :rolleyes:
          This is true. That's why American movie titles often have to be altered before release over here to accommodate British sensibilities. For example:

          A Streetcar Named Desire was released as A Tram Called Whimsy

          Goodfellas is known in Britain as Ruffians

          and, most famously, Apocalypse Now was changed to Let's All Have a Cup of Tea


          Sadly, King Kong has never been released in Britain, as we don't recognize his right of succession.
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          • Profile picture of the author Richard Van
            Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

            This is true. That's why American movie titles often have to be altered before release over here to accommodate British sensibilities. For example:

            A Streetcar Named Desire was released as A Tram Called Whimsy

            Goodfellas is known in Britain as Ruffians

            and, most famously, Apocalypse Now was changed to Let's All Have a Cup of Tea


            Sadly, King Kong has never been released in Britain, as we don't recognize his right of succession.
            .
            Don't forget these Frank...

            Jaws became Too much talking

            White men can't jump was called Middle class Britain not exercising enough

            Matrix was known as Early summer magicians

            And in North Korea they changed the name of Hamburger Hill to Beef slab in between to bits of bread on Kim song il's favourite mountain.
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  • Profile picture of the author David Maschke
    Perhaps. But the Brits made a bloody mess of quidditch vocabulary, along with the rules of the game.

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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    It really IS something. i mean I certainly understand how people in Britain speak differently than in the US. HECK, some movies, even AMERICAN ones make it clear that parts of BRITAIN speak differently from one another. In the US, people talk differently in different areas.

    It really IS weird that so many feel they have to change such a MINOR thing. I watched a video on youtube about how australian and american dialects were so different and over 30% of what she said was WRONG!!!!!! What she said was AUSTRALIAN was said in the US EARLIER! One example is the word THONGS! In the US, it certainly at least USED to mean something worn on the FEET!

    I could only imagine what one might call spotted dick or toad in the hole, etc.... It truly is sad.

    HECK, I have been watching some things on Deutsche Welle. They have a number of things there to facilitate learning "German". When someone speaks of the language "German" they are often talking about HIGH German that was effectively made popular by Martin Luther(The 16th century German priest). And THAT is the language DW generally tries to teach. They DO however, also cover various dialects that are more like LOW german. WHY? Because that is how it is!

    In the US, on Star Trek TNG, and many other shows, they have characters that speak another dialect of English, and apparently are allowed to do so. It adds something to their character and the series.

    HECK, one of my favorite shows as a kid was the avengers. I believe almost ALL the actors and actresses were BRITISH! I believe it was a BRITISH film company. They DEFINITELY spoke the british dialect with a british accent, etc... I got a kick out of the fact that they said aluminium. I only looked quickly, but saw no FULL examples. Still, THIS even shows a british flag!


    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author alistair
    If I was an American (excuse my French) I'd probably find it insulting because the way I see it, they're basically saying Americans are too dumb or lazy to understand what the original words mean and have to make it as simple as possible.

    Whether or not they do this for American books that are for the UK market I haven't got a clue, but I think it would be kind of stupid and probably take away from the enjoyment of reading the book.
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    • Profile picture of the author garyv
      Originally Posted by alistair View Post

      Whether or not they do this for American books that are for the UK market I haven't got a clue.
      At least you admitted it... "good on ya"



      To the OP - would you complain if you moved to mexico, and found that your British authors were translated into Spanish? - I'm sure it's a matter of money, and I'm positive the authors have say in whether their books are translated or not.

      There are plenty of people here in the United States that have no idea what the British vernacular is, and don't want to be going back and forth to google and the dictionary to enjoy a book. Does that make them lazy? Perhaps... But no more lazy than you not being able to get online and buy your book from the UK.
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      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
        Originally Posted by garyv View Post

        At least you admitted it... "good on ya"



        To the OP - would you complain if you moved to mexico, and found that your British authors were translated into Spanish? - I'm sure it's a matter of money, and I'm positive the authors have say in whether their books are translated or not.

        There are plenty of people here in the United States that have no idea what the British vernacular is, and don't want to be going back and forth to google and the dictionary to enjoy a book. Does that make them lazy? Perhaps... But no more lazy than you not being able to get online and buy your book from the UK.
        That is NOT the same thing! I actually met a woman in denmark that HAPPILY bought English books. I asked her why, and she said something to the effect that it was a good way to keep up on the language, and she enjoyed it also.

        The OP is CLEARLY not unable to read American english, and also NOT asking that American books be changed. She is simply asking why British books are changed.

        Steve
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