It’s time for a fresh weekly poll! We didn’t do one last week because I was traveling, so we’ll first look at the results from two weeks ago. This was the question: “What’s your preferred age for main characters in gay romance? (excl. age gap romances)”
And here are the results, which I find intriguing:
This shows that most of you don’t prefer younger characters outside of age gap romances, and the large majority prefers characters in their early thirties. I love polls like this because the results can really surprise me, like they did with this one. I did no expect that low number for younger characters. Super interesting.
This week, the question is this: “How Important Is Perfect Grammar/Spelling To You?” (in MM romances, of course). Let’s hear your opinion!
[crowdsignal poll=10465432]
I had a difficult choice here. Grammar and spelling mistakes really bother me. But on the other hand, I can often overlook them if they are seldom and the plot and characters are interesting. More often than not, I just correct them in my head and keep reading.
If they’re egregious, I think the writer doesn’t care enough about what goes out into the world, and the book goes into the ebook trashcan. I’ve learned to follow Authors who care.
I feel exactly the same!
This is how I feel as well, especially as many authors have editors.
This is a valid viewpoint. And for me, there’s a difference between the occasional typo (which we all know can slip through) and consistent errors.
Very true, the odd typo is forgivable
I read a lot of ARCs and grammar and spelling mistakes take me to task to point them out to authors. If the mistakes are too many I won’t bother reading a published book. I had one author send me an ARC. I still liked the story so I bought the published book but the errors were still in the finished book. I made mention of these obvious mistakes and was ridiculed by other fans for my being nick picking.
Personally, I super appreciate it when readers message me with errors they’ve found. I have zero issues with that. Even after multiple rounds of editing, things can slip through. A few years ago, I bought hardback Nora Roberts…with a massive typo on the third page. Just saying.
I agree with Julia.’s comments. Though I have to say that one of the strangest things I’ve seen lately is the spelling of the word “whoa”. Some books have the word used 5 plus times and seeing it misspelled as “woah” will throw me right out of a story. I’ve stopped reading a couple of books because of it.
That’s an interesting spelling for sure…
A mistake or two is tolerable as we are not perfect. However, if there are several in a book, it makes me wonder if the proofreader was asleep!! Surely someone looked at it before it was printed!!
I think the issue is that not all authors can afford a good editor…or an extra proofreader after the final edits. Editors aren’t cheap. Now, if they’re well known authors who sell well, then yes. But for newbie authors, I make exceptions.
I really don’t have an age preference. Every age brings a different perspective to a book!
I agree. As long as the author is true to the age of the characters and they’re not underage, I don’t care. Though I do love me a big age gap, haha.
So spelling for me isn’t going to stop me reading a book unless there’s more than 5 in a paragraph! Also spelling can be tricky depending on where the author is from. If from the UK or Europe than spellings of words like color (colour) and center (centre) are different and that’s ok to me so long as the book is set in that country. Now if it’s set in the USA and we are still using British spelling for words like color (colour) and favorite (favourite) then I have an issue.
Also if you’re going to spell a word one way spell it that way throughout the entire book, otherwise my poor brain can’t keep up and I’ll get super frustrated!
As for grammar I know that can vary from place to place so I’m not so picky about that.
I know several British authors (or Canadian and Australian ones) who have gotten frustrated because American readers correct their spelling…which is different from American spelling. That makes me sigh sometimes, haha. But yeah, consistency is key.
My issue with spelling and grammatical errors is that if I notice them they will pull me out of that ‘reading zone’. Not a big problem if it’s only a few times but if it happens frequently then I can’t connect with the story properly.
I get that.
I struggled with this because errors do bother me but if a book is really good then I can overlook a couple of errors. If there are too many errors, it becomes a distraction.
That makes sense.
I am comfortable with what I perceive as grammar errors in dialogue because I recognize there is a difference between spoken and written English. I’ve also become accustomed to shrugging off regional variations in spelling. I’m a little more frustrated by vocabulary that hasn’t been adapted to the location of the characters (singlet/undershirt), and I’m especially irked by homonym mistakes and incorrect word choices. (free rein vs. free reign) I’ve spent so many years as a fanfic beta reader and editor that proofreading has become automatic for everything I read. OTOH, that experience also has made me aware that no matter how many people check the copy before posting, it’s possible for a mistake to go unnoticed. Authors, editors, and proofreaders have my sympathy when that occurs even though it’s enough to bounce me out of a scene when I run across one.
While I appreciate that you prefer to make allowances for newbie authors who may not be able to afford to pay an editor, I am not as inclined to be so forgiving. First, I feel that what is permissible in fanfic which is essentially a free gift from the writer to the fandom and should be accepted as-is, when an author chooses to present themselves as a professional and to charge for their work another level of care is to be expected. Second, while access to the skill and talent of a professional editor is preferable, there are any number of people willing and able to beta read at no charge. On a level between the two, we are blessed with the new gig economy where it is possible to have one’s work proofread for a reasonable investment. If an author is completely unwilling or unable to provide an attention to detail when presenting their work to the public, I am unwilling to commit my time or reading budget to slogging through the result. That said, a first poorly rendered book will not keep me from taking a look at a second from the same author as it’s always possible that the situation has been remedied.
I completely agree with you, Michelle. My allowance to newbie writers is to read another book by them, but if if they make the same kind of mistakes or even worse ones, I quit them. I feel like, if they don’t have enough appreciation for the hard work of polishing their craft to the best of their abilities or taking the time to find someone with the skills who can work with them within their budget or means, then why should *I* bother? There are so many people who just want to be published or think they can “cash in” on book stuffing or some other scheme, and if they put out a book that has a lot of poor spelling and grammar then I find it hard to believe they care overly much about their product.
And while this may not be the case for some people because, to be fair, some are creative but the intricacies of grammar and spelling are just not their strength. However, if they are choosing to charge for their writing, then they are choosing to do what’s necessary to overcome those obstacles and make the sacrifices necessary to put out the best product they can. Because their art is still a product, and nobody asks if it’s cool to sell you a car with shoddy brakes if most of it works well lol. A bit dramatic of an analogy, but you get my point. As a side note to spelling, I’m a stickler for pronunciation in audiobooks. Nothing jars me more than a fabulous narrator mispronouncing a word. To be far, I’m an audio proofer, so hazard of the job I guess. 😛
Well, here’s the thing: just like some merchants and producers can choose to put an inferior product in the market in the hopes of selling it anyway (Made in China, anyone?), the same can be true for authors. Authors are under no obligation to have their work edited. Ultimately, the readers decide if they’re willing to pay what the author asks, or if they’re willing to pay it again.
To me, that’s the wonder of the economy of supply and demand, where the customer decides with money and reviews what’s deemed worthy and what isn’t. I’ve seen some REALLY well-selling books that were badly edited. Readers still chose to read them because the stories were amazing.
It’s not my choice and it never will be, if only because I’m too much of a perfectionist, but everyone has to make a choice that works for them. And readers have that choice as well. I love how that works, haha.
I can deal with difference based on location USA/England slang as long as it is consistent within the story or character. But too many mistakes can really take me out of the story.
I agree that the language has to fit the setting. A book with American characters completely set in the US would be jarring with British spelling, even if it’s consistent. To me, British spelling belongs to a British speech pattern and syntax, to a different rhythm and word choice than American English.
I don’t really care what age characters are, as kind as it fits the story. Perhaps the results are peculiar to the group voting. But then, I’m happy to read Young Adult books and books with ‘low heat’ as well. Also, I love angst 😊
It depends what I’m in the mood for. I read YA every now and then when the mood strikes, so it’s not that younger characters don’t interest me. And yes, I can appreciate a low heat romance as well. A good example is Anyta Sunday whose books I generally love and who usually writes low heat slow burn.