Readers. At which moment would you inform authors that you spotted typos?

[Russell Brooks]

I'm always open-minded and appreciate it when readers inform me of typos. I want to deliver the highest quality novel possible.

[Jessie Carr]

I have authored two books in Kindle format and forsale on Amazon. I proof the books myself and have someone else proof them also, however, some errors do slip by. I appreciate any feedback i receive from readers, my goal is not to create an error free book, but to entertain and make the reading experience exciting and interesting. I'm do not do this to make money, at 99 cents that would hardly be profitable, but to enjoy the experience, any feedback that makes me better is welcome and appreciated.

JL Schneider

[Angst]

The poll didn't offer the option of "Never." If there are too many errors, I just won't buy the author/publisher again. It's too time consuming to complain. It might even be perceived as arrogant by the author: "I'm soooo much better at spelling than you."


About 85% of the ebooks I've read have contained at least one blatant error. Including some by popular, well-known authors.

It is so bad, I started my own conspiracy theory that publishers are deliberately introducing random unique errors into each individual ebook copy so they can track who uploaded a particular ebook, with a unique error, to the darknet.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by Russell Brooks

I'm always open-minded and appreciate it when readers inform me of typos. I want to deliver the highest quality novel possible.

That is good to know because the name of the author is Franzen

[Russell Brooks]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

That is good to know because the name of the author is Franzen

lol. I know. That's why I corrected it.

[Penforhire]

I don't do it for typos but I do it for other types of errors. I sent Robert Ludlum such a note when he was incorrect on significant details about both a car and a hand gun in the same novel.

[The Terminator]

Define "Typo"? Do you mean misspelled words, or double spaces in the wrong spot and things like that. The most misspelled words I've encountered in a E-book is at most 5, but double spaces where they shouldn't be, that was very common in the last book I read "The Partner" by John Grisham. But I really don't mind the spaces thing you just read over it.

[Sweetpea]

I don't find 10 typos, or even 100 typos on a 70.000 word story a lot. Once we're running in whole percentages, I might send the seller an email. (1% = 700 typos).

The author him or herself? Never. I probably wouldn't even know how.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

I am reading a book right now that has errors on nearly every page. I PM'ed the author, who says the revision is in the works. The story is good, but this high level of errors is distracting.

Exactly the problem I had with two books by Jack McDevitt: The errors (and, at the end of one, a missing last page) were too distracting to allow me to enjoy the book. I contacted McDevitt and Harper Collins about them (as well as Barnes & Noble, to request money back on such sub-par products). I never heard back from HP, but I did hear back from McDevitt, who assured me he would talk to the publishers about it. And B&N refunded my money.

Both of these books had "tons" of errors, all clearly from unproofed OCR content.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I don't find 10 typos, or even 100 typos on a 70.000 word story a lot. Once we're running in whole percentages, I might send the seller an email. (1% = 700 typos).

With one typo every 100th word (1-5 typos per page!) I'd rather send a professional killer.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

I am reading a book right now that has errors on nearly every page. I PM'ed the author, who says the revision is in the works. The story is good, but this high level of errors is distracting.

I have to wonder why any author would be so unprofessional as to release a book in such a state.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Jessie Carr

I have authored two books in Kindle format and forsale on Amazon. I proof the books myself and have someone else proof them also, however, some errors do slip by. I appreciate any feedback i receive from readers, my goal is not to create an error free book, but to entertain and make the reading experience exciting and interesting. I'm do not do this to make money, at 99 cents that would hardly be profitable, but to enjoy the experience, any feedback that makes me better is welcome and appreciated.

JL Schneider

Jessie, surely it should ALWAYS be your goal to create an error-free book, shouldn't it? Knowing how to use language correctly is just as important for an author as knowing how to use his wood-working tools is for a carpenter. If you don't know how to use grammar or punctuation, then all bets are off.

[jbcohen]

Depends on what I paid for the novel, the more I paid for it the lower the tollerance for these sorts of things goes. The $1 Amazon books can be quite gramatically bad and I won't complain, however the free ones can be as gramatically error riddled as they want to be and I could care less.

[Victoria]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I make a mental distinction between typos (a simple spelling mistake) and what seem to me to be usage errors (e.g., it's / its). I have a higher tolerance for the former, but the latter drive me crazy.

My response as well. The first could be a mechanical glitch, such as a spellchecker error that crept in. But the second type brings the author into the forefront which "disrupts the continuum" (forgive the star-trek reference).

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I wouldn't base my decision on a number. Some typos I can blow right by and assimilate. Others bug me to the point of distraction. The latter is where I would contact the author/publisher.

Originally Posted by Catlady

I make a mental distinction between typos (a simple spelling mistake) and what seem to me to be usage errors (e.g., it's / its). I have a higher tolerance for the former, but the latter drive me crazy.

I agree with both of these statements.