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Let’s get this part out of the way: I’m a terrible copyeditor. I can’t spot typos for the life of me, my comma usage is suspect, and I wouldn’t know a dangling modifier from a split infinitive.
As a result, I really don’t get very exercised when I spot typos online or in books. I figure, hey. It happens! We’re all busy, right?
But sometimes I feel distinctly in the minority. As Amazon reviews can attest, people get extremely outraged about finding typos in books. The grammar and typo police takes no prisoner.
So, You Tell Me: Do typos annoy you? If so, why?
James Scott Bell says
They don't bother me a bite.
Except, yes, they do. They are "bumps" that will take me out of a story. I am forgiving, because I know it can happen. But we should try our berst to get rid of them.
Chuck H. says
Yes, they do. Especially in newspapers or magazines. It just tells me someone is not doing their job and we have far too much of that these days.
Katherine Stott says
I'm a complete hypocrite because I commit these faults all the time, but I ABHOR TYPOS! Especially in books. I figure you've paid this much to publish the damn thing, why not get a great editor to proof it for you?
That is my 2 cents worth. I hate typos. HATE. In bold and underlined.
That is all.
Anonymous says
I get infuriated by typos if the book is a $100 textbook. I think for that kind of money and level of scholarship they are more unforgiveable. Otherwise, an $8 paperback? Twitter or Facebook posting? Shrug; they happen.
Jen says
The problem with your own manuscript is that you know it backwards. So you don't spot the typos. You read exactly what you expect to see.
I have a massive blind spot for typos in my own writing. It's guaranteed that I will only notice them after I've been to the copy shop to get the whole thing printed out.
Remus Shepherd says
Yes, typos in professionally published books annoy me. They're a sign that the editor/copyeditor/author are not bothering to give me a quality product for my money.
Dave Fymbo says
In a blog post, no, not really.
But in a book? Absolutely. It's no different than a boom mic in a movie shot, or a singer flubbing a word.
The standard has been set that art can and should be produced without errors.
Wordy Bird says
They drive me nuts. Every time I see a grocery sign that says "pea's and carrot's" I want to yell, "Pea's and carrot's what? Pea's pods? Carrot's high level of beta carotene?"
Joshua says
I think it depends on how invested I am in what I'm reading. Perhaps it's also based on how much I paid for the item. I've given up on online news articles ever being accurate.
Sam Webb says
I'm sure I've missed more than I've seen over the years. Typos only annoy me when they mess up the flow of a sentence and I have to re-read it three to four times to clearly understand what's going on. It breaks the spell of the writing.
Becky Taylor says
No. And I never understand people who feel they need to correct other people either online or in public. For sure, hate typos if you feel that strongly about it. But hate in private.
It's poor social skills and bad manners.
Misty Provencher says
Only my own!
Lynn(e) says
I read someone else's comment that said type-os in blogs don't bother them but in books they do. I agree with that.
Something that makes me outrightly angry though, is the fact some of my work has been published in literary magazines, they asked for hard copies. Whoever typed them into the system (because they went electronic) turned works like farther into father and various things like that. That makes me want to strangle someone…just saying…
M.R. Merrick says
I think it depends on the story. Typo's don't really bother me in general. They are annoying yes, but as long as the writer is making up for the errors by telling me an awesome story, I'm okay with that. Mistakes happen, but if the story is good, I can skim past them without letting them get to me.
Cheryl says
A single typo is understandable. Numerous typos are frustrating. Pages filled with typos as well as extensive grammar issues — unforgiveable.
Bane of Anubis says
Not usually, unless they're rampant or somehow muddle meaning. I used to get annoyed by improper usage of the subjunctive, but I'm not such a prig about it anymore.
Stephanie Garber says
To me a typo is like finding a hidden mickey at Disneyland. I know most books have at least one, and if I found that one typo I feel a little proud of myself.
If there are a bunch of typo's in a book I would probably become annoyed, but if there's only one or two then I don't really think it's a big deal
Dick Margulis says
It annoys me when the number of typos in a book suggests that the publisher cheaped out on editing and proofreading. If a publisher is willing to debase the value of its imprint by cutting corners like that, I don't need to support the publisher by buying its books.
Deborah Blake Dempsey says
The only time I get annoyed is if it's in a book I'm reading and it's constant. A few I'm okay with because it's thousands of words so I get. Mistakes happen. But consistent misspellings will drive me nuts and force me to put the book down. It will stop me, then I have to think about it, then I'll get aggravated. It's too much work.
Barbara Watson says
Typos in a book bug me. Numerous people on the to-publication chain should catch them. Typos in a blog post, not at all. Life moves on an expressway.
Mrs. Dub says
Do I notice typos? Always. Are they distracting and embarrassing? Yes. Do they lead to a pompous glow of superiority? Often.
That said, I would never point one out, unless I think the author would want to know. (Saying "fart food" instead of "fast food," for example, in a serious news story. Then again, it would be funnier to leave it in.)
I take issue with people who think perfection comes with a professional title. As a journalist, I can't stand people who think I should be an expert on all topics I write about. Certainly thorough research and fact-checking are essential, but there are limitations to every job.
Same goes for books. Yes, they have a fancy publisher and big-shot editors, but those people are still human. Working in a certain field doesn't make you a trained robot. Accountability is required by the writer, but compassion is also expected by the reader.
In short (even though I wasn't): Lighten up!
Mr. D says
I spot them, (I'm a teacher after all,) and they have no business being in a published book, but I don't get bent out of shape for them.
Brooke Johnson says
It's one thing to have a typo in a 80,000 word book. That doesn't bother me. Proofreading tends toward glazed over eyes and a stomach full of coffee and chocolate.
It's another thing completely when there is a typo in a headline or sign. It comes across as unprofessional and lazy. So, that's when it bothers me.
Julie Nilson says
They don't bug me that much in a blog post (or something similar) since those are more immediate and not pored over by teams of editors. But in a book, newspaper, or magazine? Yeah, typos bug me. I've worked in the publishing industry, on the corporate side, for a very long time and I know how many writers, editors, copyeditors, and higher-ups read over those things before they go to print, so it bugs me when something gets past all of those people. A minor typo or two isn't *that* bad, but any more than that is annoying.
And those are just the mis-typing kind of errors–don't even get me started on egregious spelling errors!
Barbara Kloss says
With respect to your post, I'm a little scared to leave a comment! 🙂
No, really, typos only bug me if they're everywhere. Heck, I have them, even when I've sworn they no longer exist. I still find them. I seem to have a comma problem, too.
Tasha Ivey says
I agree. In my own writing, I have a hard time spotting the typos, and I can also see how editors can miss an occasional goof. I cannot, however, forgive incorrect word usage (such as their, they're, there). Drives me insane!
Emily White says
Typos only annoy me when they take up a significant percentage of the book (like 5-10%). The truth is, I've never read ANY book that didn't have at least one typo. And I can live with one or two, or even five or six, but when I start seeing at least one every page, the typos start to give me a headache.
Vinyl and Mono says
YES. Because I'm an editor by trade, and I've watched as the field has started to disappear. Fewer editors are hired or considered necessary. Of these, even fewer have real training or expertise. The ones that do are not given the time to do the job right (or, in the case of one project I worked on, told up front NOT to correct too many things, even if they're wrong, because it's "expensive"). Meanwhile, it seems that the use of plural and possessive have completely switched places, homonyms are considered pretty much interchangeable, and commas are sprinkled anywhere the writer feels like putting them. Do I sound bitter?
Ishta Mercurio says
I consider myself to be a reasonable, stable individual. I don't spank my kids, I eat healthy food and get reasonable exercise, I am in a loving and stable relationship. Life isn't perfect, but it's pretty darn good.
BUT.
Typos annoy me like the voices haunt a paranoid schizophrenic. I hate them. I have to fight down urges to correct them everywhere I go, and they continue to bother me hours later. Their prevalence is evidence of the "dumbing down" that runs rampant throughout our educational system. I want them eradicated, especially in the case of magazines and newspapers, whose word is often taken as law. Printed matter such as these should educate, not reflect.
I could go on, but I think you take my point. *gnashes teeth and goes off to punch a tree*
Glynis says
I can forgive a few. If a book is full of them and it is obvious only one set of eyes has read through it, then I am a little irritated. If it has quite a few and has been published by a large press, then I would be put out.
Since taking on Beta readers, boy am I embarrassed I submitted to you, Nathan. One year on please accept my apologies. If I had been bull-headed and self published, I would have inflicted irritation upon others.
Reece says
They drive me insane! But most of the time (99%), if I put forth the effort to make a comment, I don't say anything to anyone but my wife.
Jonathan Dalar says
In a blog or forum where the author is typing stream-of-consciousness? I notice them. In a published book? They annoy me to a certain degree. In my own work? They infuriate me!
Why? Because, especially in this day and age where every typo is underlined with a squiggly red line, they're really too obvious to just happen to skip over. It shows a serious lack of attention to detail.
I'll forgive "bite" when the author means "bit" more so than a completely misspelled word, though, because spell checkers don't catch that. But completely misspelled words? Hmm. Not so much. Technology should be eliminating 95% of them by now, and if it doesn't, the blame rests squarely on human shoulders.
Richard Gibson says
They happen, but I'm a good copyeditor and yes, they annoy me, especially in books (typos in quick-to-print newspapers and magazines are more forgivable).
That's one of the things that is on the list of the values added by traditional publishing, for me. And I'll say that there certainly seem to be many more than in my old paperbacks, where one would be unusual (and I'm not talking about self-pubbed books old or new).
I have a college textbook, third edition no less, in which I flagged no less than 67 mistakes – not subjective word choices, but obvious errors. Unforgivable.
Word verification: nottpo
If it had been notypo I'd have begun to believe in the supernatural. I'll just hope I have none in the post!
Mira says
It's fun to read the comments on this thread.
Typos don't bother me at all. No biggie. Probably because grammar and I are barely on speaking terms, and spelling and I haven't spoken in years.
I'm surprised to hear they don't bother you, though, Nathan. I always thought you were pretty tough when it came to things like that. See? I learn something new every day. 🙂
Stephanie McGee says
Typos, not usually. It's the blatant errors, "who's" for "whose" type of problems that really make me grind my teeth. People tell me that they notice typos in books because of me. It's probably me ranting about the glaring issues of misused words that gets them noticing things.
Typos happen. We get going in a story and our fingers start to trip over themselves because we're in such a hurry to get the words from our brain to the word processor document.
Savannah Rose says
As a reader it is troublesome when the story is flowing and all of a sudden you come to a complete stop because of a typo. As a writer, it allows me the knowledge to know, "I'm not alone."
Kevin Lynn Helmick says
When they're in a rejection letter, yeah. And I don't want to hear, "oh but we have so many submissions." And little bit from bestselling books. I see an editor not practicing what they preach. demanding excellence from submissions but not producing it for the buying public. but it's usually far an few between and I never blame the writer. What are ya gonna do…ask for your money back for a typo?
Stephanie McGee says
I should say that errors and typos in the graphics on news stories irk me to no end. You don't get the chance to go back and re-do those. And if people notice, in my opinion, it drops the credibility of the news program just a tiny bit.
But in books I don't get so hot and bothered about it.
mmshaunakelley says
I am sort of with Richard, and a total hypocrit for it. I am a TERRIBLE copyeditor (worse on my own stuff). I also cannot spell, and have no idea where and when to put commas in. My own first novel was a labor of love for my wonderful publisher, who had hours and hours of copyediting to do before it was good to go. And I've still gotten zinged on a few typos.
However, when I am reading a book that is traditionally published, particularly by a large house, they do jump out at me and bug me. It undermines the author's authority, which drives me a bit batty.
But I am totally guilty of the crime which I rail against here.
Joanne McGonagle says
I agree with James Scott Bell. They take me out of a story. I also know, as Jen said, that they are difficult to catch in your own writing. When I find typos in my own blog posts, I cringe. When I see them in other blog posts it doesn't bother me as much because I know how easy it is to make them.
In a book or magazine, it bothers me.
Valerie says
Typos in published books annoy me because I know that more than one set of eyes has looked at that manuscript, so I'm not sure how they could get missed. I've been reading a lot of books through iBooks lately though and have noticed nearly everyone has a typo, so then I wonder if that's a result of some sort of software conversion issue. When it comes to blogs, they don't bother me so much, but in published works they do.
Carrie Baize says
Most of the time, I don't catch typos. When it's a simple mistake and/or one I make often, my brain simply corrects it as I read.
My biggest typo-esque peeve is using the glaringly incorrect (or nonexistent!) word. Things like "your invited" and "irregardless" make me want to throw things.
Mister Fweem says
I find typos more amusing than annoying. I have a student who wrote about how the sun makes everything "shinny" and I had to wonder how everything would look with enormous shins.
Superfluous apostrophes are also a great source of amusement. Oh, look, it's the Macconnell's mailbox. . .
Thing is, this kind of stuff is easy to fix once you notice it. Bad writing, on the other hand, you can't fix even if it's 100 percent typo-free.
Ang says
Yes, typos annoy me because they are relatively simple to avoid. Spell check is a great tool, but it amazes me how seldom people seem to use it.
Robert Michael says
My favorite thing is to read an Amazon review where the person posting is blasting the editing of the book and their own writing is horrible, with words spelled wrong and poor grammar and syntax. Oh, the irony.
By the way, my blindspot is "their" or "thier." Seriously. I can never remember and I can't trust my judgment. And judgment is another because it just BEGS for an "e" after "g!" The English language can be quite ugly despite its flexibility and breadth of expression.
Hillsy says
Get ADHD….you barely notice any typos then….granted you have to read each paragraph twice but judging by the wildly exaggerated reaction here that'd be a preferable experience
Jackie says
For the most part, no. I don't mind typos in books. But then, I hardly ever find typos. I'm kind of with the person who said finding a typo is like finding a hidden Mickey at Disney. I'm like, "Haha! Caught you!" and I circle the typo in delight. I also tend to look past them if the story is really good.
If the story is just awful and there are a ton of typos, then I just stop reading.
Andrea says
I am a new commenter! I just had to put in my opinion on this subject. I can forgive one or two typos or grammatical errors, however if I purchase a book that has a lot of them it really irritates me. I spent my money on this product. I spent my time and energy reading this product. Therefore I expect it to be produced in a professional manner, and that means quality editing and proofreading. It's disrespectful to the consumer to put out a poor quality product. I think it is doubly bad to try to pull something like that on readers, who more often than not will definitely notice shoddy editing because it will jolt them out of the story. And with all of the spellcheckers and other grammar resources available in this day and age, it is absolutely unacceptable to come across a book with severe grammatical and spelling problems.
Melissa says
I couldn't care less about typos in blogs or on FB. I can overlook the occasional typo in a book — even with the best copy editors and MANY sets of eyes, the occasional mistake gets overlooked.
But I can't stand frequent typos. I always "look inside" before buying a self-published book, and if I see typos, I absolutely will not buy it.
abbe says
There's a sign for a printing company that I pass every day that advertises that they make "Scrath-n-win Tickets" and the McDonald's near my house that advertises "Shamerock Shakes". Typos like those drive me nuts because it's not like they're lost in a ton of copy. Somebody should be paying attention.