Errors in stories

[Bojsen]

If you find a typo, spelling error or similar in a story, or notice a contradiction, should you bring it to an author's attention so that the author can improve the story by correcting the error? Or will it be perceived negatively even if the comment is made with the best of intentions?

 

[RepresentingWrath]

It can be perceived negatively, but those who perceive it positively will be grateful.

 

[Lloyd]

Most authors will be glad you pointed it out.

 

[KoyukiMegumi]

Point it out. It's the only way they can improve.

If they don't like it, well, that's on them, but most authors will be super grateful!

 

[Deleted member 166076]

As long as you don't simply complain that it's riddled with typos, but specifically point out what the error is then there is nothing to be upset about. Specific is constructive while complaining is unhelpful and, potentially, mean depending on how you word it.

 

[ThrillingHuman]

If you find a typo, spelling error or similar in a story, or notice a contradiction, should you bring it to an author's attention so that the author can improve the story by correcting the error? Or will it be perceived negatively even if the comment is made with the best of intentions?

Typos should be pointed out and I see no reason they can be peceived negatively unless you're wrong or the typo is intentional and you didn't understand.
Contradictions should be pointed out. Same as above, although fixing them can be difficult, if at all possible

 

[placeintime]

For me, I find typos being pointed out nice because grammar isn't my strong suit.

 

[LilRora]

Largely depends on the author and on the way you phrase it. If it's just pointing out typos and spelling errors, the vast majority will be grateful for catching something they missed when editing.

Contradictions and other errors related more to content rather than language may be interpreted as complaining or something, but if you word it right it shouldn't be an issue. Most authors would be grateful if you point out something like that, because those are much more difficult to spot during editing and proofreading, especially across chapters.

Of course there's the possibility that you don't get something they did intentionally, but no reasonable author is going to get upset if you're just polite and informative about it.

 

[Corty]

If you find a typo, spelling error or similar in a story, or notice a contradiction, should you bring it to an author's attention so that the author can improve the story by correcting the error? Or will it be perceived negatively even if the comment is made with the best of intentions?

Yes. It is always a great help for fixing issues. I improved a lot because of helpful people pointing them out.

 

[ArtBusterBeeze]

Author's will be grateful. You will contribute to their improvement. Even if it is perceived negatively, your intentions were purely to help them see errors, which they will take one way or the other. The only way that I would see it being taken negatively is if you intentionally make it into a complaint.

 

[Kenjona]

Ok,
I am willing to point out typos, in hopes the author will take it graciously. But if after a few chapters and nothing is edited, I will stop doing so with that author. If the errors are to many for my immersion into their story, I will drop the story.

 

[Lysander_Works]

Depends on the errors. If the grammar error is too rare an occurrence or simply not enough to derail immersion of the story, just leave it be. Chances are the author only wants those brought to their attention from an editor or someone who has agreed to edit.

If the issue is more major, such as the same grammar issue showing up way too frequently, or an entire plot hole, then even as a reader it would seem like the right thing to do. We want to enjoy what others have written when the standards are that high. Sometimes it won't be received well regardless of anything; the ends are still simple. If an author with a mangled mess of work doesn't want to improve, people will be more likely to drop the story.

It's an interesting thing to bring up, because it reminds me that authors may have certain reasons for ignoring some grammar issues even when they are brought up. I'm kind of in that situation myself; got a series I'm about to drop soon, and a large chunk of it could benefit from editing, but I've prioritized the time of releasing it then editing later. The reason was that I was afraid I might not have enough time left alive to wait if I keep editing to perfection before releasing. That said, I do plan to taper everything later on. There is often a mental barrier between publishing and withholding for editing, for some more than others.

 

[melchi]

Ok,
I am willing to point out typos, in hopes the author will take it graciously. But if after a few chapters and nothing is edited, I will stop doing so with that author. If the errors are to many for my immersion into their story, I will drop the story.

This mostly the same for me. Sometimes I'll go to point out a typo, only to see that someone has already pointed it out in the comments. But if someone else pointed it out and the chapter hasn't had the typo fixed what is the use in doing it again?

 

[KonoKei]

I changed a characters name on accident and noone noticed. It happened like 5 chapters ago.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Please point out typos and grammar mistakes!

 

[Deleted member 166076]

Ok,
I am willing to point out typos, in hopes the author will take it graciously. But if after a few chapters and nothing is edited, I will stop doing so with that author. If the errors are to many for my immersion into their story, I will drop the story.

I always thank my readers, but I do editing in batches. That's also usually applied to the master copy document first and very slowly rolled out to sites like this. When you cross-post to twelve sites and have hundreds of chapters for a single book it can be a massive undertaking to update everything. I also have a backlog of 50+ chapters for all my books, so it's not like I can just learn I'm missing a word like weary vs wary and suddenly have it fixed in all future chapters either.

I don't think you're even one of my readers, but I thought I'd share my own methodology as other authors might have the same issue. Just because it isn't immediately fixed doesn't mean the help isn't appreciated. Just means it may take a while to see the improvements.

I changed a characters name on accident and noone noticed. It happened like 5 chapters ago.

Sometimes it takes thousands of readers to see the same mistake just to have it pointed out once. I get certain names confused all the time. Either I'll mix up MCs from two different series of mine or it'll be something about a specific name my brain doesn't like. For example Veronica vs Victoria, Alaric vs Aldric, or even Kenric vs Kendric. All real examples of names I've messed up in my work that had to be fixed in editing after learning they were messed up. Luckily if you compile all your chapters in the same document you can use the find and replace feature to change it all to one version.

This mostly the same for me. Sometimes I'll go to point out a typo, only to see that someone has already pointed it out in the comments. But if someone else pointed it out and the chapter hasn't had the typo fixed what is the use in doing it again?

On RR I have a story that thousands of people read. I end up with half a dozen comments pointing out the same error. However, I cross-post to twelve sites so what might take you 30 seconds to point out could take me 15 minutes to fix. I'd have to identify where the error is, fix it on the master copy, and then recopy and paste all of the formatting onto all of the sites I just posted to. Even if it only took a minute per site to format things, it adds up.

As I said above, my methodology is to thank every commentor for their help. Then once a month or so I will go into the mastercopy and make all the edits everyone has suggested for all of the chapters, try and run Grammarly on it again and have it struggle due to the massive size, try and run the document's grammar and spelling checker again and have it barely point out anything, and fix anything I personally notice along the way. Then I'll spend like 5 hours per site per book posting the edited version with its formatting because all of my newer work is more than 100 chapters long. This of course means it can take weeks just to update every site one time since I also have to write and do normal life things.

So, it takes forever to see the changes you want fixed, but it doesn't mean that the help is being ignored. I'm sure others could have similar problems that get in the way. However, you also have to consider this is a free site with a lot of hobbyist writers, you aren't going to get professional quality.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

If you find a typo, spelling error or similar in a story, or notice a contradiction, should you bring it to an author's attention so that the author can improve the story by correcting the error? Or will it be perceived negatively even if the comment is made with the best of intentions?

If you point it out politely, it will almost always be appreciated. If you insult the writer or just state it in a confrontational way, you will definitely get a negative response. I keep finding little errors in my longer works that ... well, in a professional setting, hopefully an editor would catch them (but then again, no editor noticed that Michael Crichton had one character in two places at the same time in Jurassic Park so they do not always do this!), so having peers point them out can be helpful.

 

[Deleted member 166465]

Please do signal the error.
As a wanna be writer, one of the things that makes it hard to improve is the lack of feedback.

 

[Gazzosa676]

Personally I would need too much this kind of comments. Also for weird phrasing. I am not a native English speaker and I translate from my original language, so many oddities came out. I started uploading mainly to get this kind of feedback, but in any site I tried, this kind of feedback severely lacks :/
I guess people here come to read and entertain themselves, not to fix typos

 

[uCare]

Personally I would need too much this kind of comments. Also for weird phrasing. I am not a native English speaker and I translate from my original language, so many oddities came out. I started uploading mainly to get this kind of feedback, but in any site I tried, this kind of feedback severely lacks :/
I guess people here come to read and entertain themselves, not to fix typos

Some of us autocorrect translations in our heads. Your first line had my inner voice saying a word that wasn't originally there: "Personally I would need too much -of- this kind of comments". I might not mention a typo if I subconsciously do these corrections.