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Joined: 6/7/2013
Posts: 1356
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I have to say that when I open up a WIP in peer review on Book Country and see that the formatting is a hot mess, it really turns me off to the book, even though I know that the author is likely planning to fix. Does anyone else have the same aversion?
And when I open up an eBook that I bought and find bad formatting, I can't even tell you how much that dissuades me from liking the book. Am I a formatting snob or is this something you experience as well?
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Hi, Lucy 
You're not alone in this--I get turned off of a manuscript when it's poorly formatted, too. It hasn't happened to me often, but it does annoy me when I click on a manuscript and it's got a ton of formatting errors.
Usually I leave manuscripts like those be and look for something else to review.
Now, if it's just an issue of strange font or such, I let that slide--my manuscript is in standard submission Courier New font, so I'm more accepting of that kind of thing.
Amber
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Joined: 1/23/2012
Posts: 36
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It's tough, 'cause you don't want to miss out on a gem, but if the formatting makes it tougher to read I pass. :/
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Joined: 11/30/2011
Posts: 69
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Formatting is something very daunting for a writer. Many of them do not fully understand how much of a pain it can be until they try and send their prized work through a meat grinder for publishing. Why certain publishing formats choose to call it this is BEYOND me-- but it is kind of ironic that they do because I've seen my properly formatted Word document turn into a bloody mess. The document was truly murdered I tell ya!
Many writers can be very savvy when it comes to formatting, marketing, and design, but if you have no experience with formatting, it is best to utilize the templates and manuals that the publishing platform provides as a guide and then go to the message boards when (NOT if-- because you WILL have issues) things aren't lining up correctly. And NEVER hit the publish key until you've gone through the entire book in its formatted faze.
Having said all of this, I am not immediately turned off by a work in progress that has formatting glitches. I try to read past them just like I would a spelling error because I know that the writer is working on it.
As for a book that is already published, and one that I paid for, I'd be a little annoyed, but it wouldn't stop me from reading the book. The writer may just have a hang up on formatting-- or WORSE-- maybe they paid someone to do it and then when they uploaded it through the grinder, it was butchered-- could happen. So I don't hold it against them.
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Joined: 10/7/2013
Posts: 65
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It drives me crazy, but then I try to remember that I have formatted things but when I printed them out or attached them, the format became all wonky. System error!
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Joined: 6/15/2015
Posts: 16
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At most I might mention it in the comments, it depends on which draft. 7/22 EDIT: After my first sit down with my critique partner, who also is an English teacher, I am told I have messy formatting LOL. --edited by Andy Getch on 7/22/2015, 10:28 PM--
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