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Teymour Shahabi
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Bulletin Board > Do YOU say TOWARD or TOWARDS? (For My Book's Final Edit!)

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message 1: by Teymour (new)

Teymour Shahabi (teymourshahabi) Hello fellow authors / readers!

I'm just about to release my debut novel, a self-published young adult mystery titled "The Secret Billionaire..." And I have one final editing question for all of you! Do you say "toward" or "towards?" I'm getting all kinds of conflicting responses from online references -- and my own instincts -- and so I thought I'd ask the only people who matter: other authors / readers!

The situation explained at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME_Nn...

Please let me know!

Teymour Shahabi


message 2: by Mellie (last edited Jul 21, 2016 09:30PM) (new)

Mellie (mellie42) | 644 comments It depends if you are using American or British English.
You should also double check with your editor, if their edit did not make it clear.


message 3: by Emma (new)

Emma Jaye | 164 comments British English towards,
US English toward.


message 4: by Jen Pattison (new)

Jen Pattison | 17 comments Emma wrote: "British English towards,
US English toward."


Yes, as a Brit I would say 'towards'.


message 5: by mybookchain (new)

mybookchain | 3 comments In the UK, we usually say 'towards', whereas US English more often has 'toward'. So it may depend on whether the sales are more likely to be in the UK or the US!

Dennis via mybookchain


message 6: by Emma (new)

Emma Jaye | 164 comments I'd say it depends far more on what version of English you are using in the rest of the book. I have far more sales in the US as it is a bigger market, but I'm a Brit so I use British English spelling.
If you are using colour and defence use towards.
If you are using color and defense use toward.


message 7: by T.L. (new)

T.L. Clark (tlcauthor) | 145 comments Unless it's untoward! ;)

Yeah; what the others said.

xx


message 8: by Brenda (new)

Brenda Kearns (brendakearns) | 116 comments Although I'm Canadian, I use toward (and color and defense). My magazine work is published primarily in the U.S., though. So I'm influenced by the audience preference of the publishers I work for.


message 9: by Tom (new)

Tom Krug (thomas_krug) | 36 comments I studied journalism in college, and according to AP style, it's "toward".


message 10: by Emma (new)

Emma Jaye | 164 comments The OP is in New York and has a definite US accent. I think he's hit on a unique way to drive traffic to his youtube channel....
This isn't a tricky answer to find out on your own.
Clever marketing Teymour. Hat's off to you.


message 11: by Gary (last edited Jul 22, 2016 05:15AM) (new)

Gary The only thing I'd add to the folks who have already chimed in about American v. British use of toward/s is that that it also depends on whether your talking about using it in the narrative or in dialogue/direct quotes. That is, if you have a character who is American or British, you might want to have that character use the appropriate word. Similarly, if the story itself and, therefore, the narrative voice is set in Britain then the British usage would make sense, and if set in the U.S. then the American.

So, you could use either or both in the same text in order to convey that difference.


message 12: by The Shed (new)

The Shed Depends on use....I look toward.....I move towards


message 13: by C.J. (new)

C.J. McKee (cjmckee) | 107 comments I've heard either way is perfectly fine just as long as it's consistent. If you use "toward" then all others in the novel should be "toward", don't mix between the two.


message 14: by Teymour (new)

Teymour Shahabi (teymourshahabi) Karen *constant listener* yes a blind book listener, just love accessibility functions wrote: "Depends on use....I look toward.....I move towards"

Gary wrote: "The only thing I'd add to the folks who have already chimed in about American v. British use of toward/s is that that it also depends on whether your talking about using it in the narrative or in d..."

Emma wrote: "The OP is in New York and has a definite US accent. I think he's hit on a unique way to drive traffic to his youtube channel....
This isn't a tricky answer to find out on your own.
Clever marketin..."


Brenda wrote: "Although I'm Canadian, I use toward (and color and defense). My magazine work is published primarily in the U.S., though. So I'm influenced by the audience preference of the publishers I work for."

Tom wrote: "I studied journalism in college, and according to AP style, it's "toward"."

Denise wrote: "I'm American and use toward."

Emma wrote: "I'd say it depends far more on what version of English you are using in the rest of the book. I have far more sales in the US as it is a bigger market, but I'm a Brit so I use British English spell..."

mybookchain wrote: "In the UK, we usually say 'towards', whereas US English more often has 'toward'. So it may depend on whether the sales are more likely to be in the UK or the US!

Dennis via mybookchain"


Jen wrote: "Emma wrote: "British English towards,
US English toward."

Yes, as a Brit I would say 'towards'."


Emma wrote: "I'd say it depends far more on what version of English you are using in the rest of the book. I have far more sales in the US as it is a bigger market, but I'm a Brit so I use British English spell..."

Emma wrote: "British English towards,
US English toward."


A.W. wrote: "It depends if you are using American or British English.
You should also double check with your editor, if their edit did not make it clear."


Thanks so much for these helpful replies! My English must be (*cough* certainly is *cough cough*) confused, because while my dialect is 100% American, I find myself gravitating towardS (ah, dang it) "towards" in everyday life. I suppose consistency matters more than the answer itself? In any event, thanks so much for these answers! Wishing all a beautiful weekend in book-land :)


message 15: by Teymour (new)

Teymour Shahabi (teymourshahabi) Emma wrote: "The OP is in New York and has a definite US accent. I think he's hit on a unique way to drive traffic to his youtube channel....
This isn't a tricky answer to find out on your own.
Clever marketin..."


Ha, thanks Emma! (Said in a definite US accent ;) )


message 16: by Pearl (new)

Pearl Kirkby | 13 comments Teymour wrote: "
Thanks so much for these helpful replies! My English must be (*cough* certainly is *cough cough*) confused, because while my dialect is 100% American, I find myself gravitating...."


Exactly! I am American by birth, but was exposed to "The Queen's English" off and on, throughout life, which is always reflected in my writing and somewhat exposed in the colloquialsms I often use! An added "u" and "s", rather than "z"...but I still say, 'toward', rather than "towardS"!!


message 17: by D.B. (last edited Jul 26, 2016 04:32PM) (new)

D.B. Woodling | 77 comments Teymour, most journalists prefer toward. Good luck!


message 18: by Teymour (new)

Teymour Shahabi (teymourshahabi) D.B. wrote: "Teymour, most journalists prefer toward. Good luck!"

Thanks D. B.!


message 19: by Teymour (new)

Teymour Shahabi (teymourshahabi) Thank you so much for all the responses! Answer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME_Nn...


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