Recently, I read a novel by an author from England. The story was engaging, and I enjoyed the experience. However, I often stumbled over words and expressions that were completely unfamiliar to me. Some of these were slang used in dialogue, but a significant portion appeared in the narrative as well. I’m not someone who typically checks punctuation, sentence structure, or verb usage while reading, but the presence of words and expressions I had little or no understanding of was distracting. I mentioned to my wife that I wished the author had enlisted someone in the U.S. to proofread the book. This led me to wonder if I might be making the same mistake in my own novels. While I aspire to write books with international appeal, I realize that my primary audience will likely always be in America.