True! And, if even a minority of ultimate readers share the gatekeepers’ tastes, they represent extra sales. In mythological terms, the gatekeepers can evolve from fearsome threshold guardians to helpful guides.

Angela and I were just talking about this the other day. As a reader, I’m pretty picky about a lot of what I read, but Ive come to believe that this isn’t the norm for most readers; I’m just hyper-focused on it because I’m always thinking about the writing. So from the readers’ standpoint, some of this will be subjective. But for anyone wanting to publish traditionally, you still have to gain the approval of the editor and agent gatekeepers, and most of this stuff is a no-no.

Good luck!