Final Is Never Final When it Comes to Writing

It’s now November 2012, and I still haven’t published Unison. I was aiming for an October release, but after three read-throughs of my proof, I found places for improvement.  My fourth proof is to be my final,  as I’ll be now scanning for typos. I’m ready to say goodbye to this book and move on.  I had some issues with Create Space as they sent me a proof of my old file. I’ve been on the phone with them for the last couple of days, and I’m happy with the way the situation was handled. They’re dealing with a new system which led to some confusion. These things happen, and I’ll still use their service as the interior book design they did is beautiful.

I got my edit back from Jessie’s Song, and I’ve been busy this month making improvements to some excellent suggestions made by Erica Orloff of Editing For Authors. I can’t highly recommend them enough. Thanks to Erica’s attention to detail, I’ve been able to elevate both my novels. Even the smallest suggestions she made led to deeper insights. For Unison, I used only their proofreading service, but after all the time I spent cleaning up the inconsistencies, I found their comprehensive edit service to be invaluable and time-saving.  I’m using this for Jessie’s Song, and it does help speed up the process.

My experience with publishing, thus far, has shown me I need to slow down my production line because of the proofing process which takes much longer than editing. From uploading to publication, I’m seeing that I’ll need at least four months before my book goes live. If I can keep up that pace, I should be able to publish three books by next December. We’ll see!

Lessons Learned During The Proofing.

• When you get your first proof, assume it’s not ready for publication. All the story problems you thought were solved, weren’t. Changed character names which you thought you cleaned up are still there.  Which leads me to..

• Get a professional edit. Proofreading isn’t enough. No matter how thorough you think you’ve been, a good editor will definitely find something you’ve overlooked. As objective as I am about my writing, another set of eyes is even more so.

• If, Like me, you opted for only a professional proofread, assume the second proof that comes to you, is still not finished. After cleaning up the first proof, more inconsistancies will stand out.
• In the third proof,  the awkward sentences will stand out more. This was my toughest edit as I kept working on these trouble spots until they no longer stood out.

• The fourth proof, will strictly be my looking for typos,  and I’ll have another reader helping out.

The proofing stage has been the most challenging for me. It makes writing the first draft seem easier. This brings me to my current manuscript, Forever Valley. I put it on hold until this Monday. By then, I’ll have Jessie’s Song back for another edit. Afterwards, I’ll upload it to Create Space and start the four-month process in December.

I’ve learned patience through this whole ordeal, and the invaluable service a good editor provides. I’m already noticing less stress with Jessie’s Song because of this. With time, also comes experience as well. I always keep that in the back of my mind. Through all these trials, I’ve become a better writer and publisher. Furthermore, by accepting that mistakes will be made, both by myself and those I work with, I’m able to keep a level head and enjoy my writing. This is what I love to do, and I don’t want to lose sight of that.

Love and light,

Eleni