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Monday, January 21, 2013

Death by Page Proofs


*falls over*

[Note: TOMORROW is when I will share results from Friday's poll... I have tallied, but at work I have better software for playing around with what I get]

So for the last week I've been microscopically reading The Begonia Bribe... This is not my favorite activity. For starters, page proofs are supposed to be fairly clean, so when I find a mistake I feel guilty. Did I do this? Should I have caught this earlier? (and I actually caught quite a lot—many more than last time)

And reading so carefully has awoken my inner insecure whiny baby. GADS! Is this GOOD ENOUGH to publish!?


See, this book was ALREADY challenging, so maybe that is part of it. It was my second in the series... and while I've written a trilogy, a series is a different animal. Each needs to stand alone... So there is the careful balance of what goes in and what doesn't so that new readers aren't lost, but repeat readers aren't annoyed.... and there were the subplots... I made the mistake in my early draft of front loading one of these and it pushed the body back too far into the story... so then I had to rewrite the darned thing... twice... Strangely, writing the 3rd was a piece of cake by comparison (and my beta readers both independently told me they thought it was the best of the three). But number 2 comes out first...

Another challenge: Penguin changed my editor midway through... which is nobody's fault, not even the Romans... but there are challenges related. I loved Emily, my old editor. I love Michelle, my new editor. But I think changing captains mid-stream just means there are some complications. The new one doesn't know what the old one expected necessarily... and the ship (that's me) has to get a feel for the new driver...

But now it is DONE!!!! And I am FREE! Though working on a bloody holiday, which isn't my favorite thing. See, the U gives us the week between Christmas and New Years in lieu of a number of 3 day weekends and this is one of them. I don't get another 3 day weekend until Memorial day *grumbles*
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13 comments:

  1. Sean McLachlanJanuary 21, 2013 at 3:45 AM

    No book has ever been printed without a typo, so do your best on the proofs and don't sweat it.
    Yeah, I work on holidays too. The writer's curse. On the other hand, the commute to my office is all of ten feet and I can take a movie break on Monday afternoon if I want to.

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  2. I Must Be OffJanuary 21, 2013 at 4:08 AM

    Congratulations, Hart! I sometimes feel there is a little evil spirit who changes my manuscript the moment I walk away from it. Even after having it copyedited, I found three mistakes.

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  3. Old KittyJanuary 21, 2013 at 5:15 AM

    There's a cat on a bench!! Now that is truly most NAKED!! Awwww lovely Tart!! It looks AMAZING and with all that wonderful effort you sweated over to create this - it's bound to be just fabulous!!! Yay! Take care
    x

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  4. Alex J. CavanaughJanuary 21, 2013 at 6:49 AM

    Congratulations that it's done!
    No more three day weekends until the end of May? The horror...

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  5. Elizabeth Spann CraigJanuary 21, 2013 at 8:05 AM

    Love this cover! Congratulations on getting through it. :)

    I try not to look very hard at my page proofs. There, I've admitted it!

    Yes, the changing of the editors...sigh. It's led to some issues. :)

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  6. Shaharizan PerezJanuary 21, 2013 at 9:03 AM

    Gorgeous photo and very catchy title! Congrats on completing the second book in the series! Have a margarita and pretend your on a beach somewhere warm and breezy. :D

    *glomps*

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  7. Shaharizan PerezJanuary 21, 2013 at 9:05 AM

    I meant gorgeous cover not photo. *facepalms* :/

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  8. T. Powell ColtrinJanuary 21, 2013 at 9:16 AM

    I agree with Sean, every book has it's errors. The cover is beautiful.

    Just remember you're perfect... because I said so. :)

    T

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  9. ViolaNutJanuary 21, 2013 at 10:13 AM

    Hey, it beats the alternative (that is, NOT publishing). ;-) And I haven't had a 3-day weekend since 2009, so there. :-P

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  10. jack wellingJanuary 21, 2013 at 10:53 AM

    Proof Edit Hero. [ try a little Foreigner with that phrase].

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  11. UnknownJanuary 21, 2013 at 5:15 PM

    Here's to tenacity, Girl. Next time I grumble about rewriting, I shall invoke your name!!
    ~Just Jill

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  12. HelenaJanuary 21, 2013 at 6:43 PM

    I read big-time published books all the time with typos in them, so of course you'll find boo-boos in the proofs. And listen to you, such a hotshot, when you can now say things like "my new editor." This is great!

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  13. Hart JohnsonJanuary 21, 2013 at 6:54 PM

    I love you guys. Seriously. You're fabulous. So sorry to be so neglectful today. Boss had a big speech at work. And I had a big pout because I had to be at work... you know how it goes...

    ReplyDelete

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