It Never Rains But It Pours
Sunday, June 29th, 2008As predicted, everything came home to roost simultaneously. My editor, Lynn Stratton, has returned the manuscript with many re-write suggestions; the blogsite is nearing completion; the cover design is coming along wonderfully and we will soon move to the content of the back cover for the book.
With each one of the above, there are time-consuming things that need doing. Some consume a lot of time, some just a little but they are full of details or applications for things like PayPal membership for the blog or an ISBN number and a BISAC code to print on the back of the book. More such numbers will be needed for the inside copyright page, but I’ll take care of the urgent ones first.
Had to go to Sears Portrait Studio for some new head shots for the back cover and the blogsite. So I can check that duty off the list.
Writing a book is an amazing bit of therapy! At least, that seems to be true the first time around, but I suspect that it’s true most of the time. Only your editor knows for sure! She’s the therapist! You disgorge all this stuff that looks vital and witty to you, or perhaps feels simply like a bit of honest reporting in calling a spade a spade; and you think that you have done a very good job on a very fine manuscript. Then she gives it the critical eye and, if she (or he) is worth their salt, you’ll get it back with lots of comments about how your readers might very well react to that pompous attitude you have just displayed. Funny, how when you look at it through her eyes, the truth becomes so clear. Now, why didn’t I see that?
Knowing that she is right and wishes only the best for the future of the book, I get right to work on fixing things up. And, so it goes. Not a rapid process.
Then you wonder if you can trust the greater part of what your flying fingers routinely type into being and (now, in this day and age of instant blogging) what you send merrily out into Cyberspace with nary an editor in sight. It’s kind of like live radio, but much more permanent and permeating. Don’t we usually think that we are so confidently right and fairly invulnerable? Well, wait till you get a manuscript back from an experienced, effective, and sharp-eyed editor, who was a university Creative Writing professor, a copyeditor for the St. Pete Times, and an author herself. Very humbling experience. But, it should happen to everyone at least once in a lifetime.
lindajbrown