My New Book is Becoming A Being Of Its Own. It’s Nitty-Gritty Time, Again!
Sorry I’ve been silent about a week now…or more… but I’ve been concentrating on my other writing project. My second book, In Secret Diffusion, has now gone to my two copyeditors for fine-tooth combing and I’m busy now with the cover design. I’m no artist, but I’ve conceived an idea of exactly what I want and have sketched it out. Now, I’ve selected an artist, and today, will electronically zap off my drawing to them. That way, both the inside and outside of the book will be in other hands, and temporarily, out of mine.
Yesterday, I went through the manuscript doing a right/left justify. As you may have noticed when you’re reading any book, all chapter headings begin on the right hand page. So, it’s necessary to insert a blank page, if your next topic is naturally coming up on a left hand page. You have to bump it up, so that it will be on the right side of the book. That has added about ten more pages to my book size, and they are blank. There’s nothing to stop me from doing more writing and using that extra space, so that will be my next project while the rest of it is out of my hands.
All along, I’ve been jotting down index words on 3×5 cards, and now they must be alphabetized and typed up for the index at the back of the book. However, the publisher is going to do the pagination, so they will have to add the page numbers to each reference once the formatting is finished.
I also have to get started on the important writing for the back cover, which often is the deal-breaker on whether someone becomes interested enough to actually buy the book. You can’t just scribble that off. Plus, you know that little front page, often done in fairly small type, that has all the numbers and publishing data on it? Well, it’s a very important page to some people… librarians, for instance, and book sellers. I must begin to construct that, too; and get out my reference books to figure out what numbers and classifications this book falls into.
But, each of these tasks are short tasks. Once you sit down and apply yourself, and do them to perfection, they are over and done. Not like the middle of the book – the meat and potatoes – which you might massage a whole lot more. It all takes time and lots of it. But, it’s always worth it in the long run when you have a book that you are pleased with and want others to see.
Then comes the other nitty-gritty of marketing, which I didn’t really do for the first one. I up and went off to explore South America, instead. So, this will be a first for me in many respects. I got my learning curve accomplished on the first book, which I plan to re-publish and promote in 2011, when the Boomers hit Social Security. That’s what it was aimed for anyway.
My new book is aimed at a whole different audience: probably a very small portion of New Agers…even the Trekkies. Maybe I should have titled it “A Spiritual Star Trek.” Anyway, that will be a whole new ride, which could begin as early as mid-February.
I’ll let you know when you can order it…you Trekkie, you!
Tags: 1, A Spiritual Star Trek, book cover design, book publishing nitty gritty, copy-editing, proof-reading, Trekkies, writing, Tag Index
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