This post will be all over the place, as the subject line implies. First, I finished working on galley pages for Up From The Grave, which is always a humbling experience. Before we get to that, what are galley pages, some of you might be wondering? They are the formatted template for the final edition of the manuscript, so they look like unbound pages of a book. They can also be referred to as page proofs, galleys, and several four-letter words, if you’re me.
Why? Galley pages are the last chance for an author to make changes to their book. However, they can only be minor changes because by this stage, a book has already been through editor revisions and copyedits, so it’s too late to decide that you want to write a whole new plot. By this time, I can’t count all the times I’ve re-read my book because I revise while I write, plus send my book to at least one beta-reader, then revise again after their feedback, and this is in addition to the required publisher revisions. With all this re-reading, you’d think the book would be very clean at this stage, right?
WRONG.
I don’t know what it is about seeing my stories formatted this way, but it makes errors I’ve been blind to the other four dozen times I’ve read it jump off the page at me. Every time I get to the galley stage, I feel like I should sit in a corner wearing a Dunce cap for not seeing these mistakes before. For example, in Up From The Grave, I have one side character’s hair color changing from sandy-colored to auburn, another side character’s eyes changing from green to blue, the same state changing from West Virginia to Virginia, seasons changing from winter to summer while skipping spring, and at least one historical inaccuracy. While these things will be corrected for the final, published version, reviewers and readers who get an Arc (advance reading copy) of Up From The Grave will see it in all its error-ridden glory. :::headdesk, Dunce cap, headdesk::: My apologies, early readers and reviewers!
Next up, a personal side note: My niece Lauren is getting married this weekend (middle one in the picture). She’s three years older than I was when I got married, and yet I still can’t process this on an emotional level. The reason I was always bleary-eyed during my first period class in my Senior year of high school was because of my niece. At that time, my sister had moved back home and six-month-old Lauren’s nursery was connected to my bedroom through an air conditioning vent. That meant every time little baby Lauren needed a new bottle and a clean diaper during the night, her cries would echo right into my room. I soon learned that it took more time to wake my sister than to fix the bottle and change her diaper myself, so that’s what I did.
And now she’s getting married and talking about starting her own family. I will probably break down in tears at her wedding. “Time flies” doesn’t even begin to cover this one.
Finally, if you’re in the Alabama area, I hope you can come out to the Southern Magic Romance Readers’ luncheon on November 2nd.
Doors open at 11:00 am.
The Harbert Center
2019 4th Ave N
Birmingham, AL 35203
This is my last public appearance for 2013. I will be signing books and chatting with whoever wants to talk. Hope to see some of you there!
do you know when you new book will out for audible?
Up From The Grave should be out the same day for audio (and ebook).
Cannot wait to read the new book, however I must ask, with all the edits, how come we still get the spelling errors in the published book? (Just wondering) In reference to your Niece, I know how that feels, I have several now, that I spent many nights changing diapers and feeding. (try getting them to take a bottle when 90% of the time they were Breast fed) It still surprises me when I visit them and they now have their own families and small children running around (plus I am sure I am not old enough for them to be this age) They do indeed grow up way too fast. This spring I went to the Choral recital for my niece’s son, and I cried as I sat there, remembering going to her recital at the same age. My advice to you is to wear waterproof mascara to the wedding!! 🙂
It’s maddening to me when it happens, and it does happen. Sometimes, things just aren’t caught despite the many reads, and once it’s published, it’s too late to fix it.
I can’t wait for the new book. I don’t care about any mistakes we are all human, as long as i can keep reading I’m happy. Congrats to your niece i hope she has a long and happy marriage. And i have two children and I am sooooo glad the crying days are over.
Same happened for me this last year. My niece got married and had a baby! I took care of her in HS. I lived with my brother and his family at the time. Drove her around when I was in college. Thought I would strangle her when she was moody and mouthy in 9th grade. But she is the sweetest girl and a great mother. Now I know how my aunt feels about my daughter. Congratulations to your family.