One Step Toward Publication

My manuscript is in the hands of my editor and now I have a publication date: Feb. 1, 2021. It will be the fourth novel in the John Ross Boomer Lit series.  

I submitted the 95,000-word novel to her three times. Usually, one time is enough. The reason is I found two words used too often. She's busy with other manuscripts so perhaps it'll save her some time when she gets to mine.

One word was found on a routine Find search I do after completing a work in progress for specific words. I neglected to do it for a particular word. I don't know why the word skipped my brain. My bad. 

The second time came after I learned my original title had been used by a fellow Wings ePress author in 2019. I ran another Find on some keywords and discovered another word used excessively and needlessly in some places. 

By the way, after two days of wracking my aging boomer brain, I came up with a new title. I'll disclose it in the near future when there's a cover. 

Now there might be a few other words that fall into that category. My editor has a keen eye and will let me know. And when I receive her edited copy, I may run across some more during the editing. 

Until the next time . . .

WIP Update: Seventh Rewrite

I've completed six rewrites on my work in progress; now it's on to a seventh.

As mentioned in my last post, I thought the manuscript would be ready to send to my editor after six rewrites. I also noted that if I wasn't completely satisfied, I go back over the third installment in the John Ross Boomer Lit series.

And that's what I'll be doing over the next few days. There are still several tweaks to make before letting it leave my hands. It's now more than 64k words, up from 37k after the first draft.

Writing the first draft is probably the easiest part of the process, at least for me. I simply sit at the keyboard and the words generally flow from my fingers. 

And I know beforehand that it's not only a first draft, but a rough draft that will have to be polished through rewrites and revisions. For me, that's when the real work comes in—making all the pieces fit, tying loose ends together, and making sense of it all. 

It's my hope that this will be the final rewrite. After a while, I get a little tired of reading and rereading passages. That's when my editor and proofreader go to work on the manuscript.

Until the next time . . . 

Homestretch for Book Release

The galley proof for "The Bully List" has been returned to the publisher and now the waiting game until the Oct. 1 release.

I'm glad I had fresh eyes (my wife's) proofread the manuscript because she found "missing" words that registered in my brain when I went over the passages. Ever had a "peanut (butter) and jelly sandwich and glass of milk?"
She also picked up on a few other items that improved the novel.

I also received some biased feedback from her about the story -- she liked it! I may have to take her out to dinner next week to celebrate, and it won't be for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

As noted in a previous post, my attention now is marketing and promotion. Several review copies will be going out in the mail. I may even set up a Facebook page devoted to my writing life. 

I've been on Twitter for about a year. If you want to follow or connect, I'm @MichaelEmbry. You can also find me at Google+ (as Michael Embry).

And I'm still working on my revamped website that I hope to launch on Oct. 1.

When all of this is over, or at least simmers down a few degrees, I plan to get back to writing short stories to be included in a second volume of "Laments."

But for now, I'm focusing my attention on "The Bully List" and taking a few deep breaths and enjoying what has already been accomplished.

Until the next time...

P.S. I have set up a Facebook page -- Kentucky author Michael Embry. Please drop by and "Like" it.

Show Me the (Galley) Proof

It's getting down to the final days before "The Bully List" becomes a book on Oct. 1.

I received the galley proof several days ago. I hope to complete the process of finding typos and other parts that make an author cringe in the next few days. Needless to say, I hope I don't find many if any. 

Because I have read the manuscript so many times (at least eight), I'm going to have my wife read the galleys as well. She'll bring fresh eyes to the work.  

I received the postcards in the mail today so I'll be addressing them and getting them to the post office next week as well. 

For me, this is an exciting part of writing and publishing because all the hard work finally comes to fruition. Everything continues with promotion and marketing but at least you have a finished product. 

Until the next time...

Five Rewrites and Nearing the End

I just completed the fifth rewrite on my young-adult novel.  I plan to submit the manuscript to my publisher this weekend.

But before I put it in the required format, I've got one more thing to do. Read it again.

Yes, I'll go over the manuscript one more time.

The latest rewrite came after I printed the manuscript. A writer gains a different perspective seeing the words on paper rather than a computer screen. And my red pen got a workout.

I'm sure there will be some minor (please no major!) changes on my final read. I'll be looking more for transition and flow.

I was also reminded from the last rewrite that spell check isn't infallible. Yes, it'll note misspelled words but it won't let you know if it's the incorrect word. I came across several words that altered the meaning, or made sentences nonsensical. So be sure and read every word closely.

Will this finish the editing process? No. An editor will go through the manuscript, make corrections, and perhaps offer suggestions.

Until the next time...

Paper Cuts

I’ve been spending the past month or so making edits on my upcoming short-story collection. I’m currently on the fifth rewrite; about half-way through the process, more or less.

Sometimes I’ll take a few days off so that I can have fresh eyes when I return to editing. But after looking at the computer screen over and over, I often take another approach to get a new perspective on my words -- I touch the print button on the keyboard.

For me, there’s something about holding a short story, chapter from a novel, or magazine article in my hands that provides a different look to my work. It's nice to actually go from page to page. Needless to say, it has more the look and feel of something published.

From the hard copy, I make the necessary edits using proofreading marks and then transfer the corrections to the computer file. I also find it easier to flip pages of paper rather than on a computer screen to check flow, names, scenes, and descriptions (although I keep handwritten note cards for that purpose as well).

I admit this is probably a carryover from my newspaper days when I wrote stories on a typewriter and passed them on to the copy desk. My first book was written with a typewriter as well.

I’ve gradually advanced with the new technology, but sometimes I find that it helps to take a step or two back to get things right.

Until the next time...

Read My Lips

I’m about midway through the fourth rewrite of my short-story collection.

What’s so amazing to me is that I still find errors, mistakes, typos, and other boo-boos that I thought would have been caught during the first or second reads. I had the same experience with my previous books.

To be honest, I know that I’ll discover or uncover items that need to be addressed in the seventh or eighth read. That’s part of the challenge in reading copy. And I realize, to play on a saying by Alexander Pope: To err is human; to proofread, refine.

One thing I do at this point in the process is to read aloud (when alone) – or at least mouth – the words on the computer screen. Why? I want to make sure they have the correct sound and flow. I find this especially important in dialogue. I want the words to ring real and true.

By reading the manuscript in my normal voice, I believe it gives me a feel for what the reader may experience when digesting my words. If parts sound clumsy, choppy or wordy to me, I believe it will be magnified, and perhaps indigestible, for the reader.

Until the next time...