This story is just not good
You read that correctly - it took about 3x as long to edit and proofread the books as it did to write the initial draft. That's why I say that writing is the easy part.
It's also why I say that people with sensitive feelings have no business writing books. You will absolutely get your feelings hurt during the editing process. If you don't get stepped on during the editing and proofing process you are surrounding yourself with dishonest people. Sincere and thoughtful editing is a precious gift that's going to hurt. The hurt makes the book much better. Keep telling yourself, "This isn't about me." I have been edited for so long now - 46 years - that I just let it roll off my back, listen to most of it, and laugh at some of the commentary.
Independent publishing - this road I have chosen - is also not for perfectionists. Because despite that 210 days of grinding you can expect an error or three to slip by all the editors and proofreaders. Some errors are glaring; some are not so glaring. Some are almost invisible to those not looking for mistakes.
Let me share my editing process:
- 01. I completed the first draft.
- 02. Then, I read it again, adding to and taking away, and making the necessary corrections I stumbled across.
- 03. I then sent the document to my son, William, who exacted revenge for all those junior high papers I edited for him. He scored each chapter with a 3 for good and a 1 for crap. Some of his feedback went like this: "Dad, sometimes you just have to kill a story that's not very good" or "Dad, this is the worst thing I've ever read" or "Dad, either rewrite this (crap) or take it completely out." Overwhelmingly, I listened to him. When he said something was terrible, I rewrote it until he gave it a 3.
- 03a. I also let my Vicki read it, and I listened to her, too. Her feedback was less brutal, but more than once she said, "I'm not sure I get what you want me to get here. It's confusing." I made adjustments from her recommendations.
- 04. I read it all again, making more adjustments.
- 05. I sent the manuscript away to someone I don't know for that person to edit it. Seriously, I don't know them - don't even know her last name. I think she lives in St. Louis. Receiving those suggestions for correction, I made almost all of them. She was hired through the publishing company.
- 06. I read it all again, making more adjustments.
- 07. I sent the manuscript away to another stranger - also hired through the publishing company. He had fewer suggestions but made some good ones and I listened.
- 08. I read it all again.
- 09. And, again. This time I had it copied at a Fedex Printing Center and used sticky notes to highlight the need for corrections.
- 10. At this point I let a friend or two read it. My great encourager Patty Patterson read both books at this point, specifically looking for words that caused her to stumble. I listened.
- 11. And, then I sifted the manuscript using the online software, Grammarly.
- 12. I read it all again, making more adjustments.
By this time I was sick of my life. I was sick of Frank Wilcox. I was sick of friends and family.
It was time to publish the book.
This is what you can expect when you independently publish a book - editing and proofreading are your responsibility and a system like the one above is absolutely necessary. It is a sifting and sifting, and sifting again.
The maddening thing about it is this: No matter how many steps, you will likely still have a mistake or two or three. You hope not, but you don't sweat it if you do have them. You've done the best you can with what you've been given. A missing word, a misspelled word, a poorly placed comma - well, the world's not ending because of it.
As William said, "Dad, you get to a certain point and just have to let it go. Heck, sometimes a mistake here or there just reminds the reader that you are human and doing the best you can."
Yep, that initial writing is the easy part.
www.scottdvaughan.com
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