Self Publishing Goes on and On and On...

Hello Writers

I might actually find time to write later this month. Not yet, but soon. I want to work on my mystery novel while the publishing of my Family Stories book goes on and on…

Replace my manuscript on the Project Assets publishing company’s page. Fill in and submit forms: Trim size form, publishing profile form, form for the copy edit…forms and more forms. I am fine with this and all the obvious expertise of the people I am dealing with. And yet, the publisher’s web pages and procedures for completing the forms and replacing my manuscript with my new additions are sometimes confusing, and it is frustrating to be so lacking in knowledge about this. I like to know.

An example of a question on the copy edit form:

Choose an editing style: Chicago, MLA, or APA.

I have no idea what all this is and which to choose. Hurray for Google and help from my publishing specialist, whom I recently met and who will be with me to the end. She knows her stuff. I also think “publishing specialist” means holding my hand and helping me along the way. I guess that’s okay:)

So that’s where I am.  Copy edit comes next, and then the proofreading edit. What’s the difference, I ask. Both cost money. My senior publishing consultant, who was the first person I connected with in this journey, provides the answer.

The Standard Copy Editing that you purchased is the first round of editing, and it will be done by the editor who handled the evaluation of your manuscript. This edit will take care of correcting spelling, grammar, punctuation and syntax errors.

A proofread is a secondary edit, and it is handled by a different editor. So it is to catch any errors missed in the first edit. Generally, this means fewer changes. The reason it is a different editor is that it is a fresh set of eyes on the manuscript.

When a book is published, the more rounds of editing, the cleaner the copy is. At a professional level of editing, each round removes 95% of the errors. So two rounds of editing follow best practice when publishing. The average book in a bookstore has been through 3-6 rounds of editing on average, but that is not always due to corrections and could be editors differing in opinion and changing details based on marketability.

Okay, that helps. I have edited it myself. I have shared many of the stories with my writing group. I edited 22,000 words of stories with my instructor for my Writing Certificate final project. I am not sure of the need, but I believe in best practice, so I’m in for the copy edit and proofreading edit.

What will I do while the copy edit takes place?

Why, fill in another form, of course: The book design questionnaire form. Should be interesting. Maybe, just maybe, I will get to writing my mystery novel.

This self-publishing is a journey, and I am looking forward to reaching my destination.

I will keep you posted.