Publication - Manuscript Next Round

11 November 2011, Publication - Manuscript Next Round

Introduction: I realized that I need to introduce this blog a little.  I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.  The working title was Daemon, and this was my 21st novel.  Over the last year, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing.  In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes.  You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published.  I'll keep you informed along the way.  At this moment, I'm showing you the marketing material I put together for a novel.

Today's Blog:  To see the steps in the publication process, go to my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/. 

When you send your comments to your publisher on the manuscript, after about a week or two, your publisher will send you a new formatted manuscript.  That manuscript may or may not include embedded questions (it likely will).  My publisher and I went round and round on a question in The Fox's Honor about money a character had in their pocket as opposed to money in credit.  This was a small issue the editor caught, but that took a little while to clarify.  These are exactly the kinds of issues your publisher should catch.  They are small, but their resolution improves your novel.  It keeps the question of reality in the work. 

The main kinds of things that must get caught in editing is these different readings and inconsistencies.  You have likely read something before or written something and had a reader give a completely incorrect understanding of what you wrote.  This happens all the time.  These are hard to catch, but a good editor or prepublication reader will catch them.  You rarely will--everything we write fits in our preconceived notions. 

So, your publisher will send a new formatted manuscript.  You need to look through it and edit it again.  I don't send it to my prepublication readers.  I definitely do a reading out loud of the document.  I answer the questions and fix the problems I find.
 
Tomorrow, after the second round.

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples:   http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites:  http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/.