Publication - Manuscript

4 November 2011, Publication - Manuscript

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/. 

If the cover is a sign your book is moving along in the publication process.  Receiving the manuscript of your book prepared for publication is where the rubber really hits the road.

Your publisher will take your manuscript, with all the information requested, and put it together into an electronic copy of the printed novel.  This file will usually be a pdf, and it will have questions and corrections in the text.  There is really no need to know or mess with editorial changes your publisher has made to your document in this form--that is unless you find something that is really wrong.  For example, if your publisher tries to fix one of your poorly written sentences and accidentally messes up a plot point, that is definitely a correction you need to recorrect.  Don't go back to your original language--fix the whole thing so it makes sense.

In general, your publisher will fix grammar, misspellings, overused words, etc.  They will leave in questions where they are not clear or where the plot doesn't make sense.  Your job is to edit the manuscript.
 
Tomorrow, editing.

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/.