Wow, I haven't posted anything since March. What can I say, the whole of the spring term was incredibly busy and then there was Easter. We visited our parents, my father managed to catch pneumonia and I was intentionally offline for the most part of the Easter break. Intentionally, yes, because I got sick of hundreds of e-mailed demands per day. Everyone wanted something so I simply cut myself off. On the other hand, being with my family meant a world to me.
In the mean time my copy-editor returned the book giving me plenty to work on. Though, I am happy with the feedback - I need to address a few points but overall the work is publishable (apparently). I confess the delay, I confess that much more needs to be done to raise the quality of my first novel and I confess, I began doubting myself. It's one of those periods filled with disbelief that I could ever publish a book.
Ah well, I read a dozen of posts by J. A. Konrath and Googled a few more unbelievable Kindle success stories. It's all to revive the spirit and it's all to stimulate dreaming again. Am I back? Well, no, I always need a week to get back to my best performance after holidays but boy I enjoyed not sitting in front of the buzzing machine with a screen.
Showing posts with label copy-editor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label copy-editor. Show all posts
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Delay
I received a very polite e-mail from my copy-editors yesterday explaining that they are willing to give me my money back because they won't be able to deliver within the advertized 21days! Wow, I was thoroughly impressed by their honesty.
OK, they do preach left right and center about their short turnaround times but hey, it's the quality that matters and a couple of weeks up or down - it won't matter in the long run anyway. I've been busy with my day job like mad in the recent weeks - hence the silence on my novel writing front so I was even more understanding as I know pretty damn well how damaging deadlines sometimes can be when you're dealing with all things unpredictable. Trust me, creativity doesn't know project management and you cannot squeeze it into the clamp of time.
Of course, I am eagerly awaiting the results and since this is my first novel, I'm not surprised they need more time than usual. I still believe though the book has got a compelling story and is easy to read. It should be an interesting subject for young adults who will be able to sympathize with Nathan's fears and understand the origins of his demons. Oops! I told you the main character's name... Ah well, it's almost 1am and after half a year of excruciating tempo, even holding a backspace key seems like too difficult.
So, all in all, I'm happy with the progress - despite the delay. I'll get the book back from the copy editors on the 30th March (or thereabout) and that means it will be available on Kindle store towards the end of April. I'm still happy though, it's the second book I wrote within a year!
OK, they do preach left right and center about their short turnaround times but hey, it's the quality that matters and a couple of weeks up or down - it won't matter in the long run anyway. I've been busy with my day job like mad in the recent weeks - hence the silence on my novel writing front so I was even more understanding as I know pretty damn well how damaging deadlines sometimes can be when you're dealing with all things unpredictable. Trust me, creativity doesn't know project management and you cannot squeeze it into the clamp of time.
Of course, I am eagerly awaiting the results and since this is my first novel, I'm not surprised they need more time than usual. I still believe though the book has got a compelling story and is easy to read. It should be an interesting subject for young adults who will be able to sympathize with Nathan's fears and understand the origins of his demons. Oops! I told you the main character's name... Ah well, it's almost 1am and after half a year of excruciating tempo, even holding a backspace key seems like too difficult.
So, all in all, I'm happy with the progress - despite the delay. I'll get the book back from the copy editors on the 30th March (or thereabout) and that means it will be available on Kindle store towards the end of April. I'm still happy though, it's the second book I wrote within a year!
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Waiting game
I've recently signed up with Goodreads and almost instantaneously got more than 20 friends! Yeah, you might think that's not much but let me tell you something, I am thrilled. Even Amanda Hocking is my friend now on Goodreads and that makes me even more thrilled! Don't laugh, let me enjoy the moment.
It gave me an opportunity to revisit my list of books I read and it's not that short but I don't even remember all the books I've ever read... Though, Kindle has made reading now so accessible I will be reading like a passing train so watch my space on Goodreads. ;)
My book is with the copy editors right now... I am awaiting their report and it is a waiting game but my mind is not playing games with me this time and I am really relieved. Yes, I do expect very critical feedback but what the heck, you've got to start somewhere. Everyone is writing about "beta readers" though and I simply can't find any! All my friends are either so busy it would take them a year to get back to me - perfect for actually going mad; or they are not native English speakers. Well, I decided to do extra self-editing and then sent the book directly to my copy-editors. Look, I've got to start somewhere. It's not ideal but it is a start.
I've also started writing another book of mine (better say continued writing). It's a guide for aspiring individuals who wish to pursue PhD/Doctoral studies but I am writing it in a story-telling style to grasp the attention (I hope). Will be fun in the coming weeks as I am also planning to start writing my next novel. I haven't figure out the title yet but something to write about in my next post.
It gave me an opportunity to revisit my list of books I read and it's not that short but I don't even remember all the books I've ever read... Though, Kindle has made reading now so accessible I will be reading like a passing train so watch my space on Goodreads. ;)
My book is with the copy editors right now... I am awaiting their report and it is a waiting game but my mind is not playing games with me this time and I am really relieved. Yes, I do expect very critical feedback but what the heck, you've got to start somewhere. Everyone is writing about "beta readers" though and I simply can't find any! All my friends are either so busy it would take them a year to get back to me - perfect for actually going mad; or they are not native English speakers. Well, I decided to do extra self-editing and then sent the book directly to my copy-editors. Look, I've got to start somewhere. It's not ideal but it is a start.
I've also started writing another book of mine (better say continued writing). It's a guide for aspiring individuals who wish to pursue PhD/Doctoral studies but I am writing it in a story-telling style to grasp the attention (I hope). Will be fun in the coming weeks as I am also planning to start writing my next novel. I haven't figure out the title yet but something to write about in my next post.
Monday, 13 February 2012
Long time
I haven't posted anything for so long Firefox actually wanted me to retype the already saved password... Shame on me! Ah well, life was tough in the past few weeks and tiredness caught up with me big time. I'm swinging from exhilarated anticipation of something wonderful to dark depths of self-doubt but I'm not giving up (apart from an occasional rant on my blog - purely for cleansing purposes though...).
The Construction Management Strategies book is coming out on 30 March 2012 and my novel is coming out by the end of March too so I should be happy, right? Wrong! I spent weeks now doubting myself, doubting my writing and desperately scanning through the books in Waterstone's whilst on a business trip in Edinburgh (ssshhh!), trying to compare my writing with published and respected authors.
Good grief, why does life play around with our emotions so much? I read an article today saying we should let go and give our emotions space to breathe. I'm doing it, don't you worry about that but doubt always finds a way back (if only I'd have such a good Sat-Nav!). I let go, it feels fabulous for a while but then it comes back again and so on and so forth. Doubt, get out of my life!
My hope and my wish? All of this will go away once my books are published. In the mean time, I sit and wait for my copy-editors to do their job dying in doubt and praying my copy-editors don't come back saying it was all in vain. I love the story, I think it flows nicely but doubt is eating me alive right now. Aaghhhrrr
The Construction Management Strategies book is coming out on 30 March 2012 and my novel is coming out by the end of March too so I should be happy, right? Wrong! I spent weeks now doubting myself, doubting my writing and desperately scanning through the books in Waterstone's whilst on a business trip in Edinburgh (ssshhh!), trying to compare my writing with published and respected authors.
Good grief, why does life play around with our emotions so much? I read an article today saying we should let go and give our emotions space to breathe. I'm doing it, don't you worry about that but doubt always finds a way back (if only I'd have such a good Sat-Nav!). I let go, it feels fabulous for a while but then it comes back again and so on and so forth. Doubt, get out of my life!
My hope and my wish? All of this will go away once my books are published. In the mean time, I sit and wait for my copy-editors to do their job dying in doubt and praying my copy-editors don't come back saying it was all in vain. I love the story, I think it flows nicely but doubt is eating me alive right now. Aaghhhrrr
Friday, 16 December 2011
Self-edit...self-edit...self-edit...to insanity!?
Have you ever heard of insanity? No? Yes? Well, where do I begin? I finished my novel or so I thought... This is just the beginning actually! I've got to edit it now and after reaching 60 pages (out of 250+) this seems like a mammoth task. Yes, I'm editing in my other life as an academic writer of research papers and yes, I edited my textbook but editing a novel is something else entirely.
I got in touch with what seems to be a really fabulous copy-editor and got this advice: "My advice is to not rush and submit when you are 100%, or so sick of the book you can't face reading another word, whichever is first." Thanks!? No, no, only joking, I know they are right but it is far tougher than I thought.
Christmas is around the corner and I am now spending nights editing. It's not such great fun as writing a novel but it's got to be done and the good news is that my gluten-free diet does wonders. Right, off to bed now.
I got in touch with what seems to be a really fabulous copy-editor and got this advice: "My advice is to not rush and submit when you are 100%, or so sick of the book you can't face reading another word, whichever is first." Thanks!? No, no, only joking, I know they are right but it is far tougher than I thought.
Christmas is around the corner and I am now spending nights editing. It's not such great fun as writing a novel but it's got to be done and the good news is that my gluten-free diet does wonders. Right, off to bed now.
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Anxiety kicks in
Here we go, the official period for editing and reviewing has begun and as soon as I finished the 80,000 word book demons of doubt have awaken from their long sleep (yeah, I think it was a pretty long sleep). Looking back at the text I immediately spotted mistakes, particularly in the final stage that is supposed to set the tone for its sequel. I'm not sure whether this is normal or not but I feel numb after spending more than two months writing almost every night and not going to bed before 3am, only to face the grueling schedule of lectures and my academic engagement afterwards (i.e. a glamorous life of the author in the making I guess...).
I loved writing my first novel and I think the story is gripping, with lots of utterly unexpected twists and turns but the demons keep telling me all sorts of things that will need to be corrected. Again, is that normal? Does that happen to all writers? I'm not sure but whatever the case I shall leave it for a week now and then commence the editing. It will take a few rounds of editing before I can send it off to a copy editor, and I will also give the book to a few people to read but I'm doing it for the first time and I totally dread the prospect of severe criticism, no matter how valuable it is. I am not going to pretend, a man takes some time to get used to criticism and I'm not sure how much time I will need (go away ego...).
On a more positive side, have you ever noticed how listening a fabulous song over and over again takes away its shimmer? Why is that, I wonder? You first can't stop listening but after a while your mind and soul stop reacting. Is that the consequence of consumerism - i.e. we need a constant influx of new ever more exciting stimuli? Perhaps it's our human nature that is flourishing in consumerism though I don't feel ashamed - I got bored of one particular song recently (though I'm not going to tell you which one... cheeky!).
I loved writing my first novel and I think the story is gripping, with lots of utterly unexpected twists and turns but the demons keep telling me all sorts of things that will need to be corrected. Again, is that normal? Does that happen to all writers? I'm not sure but whatever the case I shall leave it for a week now and then commence the editing. It will take a few rounds of editing before I can send it off to a copy editor, and I will also give the book to a few people to read but I'm doing it for the first time and I totally dread the prospect of severe criticism, no matter how valuable it is. I am not going to pretend, a man takes some time to get used to criticism and I'm not sure how much time I will need (go away ego...).
On a more positive side, have you ever noticed how listening a fabulous song over and over again takes away its shimmer? Why is that, I wonder? You first can't stop listening but after a while your mind and soul stop reacting. Is that the consequence of consumerism - i.e. we need a constant influx of new ever more exciting stimuli? Perhaps it's our human nature that is flourishing in consumerism though I don't feel ashamed - I got bored of one particular song recently (though I'm not going to tell you which one... cheeky!).
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Self-editing
Just having a sneak preview of the Self-Editing for Fiction Writers and the first few pages already scared the hell out of me! Why? Well, I am currently going through the copy-editing process for my new professional book that is coming out in April 2012 (yeah, don't ask, it's a nightmare being involved with two different books let alone two genres).
The key finding of that process is that copy editors aren't doing their job very well and this book actually tells you why this is so. They are overburdened with work and the process is far from meticulous. I don't blame them as I am in a situation like this myself - desperately trying to keep myself afloat and DO things PROPERLY! It is really tough and that is why the above book is so scary - it basically says fiction writers should self-edit up to the hilt before sending anything to copy editors. No wonder why I keep being awake till the early morning hours almost every single day.
No choice, I'll do it several times and the book needs proofreading anyway so there is no excuse really. I love writing and if that involves mastering self-editing then so be it, I'll do it.
The key finding of that process is that copy editors aren't doing their job very well and this book actually tells you why this is so. They are overburdened with work and the process is far from meticulous. I don't blame them as I am in a situation like this myself - desperately trying to keep myself afloat and DO things PROPERLY! It is really tough and that is why the above book is so scary - it basically says fiction writers should self-edit up to the hilt before sending anything to copy editors. No wonder why I keep being awake till the early morning hours almost every single day.
No choice, I'll do it several times and the book needs proofreading anyway so there is no excuse really. I love writing and if that involves mastering self-editing then so be it, I'll do it.
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