Michael Embry's Blog, page 29

Back to the Manuscript: Part 19 (It's Alive!)

My manuscript is now a published work -- "Old Ways and New Days" was released on Oct. 1 by Wings ePress. 

It took a day for it to show up on Amazon.com and other websites for downloads. The print version is available from the publisher now and will be on other sites in the next day or so.
Although this is my 11th book, it is still an exhilarating experience to see the finished product. And that's a reason I'll start working on the sequel in the next few weeks (I owe myself a little break to catch my breath and re-energize the tired gray matter and flimsy fingers).
But as all authors will attest, it takes more than words to cross the finish line. It took a great team at Wings -- editors, proofreaders, graphic artist -- to make it happen. I am grateful for their assistance.
I'll be promoting the novel the next few weeks,  mailing postcards to libraries, bookstores and friends, handing out book marks, participating in the Kentucky Book Fair, and various and sundry other things that come along.
What's the novel about? Here's the teaser: "John Ross is retiring after many years working as a journalist. He contemplates about what he wants to do with the rest of his life. But along the way he finds out that there are some things you simply can't control. Life simply happens."
That's what I'm going to do the next few weeks -- let life happen. 
Until the next time...

Back to the Manuscript -- Part 18 (Cover)

As promised in my last post, the cover to my new novel, "Old Ways and New Days."

Curtains, please....


Yes, there is a dog in the novel and the pooch plays a prominent part in the story. 
The path through a wooded park is also in the novel. It also symbolizes the journey of the protagonist as he embarks on a different and uncertain life.
The novel will be released on Oct. 1. 
Until the next time....

Back to the Manuscript: Part 17 (Fini)

The countdown begins.

I've completed the proofread of the galley proofs and the cover has been approved. Now to wait for the Oct. 1 release date of "Old Days and New Ways."

Thankfully, that light at the end of the tunnel I've seen the past few weeks wasn't an incoming train.  I've made it to the other side; a bit weary and worn around the edges but still standing. 

I must admit that I'm tired of reading the manuscript. I believe it was a minimum of 16 times. I almost feel I could recite the novel by memory but that would be stretching it quite a bit. 

I gave the publisher four pages of corrections to be made; most were typos. There were a few word changes but that was about it. 

The graphic artist also presented me with several covers. I'll share it on my next post. 

Now I move on promotion. I'll have postcards and bookmarks made, something I've done with every book, and doing lots of stuff on the Internet. One thing I'll do is a giveaway on Goodreads. 

My first appearance with the novel with be at the Kentucky Book Fair on Nov. 14 in Frankfort. It's a great event that I would encourage folks to attend, whether they buy my book or not.

My next writing project will be a sequel as I intend for this novel to be the beginning of a series. But I'm taking a brief break to catch my breath and rev up my energy level.

Until the next time...

Back to the Manuscript: Part 16

The editing process is almost over. The next step, which begins today, is proofing the manuscript.

The publisher sent me the galley proof last night. This will be the last time I review my work before it becomes a novel. And that date is Oct. 1.

During the next few days I'll be rereading the manuscript, looking specifically for any errors that were overlooked during the main editing phase. These include typos such as word and letter spacing, grammatical errors, dropped or duplicate words, punctuation typos such as reversed quote marks and apostrophes, misspellings, and anything else that isn't right.

It's a slow and tedious process. I'll be glad when it's over. 

I'm also working the graphic artist in finalizing a cover. Previously, I gave her some ideas for the cover and she has come up with several drafts. We're not there yet, but getting closer.  I want the best cover possible for those who judge books by that impression.

I hope by this time next week I can declare everything is ready for the release date. 

Until the next time...

Back to the Manuscript: Part 15

Today my edited manuscript returns to the editor for additional proofreading. Everything seems to be moving along nicely for the Oct. 1 release date. 

The edited manuscript was sent to me several weeks ago. I considered the comments and suggestions. I made all the grammatical corrections and several rewrites on some passages.

It can be a humbling experience.

I was amazed -- more like stunned -- with some of the mistakes I made on the manuscript. I thought I had used the "find and replace" command to make some of the changes before submitting the manuscript, but apparently I hadn't or didn't save the changes. I paid for my careless self-editing.

Do I enjoy this stage of the publishing process? Not really. I'm glad grammatical mistakes and typographical errors are fixed but have mixed feelings about comments because they are subjective. I give them some serious thought and act on the ones I believe will improve the story. 

It's much like a writer submitting his or her manuscript to agents or publishing houses. Some folks like it, some are indifferent and some hate the manuscript. You try not to take it personally, but it can sting a bit until you move on to something else. 

And you hope the editor doesn't take it personally as well. It's all part of the publishing process. 

I perused the manuscript three times before sending it back to the editor. I could probably go over it again, but with the publication deadline looming in a few weeks, it was time to let it go.

The next stage, if everything goes as planned, involves the book cover. I hope to share that with you in next post about the manuscript.

Until the next time....

Spotlight on Bobby Rydell

Back in the late 1950s and early '60s, rock and roll was dominated by male solo artists such as Jimmy Clanton, Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Darin, Paul Anka, Bobby Vee, Gene Pitney, Johnny Mathis, Neil Sedaka, Pat Boone and, of course, the King -- Elvis.




Bobby Rydell One of the biggest stars was Bobby Rydell, who scored 34 Top 40 hits during that  time. His first major hit was "Kissing Time," which reached No. 11 in 1959. He was only 17 at the time. Two years later he on stage at the Copacabana, the youngest performer to headline the famous New York nightclub. 






Rydell, who was born in Philadelphia, never hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts but came close with No. 2 "Wild One," No. 4 "Volare," No. 4 "Forget Him," No. 5 "Swingin' School," and No. 10 "The Cha-Cha-Cha." He sold more than 25 million records.



Rydell was such a big star that he landed a part in the movie, "Bye Bye Birdie," playing the role of Hugo Peabody, who was Ann-Margret's boyfriend. And a few years later, his name reappeared in the musical  "Grease" -- in Rydell High School.


The Golden Boys -- Rydell, Avalon and ForteSince 1985, he has teamed with fellow South Philly singers Frankie Avalon and Fabian Forte -- billed as Dick Fox's Golden Boys -- for concerts at various venues worldwide.

Rydell did take a break from the Golden Boys in 2012 when he had a double-organ transplant -- kidney and liver -- but was back on the stage six months later. Since then he's been a vocal advocate for organ donation.

Despite all his success, Rydell isn't in the Rock and Roll of Fame. I couldn't find if he has even been nominated for the honor. That's not surprising since many solo performers -- male and female -- from that era have been overlooked as voters fail to view them in the context of their times.

Regardless, we still have his music to enjoy and perhaps see him in concert. 

Here are a few videos from his amazing career:


















Until the next time...




  

Back to the Manuscript: Part 14

The contract for my next novel has been signed, sealed, stamped and is on the way to the publisher.


It has been assigned ISBN numbers for print and electronic editions. The tentative release date is Oct. 1.
To backtrack, when I finished the manuscript on Aug. 1, I submitted to my publisher. It was then forwarded to an editor, who recommended a contract for the work.
Now I will await word from an editor for the final edit. It will probably take several weeks for this phase. It's time-consuming but worth the effort as we both endeavor to make the manuscript ready for publication. 
I will also be working with an artist for a cover, providing her with information about the book and sharing any ideas I have on making it eye-catching, noteworthy, and marketable. She'll come up with some covers and we'll decide which best reflects the story, and that involves a few tweaks along the way.
There is still more to come, but I see light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.
Until the next time...

Back to the Manuscript: Part 13

I'm proud and relieved to say that my manuscript has been sent to the publisher. 

The word count is nearly 87k, an increase of about 7k after the ninth rewrite. It started at about 65k with the first draft. A big reason is that I changed hats from telling to showing the story. 

Another chapter was added, making it 38. At one time it was 40 chapters, then dropped to 37. It could go back up to 40 or so since several chapters are rather long. 

While I've let go of the manuscript, that's only the end of one phase. Now it goes to an editor, who will make suggestions on various parts -- dialogue, scenes, characters, grammar, etc. -- and comes back to me.  

In the meantime, I'm taking a short break.

Until the next time.... 

Back to the Manuscript: Part 12

I've completed proofreading the hard copy of my work in progress, which actually turned into two revisions (you called it, Roger!).

I've made all the red-pen corrections, rewrote several passages, added several more, and deleted a few as well as ran the usual spelling-and-grammar check.

I will have one more read this coming week before submitting to my publisher. I should make my self-imposed July 31 deadline with a day or two to spare. 

There are a few minor timeline items I need to fix, change some words here and there, and create a little more tension in some scenes.

As it stands, I've written 79,991 words, nearly 900 fewer than after the seventh rewrite. I ended up slicing and dicing rather than adding to the manuscript.

I still have to come up with a title. I already know the dedication.

I'll be back.

Until the next time...


  

Back to the Manuscript: Part 11

I've completed the seventh rewrite of my work in progress. 

The manuscript is now about 81,000 words as I've added two more chapters, expanded two characters, and focused more on the narrative.

As with past WIPs, I've printed a hard copy for the next phase in the process. Coming from a background in print media, I find it easier to proofread, edit and rewrite when I have something tangible in front of me rather than going back and forth over copy on the computer screen. 

I'll have my red Sharpie to mark up the pages with needed edits as well as reference books for easy access to answers. I also find that I can better assess the flow of copy when I read it on paper. 

I hope to finish this eighth rewrite by the end of the week.  After that, if everything looks good, I'll give it one more read before sending it to my publisher. 

I've also come up with a title for the novel, but that's for another post.

Until the next time....