Almost There
Hi friends,
Excited to be with you today! This week I’m working on my first set of galleys for The Crushing Depths. It’s such a fun time being so close to publication but also nerve-wracking knowing this is my last chance to make any changes.
From Draft to Published
In case you aren’t familiar with the process a book goes through from the time I turn the rough draft into my publisher, I thought I’d share about the steps involved today.
Rough Draft
First, I turn in my rough draft. And when I say rough, I mean rough. I write my first drafts as they come out with emotions all over the page, I delve deep into my characters or strive to, I write scenes that I envision though I know might not make the final cut. I overexplain and don’t describe nearly enough. But I do this because I want my editors to see who the characters are to me and then, after they read through it, they met to discuss it. Then they write up Editorial Notes that some authors dread and other authors love. I fall in the latter category…after I have a few hours to fully process and a lot of dark chocolate and espresso to see my through.
Revisions
The feedback I usually receive is that my suspense thread works, and my overall structure is intact. Usually, they think the characters will work well with some adjustment and then they share their areas of concern. Yes, there are always areas of concern. This is where the chocolate comes in handy. My personal favorite for these times is Equal Exchange Organic Dark Chocolate—Ecuador Dark. Heavenly.
Then I spend a few days daydreaming and playing with ideas on how to best attack revisions. Diving into revisions is my favorite part of the process. The story is already there, you’re just chipping away the dross and finding the heart of it.
Line Edits
Once revisions are done, I send it back in. My line editor goes through them line by line and does an amazing job! If she finds things that still need to be changed, she gives me the opportunity to do so. After that, it’s on to the copyeditor who reads through for consistency and so much more. I do not envy her job, but she also does an amazing one.
Galleys Arrive
And, then the first set of galleys arrive. They are in a hard copy with the pages set like they will be in the book. I get my purple pen (thanks to Julie Klassen for the recommendation years ago), some sticky notes, a notebook, and of course a tall cup of coffee. This is my second favorite stage of the process. It’s slow and I try my best to be meticulous because I know it’s the last stage in the process. After this, I will get one more set of galleys but the only changes to be made are if I find a typo or error of some kind, which is very rare.
Published
This is the final stage before the manuscript goes to print. Soon it will be in your hands. I hope you’ll enjoy Rissi and Mason’s story. I can’t wait to share it with you!
Enter our Giveaway!
One more thing I excited to share with you is a super fun giveaway I’m doing with three friends. Tomorrow is the last day to enter to win four autographed books and four special prizes. Drop by www.danipettrey.com/giveaway to enter today!
Enter the giveaway!
Reader Question:
If you’re a writer, what’s your favorite stage of the process? If you’re a reader, what supplies or items do you like to have handy when you read a book? A special snack, drink…bookmark?
I can’t wait to read your answers in the comments below.
Have a fabulous rest of your week!
Dani
