Edits

About a week and a half ago I finished my first full edit working with my editor. I've done edits before, of course; on my own, or with wifey, or even with my agent. But this was the first time I've done a full edit of a book and been paid to do it.

I have to say, I like it this way better.

It feels a little surreal every time I realized I'm going to be published, like I'm floating in some dream world I'll surely wake from.

Resigned to the recycling bin.
Quilt by Debbie Felix.

I've always liked printing out my manuscript each time I do a major edit. It lets me jot notes and thoughts and run lines through sections of text far easier then I could do it digitally. Unfortunately, it also uses a lot of paper and ink and a few weeks after printing, I dump it all in the recycling. The frugal environmentalist in me says I should do this all on my computer. The writer in me says this is how I work the best, so get over it you cheap hippy.

Last week was full of non-writing writerly things. I swapped ideas for the book cover with Devi, my editor. I got in a set of author photos to my agent and editor, but they turned out pretty dark so I'll be doing more this week. Devi reminded me that I still don't have a series title... oops. I worked on maps, so that I can get them to my editor and then she can get them to my map guy. Looks like I'll have two maps: One of Adro, the country where the events take place, and another of Adopest, the capital city of Adro. I made preliminary, detailed sketches, which Michele transcribed to something that looks quite a bit more like a map and less like a napkin a fourth grader's pen exploded in. I also went out and got a printer/scanner/copier combo from Costco. I've known for a while I will need a decent printer, and that if I add up all the trips to kinkos over the next year it's gonna cost me far more than the combo did.

Every industry blog I read reminds me constantly that getting published is no longer just writing and editing. It's an old media in a world where technology and instant gratification is king, so money is tighter and a lot of jobs that used to be done mostly  by the publishing house are left more and more in the hands of the author. A writer now days has to know how to market themselves, speak publicly, manage finances, blog, interact with other human beings, and so on. Personally, I'm going to have the hardest time with the public side of things.

I'm going to leave you with this: 25 Reasons You Should Quit Writing by Chuck Wendig.