Hi there,
Writers write. That’s what we do. But I’ve been doing very little writing in recent months.
Non-writing tasks post-manuscript completion
I finished writing Saved by a Woman at the end of May. Once a book is written, there’s a lot of non-writing stuff to do. Like agreeing a cover; legal checks; contacting people to confirm facts; and corrections and tweaks. And then, for my second memoir, I had rediscovered lost sources and needed to add relevant material seamlessly to my manuscript.
That took me to mid-August. Then I had appendices and acknowledgements to add. By late August, I’d a 30-point plan of remaining actions, such as getting copyright permissions and drawing up a list of abbreviations used.
The Editing Process: Refining the Craft
I listened back to the book, using Microsoft Word’s ‘Read Aloud’ function. I find listening to my writing a crucial element in editing and copyediting. Reading, while listening back, gets both senses involved and aids concentration.
I printed out the completed manuscript for the first time on 1 September: that’s a big moment. My trusty editor had read everything while I was writing it; but now she too read the whole book from cover to cover.
From Manuscript to Published Work: The Final Stages
In early September, I’d a new list of 25 things to do, including tweaking the cover and changing the memoir series name to Losing Religion, Finding Myself, which more accurately captured the emerging story.
In the second week of September, I needed to make some small changes to my first memoir, in light of the second one. We included reviews and added the new series title to the cover.
The Journey's Culmination: A Proud Achievement
By mid-September, I had signed off on both memoirs and I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the proofs. They arrived on 25 September: I was thrilled.
The proofs, as is their purpose, give rise to a new set of minor corrections and tweaks. By 28 September, I’d signed off on those final tweaks.
Ahead of schedule the paperback and hardback editions were published shortly afterwards, with the Kindle edition published on 7 November.
Losing Religion, Finding Myself: A Memoir Series
A Personal Reflection
After a lifetime of professional writing, I am proudest of my two memoirs. They are, of course, my most personal work. They show my search for meaning and love.
Inviting Feedback: Reviews and Recommendations
If you read, or have read, In My Gut, I Don’t Believe or Saved by a Woman, please rate and review them on Amazon or goodreads.com. Thank you.
Happy days,
Joe
