About Books

MONDAY MORNING MAILBAG

Question: What is the book production process like?

Answer: A lot of folks think that once an author finishes writing a book, it’s done, but that is not the case. A book needs a lot more work/time/attention/love before it is ready to be released.

Every author/publisher has their own process, but here is generally what happens during my production process for my indie published books:

Copyedits: After I revise/edit/finish actually writing the book, I send it to a copyeditor, who reads through it and marks/edits things like typos, missing punctuation, and grammatical errors, along with any questions they might have about the characters’ actions, the magic/worldbuilding, etc. This usually takes about 4-6 weeks, depending on the copyeditor’s schedule.

Once I get the copyedited book, I print it out on paper, read through it, and look at all the comments/questions. Usually takes 1 week for me to read through the copyedits and 1-2 weeks to input my changes/answers into the computer.

First proofread: Once I finish with the copyedits, the book is sent to a proofreader, who reads through the book searching for typos, missing punctuation, grammatical errors, etc. Again, this usually takes about 4-6 weeks, depending on the proofreader’s schedule.

Once I get the proofread book, I print it out on paper, read through it, and look at all the comments/questions. Usually takes 1 week for me to read through and 1-2 weeks to input my changes/answers into the computer.

Second proofread: I send the book to a second/different proofreader, who also reads through it looking for typos and other errors. Usually takes about 4-6 weeks. Then I look at the book and make my final changes. Usually takes me 1 week to read through and 1 week to input my changes into the computer.

First page proofs: I send the final, proofread book to my formatter, who lays it out as a print book, and I read through the whole book yet again (!). Seeing the story laid out as a print book usually helps me find a few final mistakes/things to tweak. Usually takes me 1 week to read through and 1 week to make my final changes.

Second page proofs: I will read through/skim the page proofs a second time, but this time, I am looking for formatting issues like spacey lines/words and widows/orphans (single words that appear at the tops of pages). Usually takes me 1 week to read through and 1 week to make my final-final changes.

The end: And then the book is done-done-done, I collapse in a heap, and I never have to read it again. 🙂

So that is my book production process, which is pretty involved and lengthy. That’s one reason why I get sooo annoyed when folks says that authors don’t spend any time on our books or when people gleefully tell me how stupid I am and how much smarter they are because they found a typo in my books. *rolling my eyes*

I hope you all found this interesting/informative. Thank you for reading.

Authors — What is your book production process like?

MONDAY MORNING MAILBAG

Question: What is it *really* like to write a book?

Answer: To me, writing a book is like doing an enormous jigsaw puzzle.

Each paragraph is a piece of the puzzle, but the paragraph/pieces are all in my mind, and I’m the only one who can see the colors and shape of the characters, story, and more. (At least until I actually type them in my word-processing program to share with other people.)

Not only is each paragraph a puzzle piece, but it’s also a building block. Each paragraph builds on the one before it until I have one chapter. Then two chapters. Three. Five. Ten … You get the idea.

In other words, writing a book is HARD, y’all. 😯 

Because I’m the only one who can see that mental jigsaw puzzle, I’m the only one who can write that story. So if I don’t write the stories/characters in my head, they don’t get written. That internal pressure/drive I have to keep working day after day, week after week, until a book is done can be really physically and mentally exhausting.

I am also a panster, which means that I don’t do a lot of outlining or pre-planning. Since I write in first person, I think about my heroine/hero, their magic/powers, and how they can use their magic and wits to defeat the villains. Then, when I feel like I have a good grasp on the overall story and characters, I sit down and start writing.

In more whimsical terms, I like to think of myself as a Rumpelstiltskin. Only instead of turning straw into gold, I am turning words into stories … and hopefully books into money since writing is my full-time job.

So that is what writing a book is like to me. Thank you for reading! 😎 

Authors – how would you describe what it’s like to write a book?

MONDAY MORNING MAILBAG

Question: What is your writing process like?

Answer: Here is what I generally do to write a book:

First draft aka my vomit draft: I write about 5,000 to 6,000 words a day every day until I have a very, very rough draft. This is how I get the overall story, scenes, and characters down on the page (so to speak since I work/type on a computer). Usually takes about 3-4 weeks.

Second draft: I read through and revise/edit/flesh out the scenes, characters, dialogue, descriptions, worldbuilding, and more. When I finish this stage, I have what I consider to be a “real” book, and I can usually tell if the story/characters really sing to me and if a project is worth pursuing or not. Usually takes about 6 weeks.

Third draft: I print out the book on paper, read through it, mark my changes on paper, and then edit/revise on the computer. At this point, I am fleshing out the worldbuilding, studying the character arcs, making sure the magic system is logical and makes sense, and more. Usually takes 1 week to read and 2 weeks to edit.

Fourth draft: I print out the book on paper, read through it, mark my changes on paper, and then edit/revise on the computer. At this point, I am cutting out unnecessary words, punching up the action verbs in sentences, and more “fine tweaking”. AKA all the fiddly bits, as my grandma would say. Usually takes 1 week to read and 1 week to edit.

After the fourth draft, I usually send the book to my agent and beta readers to get their thoughts and revision notes. Then, after I revise the book, I start the production process, which I will talk about next week.

This is just *my* writing process and what works best for me. Every author is different. Some authors only write one draft and edit/revise as they go along. Other authors write a draft, edit it once, and then finish the book. There is no wrong or right (write?) way to write a book.

I think one of the best things you can do for yourself as an author is figure out the overall process that works best for *you* and your schedule, creativity, and more.

Thank you for reading! 😎