When the book came out almost two weeks ago, I mentioned that I would post some observations about the writing process.
Feel free to get a copy if you haven’t already–I’m so proud. It looks great in both digital and print form: link.
Right now, I’m taking a rest from writing. I have been reviewing a few books on Goodreads, and I can’t stress enough, the importance of having an editor and a proofreader.
I read a novel translated into English, and I noticed some glaring problems, and not just in copy editing and proof reading.
Some examples include problems in diction and the use of idiom. The author phrased certain things in a way that sounded odd to a native English speaker. In addition she used a few American cultural references that made no sense. For example, in American English, saying one “pleads the first” means that the speaker reserves the right to be silent. She used “plead the third,” which doesn’t exist.
Returning to my publishing adventures, I was struck at how easy it was to upload to Amazon both the e-book and print versions. Nonetheless, it took a lot of going back and forth, to get everything just right.
- One early mistake: not remembering that the page length for a typical 8 1/2 x 11 manuscript will be different from the page length for a print book. I requested a cover for the 8 1/2 x 11 manuscript length, when in reality, the book size was going to be 5 x 8 and with a different manuscript length as a result. There were no problems with the digital cover.
- Templates were more trouble than they were worth in trying to convert the manuscript to book size.
- It is important to do an inspection of the final document to make sure that all the editorial comments were removed. I almost fainted when I saw them in my early uploads.
- Make sure the page breaks are where they should be, to avoid the problem of sections running into each other.
Best of wishes in your writing and publishing adventures!
Copyright Barbara James, all rights reserved.
authorbarbarajames at gmail.com
Barbara James 