By Heather Justesen
Today I've been working on galleys for my second book, Rebound, which is slated for release in early May. Galleys are the final edit before the book actually goes to print--the final little detail edit, not time to change things wholesale. Everything's been type set and the little dingbats have been put in place, and I've been loving my story again.
You know, it's funny, by the time I submit a book I'm so sick of looking at it I can't stand to give it another look, but after working on a couple of other projects, and getting some perspective, I'm really enjoying my next read through the story, catching the nuances I forgot that I added into the scenes and reading the little hints of attraction between my male and female characters--and they work! It's such a relief to look at it now and see that it's all working and yes, the book really is good enough I can be proud of it.
I'm going to tell you a secret--writers are some of the more neurotic, insecure people I know. We all have moments when we think that everything we're writing is trash. Or days when we've submitted a new manuscript and sit on pins and needles thinking that, yeah, our other published book(s) were pretty good, but surely the publisher is going to HATE this one--no matter how much we sweated over it and picked apart every little detail and plot twist until it was perfect. (And I'm so not just talking about me here--I've heard Whitney winners express this same feeling.)
So when I see my finished product (or close enough) and I'm enjoying the story, and I'm hardly finding any problems with it (One very noticeable mistake--if you're more into Utah basketball than I am, but hey, we caught it so I won't have to be horribly embarrassed when someone emails me and says that I got it wrong.) And I can't wait to see the cover and have my book on the shelves and be able to share it with everyone.
Do you get the feeling that I'm excited?
When I post here again in two weeks I'll have my cover and back-liner copy and I can hardly wait to share them with you!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Running down the home stretch
Posted by Heather Justesen at 11:42 PM
Labels: galleys, Heather Justesen, Rebound, writing process
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2 comments:
I think you hit the nail on the head with all the feelings you go through as the publishing process rambles along. I think your right about insecurities too, but I don't know how many of us would admit it.
It's amazing how many unpublished writers think that once you have a book accepted that you no longer have any worries or fears about later books, but it's just not true--every book is a separate entity and I know too many authors who have had books rejected--even books later in series that appeared to have done reasonably well.
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