The last time I wrote about my work-in-progress, I was just sending it out to beta readers. That was about three months ago. Most of the readers were prompt in their responses, and their feedback was very helpful.
I solicited beta readers for this book earlier than I have most of my other books. There were many more errors in what I sent to betas this time than in the past, and I felt guilty as I started editing the draft that I had sent them.
As one of the beta readers told me (she’s been an early reader of most of my books and is an excellent editor):
“Unlike the other books you’ve sent me to read, this one doesn’t feel as ‘ready for prime time.’ . . . By the end, I was yelling at the book, because it stopped being a pleasant reading experience. . . . I felt as if I wanted to diagram the plot and the timeline, and place things in a proper order.
“So, not as fun as other times. This felt more like work.”
She was absolutely right, and I felt even guiltier that she nailed the issue. I don’t want my beta readers to feel like they’re working when they read my drafts.
If it’s any consolation to her and to my other readers, fixing all the problems has been work for me as well as for them. All my beta readers had to do was to raise issues. I’ve had to fix them.
And yet, it’s supposed to be work for me, not for my readers. So I felt guilty.
I have spent the last couple of months (after I got back from meeting my granddaughter) reading the book aloud and integrating the beta reader feedback and my own concerns about the book. I am pleased to report I have finally finished that process and I have addressed all the issues. I think.
I am now working on formatting the novel into print-ready pages, and then I will be ready to order proof copies.
Amazon (now KDP) is much slower in producing print-on-demand books than it was a decade ago when I published my first book. Many authors these days publish their ebooks before their paperbacks, so they don’t have to wait on the paperback proof process. But I like to see what the book looks like in a traditional format. I’m still better at catching errors when I see them on paper than when I see them on a screen.
While Amazon works its printing magic and mails me my proof, I will read through the book again. I will try to be sure I’ve caught everything. Somehow, pesky errors seem to slip through, however many times I read the book.
I’m hoping to complete these last little steps in a few weeks. As soon as the novel is published, I’ll announce it in a blog post.
And then, on to the next book.
Good luck and congratulations!