For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers

Getting Comfortable with the Proof Copy

I am over my baby gone syndrome. It only took about two to three days. Then I received my proof copy. For some reason it really looks different in book form in my hand than it did in the pdf form.

After talking it over with my husband, I decided to pay for revisions so I could add the registered trademark sign to a name in my book. While adding this symbol I learned I had spelled that name wrong. Some of the words in the name needed to be capitalized. There were other things wrong with the way I had the name as well. There was a mark above the 'e' at the end of the word. I replaced Nestle's Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels to NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels. Big change!

I also discovered in the text that the quotation marks weren't consistent. So again I went through the whole manuscript and changed them. I will be uploading the final revisions tonight.

I have been working on marketing. Perhaps not to the degree I should. Lots to learn for a new author, publisher and many other hats.

Finally, this past Friday I became comfortable with my book as it is in book form. The more I looked at it, handled it, and basically bonded with it, I felt a sense of achievement.

With the exceptions of the book cover and logo, both which started out as my idea, I have done this entire book on my own. I had people edit, read the book for content, and just read the book for feedback. Whatever I missed, they missed also. So it came down to me. I made the mistakes. I found them. I corrected them.

I wrote the book. I lived with it for two years. Most of the changes and edits were mine. All decisions were mine. the feeling of achievement when holding the proof copy is unbelievable! There is NOT a feeling like it!

I really did it!!!!!!