John is on the job, and editing has been in my possession for months now. No, for over a year! My publisher is calling again and it's time to get this book done! I am seriously shocked with myself that I have sat on this for an entire year. O_o
Well, I had lost my way and needed to find a way to get the book illustrated. I debated, had people suggest new artists, student artists, etc. But to me, it didn't feel right. Destiny brought me to John and I decided to give him a chance. He has been in touch and has started on the sketches and I hope to see him soon. We set up a contract and I paid a portion to get started, I will pay a portion upon delivery of the sketches, and I will pay the final portion upon completion. He seems dedicated in everything he does, so I am hopeful it will work out.
As far as editing I have been dragging my feet. I did edit and address the editors comments months ago, but waited to send it back. I still find it is good to let things sit awhile with writing. I did get back to it today after getting yet one more message from my publisher. So, I re-reviewed and sent it in! It has one more editing cycle and then they shift me to the people who assist with the layout.
The marketing department called me last week from the publisher too which I think was quite nice. When I get closer to release they will coach me and assist in doing some things I am not, so as not to duplicate but to assist. They have big marketing packages, but since this is all out of my pocket anyway, I am going to take the best advice and leave it to faith, my friends, and any followers I may develop along the way.
I spoke with a CPA too about how to be able to take a loss before I make a profit. Again. I want the profit to go to charity and hope I can at least make back what I have put into it.
I also used a local company to help me design a logo for the book series/company. I have sat on their suggestions lately too. So I plan to get back to that and will share that with you all once I decide on the best design. Deciding is the hardest part. For now though, I have set things back in motion with the universe.
Today upon reading my email when getting home I discovered that my manuscript had been returned from the editor! Yeah! It's just like Christmas, or maybe more like a first date. Did they like it? How many comments did they make? When I open it will I be utterly deflated as a writer, or will I be disappointed that maybe they didn't put their heart into it?
I opened it, after having to download a free unzip program because my WinZip trial had expired. (I'm not paying for a simple thing I can get for free.) And, I was not disappointed! I think they gave it a fair review. Good productive comments and some atta girl comments too for certain parts! Especially the ending! They love the ending! So I am so excited and motivated to really critique it with regard to their comments and well, you can see a bit for yourself my cover letter and pages one and two. Page three is hidden behind. Not all the red is bad. As I said they also included positive comments too. I am pleased with Author House so far.
Just for your reading pleasure, and because I am so excited here is an excerpt from their cover letter to me:
Dear Kimberlee Prokhorov:
It has been my pleasure to assist in the Developmental Edit of your manuscript, Beatrice and Raymond. It’s a beautiful story, and I’m confident it will reassure young readers that change is something to embrace instead of fear.
I’ve scheduled my next free teleclass for writers! If you’re interested in getting free teleclass announcements via e-mail, please subscribe to the mailing list. I’ll never share your e-mail with anyone else, and I’ll never send you spam.
Succeed as a Freelance Editor with Jennifer Lawler
Date: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 8:30-9:30 pm ET (Note that this is East Coast time; please check for the correct time in your time zone. Also note that this is PM, not AM!)
Topic: Succeed as a Freelance Editor with Jennifer Lawler. This teleclass will cover the various kinds of editing jobs that are available to freelancers, in print and online, including work as a developmental editor, a copy editor, and a managing/assigning editor for books, magazines and Web sites. Jennifer will briefly cover what each of these types of editing involves, how to develop your skills, and how to market yourself to clients. There will be time after the lecture to ask your questions about becoming a freelance editor.
About Jennifer: Jennifer will be teaching the e-course Freelance Editing 101 in July. Jennifer currently teaches copyediting classes for the University of California, San Diego. She spent five years freelancing as the editor of ATA World, the quarterly publication of the American Taekwondo Association, where she was responsible for all aspects of editorial, including conceiving the lineup, recruiting and working with freelancers, editing all copy, developing layout and design in conjunction with the art director, and working with the production team to ensure timely publication. She has worked as a freelance developmental editor and copyeditor for book, magazine, and online publishers, including Barnes and Noble, Inc. Custom Publishing, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, Collectors Press, and the Art Center College of Design, among others.
Jennifer is also the author of many books and magazine articles, including the award-winning Dojo Wisdom series.
Conference number: 218-895-0763
Passcode: 2244#
**This is not a toll-free number. If you have unlimited long distance, you won’t pay for the call, but if you pay for calls by the minute, it will appear on your bill.**
Here is the link where you can access the participant keypad controls: http://www.freeconferencepro.com/support.aspx. This will tell you how to mute the call, how to get help, and more.
If you’re interested in taking part in the call, please e-mail me at [email protected] with “RSVP Editing” in the subject line to let me know just so I can get a rough tally of how many people to expect. I may also e-mail you materials if we decide to have “handouts.” (If you prefer to remain totally anonymous, that’s fine too.) Don’t worry if I don’t reply to your RSVP — if you send it, rest assured that you’re in!
Thanks so much, and I look forward to seeing you there! [lf]
