The Cover - YEAH!

Gaining momentum.... here's the cover of All These Long Years Later. Very vintage.  And by the way, if you can't tell, I'm holding a1953 Halloween pumpkin.  Not much has changed over the years for pumpkins.

I Still Have My Comma Key

Yesterday, I mentioned the absolute necessity of working with good people and by that I mean capable as well as invested and available, when publishing a book.  You write, you read, you change: delete and add.  And then you find an editor.  I know that the person, Jean Ballard @ My Life With Critters, the editor of my book, All These Long Years Later,  has no plans of continuing in the field of ruthless red pens  but oh! what a loss.
Authors: dig diligently for your editor. You need to be comfortable asking why and how - to debate and to accept or to reject.  Jean made what could have been an uncomfortable business into fun - even when she threatened to yank the comma key off my keyboard.  

No Vomiting Here

 I have finished the final proof of the book before it goes to the printer.  Then I get one copy back to proof again.  I was told yesterday that some authors have said that they will vomit if they have to read their text one more time.  No vomiting here - but very severe stomach cramps :-)  AND every time I do proof, I find: oops!

I also have a copy of the front and back covers and am EXTREMELY happy.  I'm hoping to post it this week.

In the meanwhile, I am continuing with what Brad @ Turning Points  emailed as Iwent through the process of publishing.  I hope that it will clear the path for some of you who are thinking that the whole thing  is overwhelming.  Truly, it's a very steep learning curve but having  the right people to work with,  lessens the grade considerably.

FROM BRAD: 

Anyway, the key thing for now is for you to proofread the PDF to confirm the text is intact, or send me a list of the corrections to make. The best way is to assemble a single list of corrections and send it in an email. The most efficient way to identify a correction is with the page number, original text, replacement text. E.g. Page 34, change “the quick brown fox was eating pheasant” to “the lazy brown dog, after eating pheasant, had a coffee”.

 

Elmer Fudd With a Quill Pen

So, there was no more confusion as to whether I have written a novel or a book of short stories; but then I got back my CIP registration no longer as novel but as a biography.

That one was a a bit of a stretch.  Normally biographies are about the life of a real person.  But who was she - this person whose biography I was writing? 

But then, since my stories feature one protagonist, perhaps it was decided that she was me.  But then...again, would this not make it an autobiography - me writing about me?  

Maybe historical fiction?  I did use nuggets from my own life as starting points for each story but to be able to remember the exact details and even the words spoken by each character would make me rather exceptional. The stories are heavy on dialogue because that is something that I skim for when I am buying a book.  

And, actually, I did comment in my Preface under And One Further Note that All of the stories are historically accurate and based on actual, personal experience – liberally laced, here and there, with irresistible moments of imagination.

Hey, well, maybe more than moments - how about hours and hours? 

Never mind, I called Brad at Turning Points. "A biography," I wailed.  "It sounds like Elmer Fudd with a quill pen."

By today - only some  three or four working hours since my call, he had dealt with the situation as had the folk at CIP and I have now, officially, written a book of short stories. 

ONWARD...

He Made It So Much Less Complicated.

Nothing back yet from the CIP people.  I guess I really confused the issue.  Novel - short stories; short stories - novel.  What do I know?  I only write the stuff.

However, I did start, a couple of days ago, making some suggestions about  about self-publishing.
Again, I repeat set some reasonable deadlines for reviewers.  
Beyond that,  it's a very daunting ordeal and without someone who keeps you informed on progress and next steps - !!!
I, honestly think I'd have limped away  in a  hopeless funk if I'd had to do this on my own and I know I'd have fretted super seriously  if I had not been kept informed, step by step, as we progressed through the process.
After  I handed over my manuscript, I asked what next and received the following from the company with whom I had chosen to work.
<bradgrigor@gmail.com>

The next step was for me to estimate the size and cost of doing the book. So
I have done a quick load of your Word document and the initial page count is
152, which includes title page, copyright page, dedication,
acknowledgements, contents, introduction, the text and the about-the-author
page. This is based on a 6"x9" standard soft cover format.

 My fixed price quote for the project is $540.00 plus GST for 152 pages
(plus/minus a nominal amount) and a soft cover design.

 What does that include? Basically, I take your manuscript from a Word
document to a professionally designed and produced book that is ready to go
to press. This includes:

- font selection, text layout and typesetting

- produce a galley proof (Adobe PDF format) for you to review for final text
revisions

- apply final text revisions

- cover design and preparation

- file preparation and submission for press

- setting up your account with the Canadian ISBN Service System and assign
your ISBN

- generate the barcode for your ISBN

- submit your application for Cataloguing in Publication (CIP). Allow 10
business days to process the CIP. Assumes at least 100 books will be
produced.

- process the CIP record into the copyright page of the book

- review and approve the proofs of the book



The price includes one review/edit cycle in which you identify any errors or
corrections. Additional review/edit cycles are subject to a $50 fee per
cycle.



Here is the process I follow for the text (a similar process is used for the
cover, which is handled separately):



NOTE: Before I start, it is best that you have thoroughly (really) edited
your Word document because once I take the Word document, all further
changes will be managed under strict change control through my typesetting
package (Adobe InDesign). No changes will be accepted until step 3.



1.       I will process the Word document. I generally do not alter your
text. However, I will remove or fix certain punctuation such as multiple
spaces, multiple carriage returns, correct use of "." (ellipsis), ensure
typographic quote marks are used, correct use of "-" (em dash) and "-" (en
dash), correct use of footnotes, italics for book title references, etc. In
other words, I take of all the typography and layout. If I see any content
issues (spelling or other), I will advise you before making any changes.

2.       I will produce a galley proof in Adobe PDF format. This is the
industry standard pre-press format that will show the book exactly as it
will appear in print*. You will need the Adobe Reader program (or
equivalent) to review the proof.

3.       You will review the galley proof and identify any errors and
corrections. These need to be sent to me electronically, usually as a
separate Word document.  Typically, changes are documented as "Page nn,
'text' should be 'text' or "Page nn, delete 'text'", etc.

4.       I will apply all the listed changes and produce a final PDF. That
completes the first review/edit cycle.

5.       At this point, if you identify any new errors or corrections, this
is a new review/edit cycle and we repeat steps 3 and 4 until finished. There
is a fee for each new review/edit cycle.

6.       Otherwise, I sent the PDF to press.

7.       The press will send back a proof copy of the book.

8.       We will review the proof copy which is supplied so we can ensure
the print quality (including colours) is acceptable, there are no unusual
layout or typographic problems, etc. It is generally NOT a time to re-write
the book contents. However, if we do find any errors, we can still make
corrections. If so, we go back to step 3 for another review/edit cycle. The
printing company will also generally charge for another proof copy.

9.        Then we approve the proof and in a couple of weeks, you get books!

 I will help get competitive printing quotes, but the printing contract will
be directly between you and the printing company.

 Robyn, I'm sure that all sounds complicated, but I'm here to take care of
all the details for you. Please let me know if you want to go ahead and if
you want to go through your manuscript one more time before I get started.

 Thanks so much for the opportunity of working with you.
Cheers!
Brad

Truly, who would have thought?

Seems I upset the works.  I am working on a novel - an on and off thing with odd chapters getting written out of order and lots of time lying awake at night re-working the characters and plot - I am very much a plot person - and trying to tie all or at least some of the bits and pieces together.
Anyway, as this is just now foremost on my mind, in my last blog, I managed to refer to my presently being published book of short stories as a novel.
This got the folks from CIP (Cataloguing in Publication), who seem to be reading my blog  - when I christened my blog Who Would Have Thought, well, who would have thought?  but thanks guys -  in a bit of a hold it, we need to check this out sort of thing.
Consequently, who knows?  I have great faith that sooner or later this book will happen.

Library and Archives Canada
Cataloguing in Publication (CIP) is a voluntary program of cooperation between publishers and libraries. It enables the cataloguing of books BEFORE they are published, and the prompt distribution of this cataloging information to booksellers and libraries. The Canadian CIP Program is coordinated by Library and Archives Canada.

If You Decide to Publish

With my novel only about a month away, I need to say that I have learned SO much.  Some has been through my own scrambling, slipping and getting up again. 

At first I felt really overwhelmed and juddered around trying to find a comfortable footing from which to launch my endeavour.  I had written for magazines and journals but with these it was submit, wait, get accepted or rejected.  Now I had to make an investment: time, money and very much most importantly, self.

Secondly, I waited and waited for reviews.  My advice here is to ask and if you don’t receive what you need within a couple of weeks, don’t be shy to ask again.   Be brave.  Ask if there is a problem.  If they are avoiding the review because they don’t like the book, find out why.  If it’s a case of not bothering - move on.   I would give nobody more than one prod over two weeks and then find another reviewer. 

And when the first draft is done and as you revise, get as many people as possible to read what you are writing; but remember that other than spelling or grammatical errors, their opinions are only opinions and you are the author. Still, don’t dismiss second person thoughts out of hand.  Cogitate.

And lastly, find a good publisher to work along with you.  Check his or her work before hand.  Meet and talk with them in advance.  If you can, also talk to others who have used their services.  Initially, I contacted two of the large publishing companies – both of whom are still sending me emails  bleeding with the bargains that they claim to be offering.  Their prices were high, their offered packaged suspect, their salesperson obnoxious, and other writers, with whom I spoke and who had published with the big guys had been quite unhappy on a number of fronts.

My experience, however, with a local business, Turning Points Arts in Chemainus BC., has been excellent.  The SO much that I learned, apart from my neophyte setbacks, has been through Brad Grigor and Turning Point Arts.

I always believe in giving due credit where credit is due:  

brad@turningpointarts.com

Sharp Canine Ears and a Lassie Instinct

Continued:

So Farlie had rescued the trapped Buddy and alerted us to the fact that our kitchen was rapidly filling-up with smoke from Fran's somewhat overdone piopcorn.We were getting impressed:

Then, last Spring, Fran was working in a room into which Farlie was not allowed and so was surprised to see the dog craning her head in as far as she could reach.  Fran shooed her out and Farlie moved away down the hall.

A moment passed and Fran felt a bump on the back of her legs.  Turning to scold Farlie, she realized that, once again, she was being urged to follow.

She removed her headset and heard very faint cries for help.

Again Farlie nudged her and the two of them proceeded outside where they found the next door neighbour, a recent amputee, lying on the ground.  Her wheelchair had tipped as she was attempting to maneuver out of her apartment.  Our neighbour re-named Farlie, Lassie, and proclaimed her a hero.

As this story spread, several people suggested that I should write about it – a feel good story is one that should find itself in print.

But somehow, something else always arose to catch my attention – that is, until last night when we were visiting friends just outside of town. 

Their yard is fenced and Farlie and Finn, their dog, were outside.

At one point, there was a mild mannered woof from the back door. We conveniently ignored it.   There followed another woof and a spate of quiet crying that finally roused me.

As I opened the screen, Farlie rushed, not in, but away, toward the gate.

I then received the tell-tale head butt and she made her way, again, toward the gate.

Once out onto the road, I saw an overturned motorcycle lying on what turned-out to be a young woman.  She was pinned, face down, in a ditch.

Cutting to the chase, but not to diminish Farlie’s alert, as it turned-out, she had cuts, scrapes and bruises and a badly marred ego, but nothing worse. 

It was her position, under the weight of the bike, feet up, head down into the ditch that had incapacitated her.

However and even being aware of Farlie’s record, what really surprised all of us was that the young woman had not called for help.  She had yelled as the bike went over but beyond that, she had stayed quiet trying to assess how best to free herself with the least attention – something that could not have happened.

Sharp canine ears and a Lassie instinct – feel good stories deserve to find themselves in print.

And, yes, I could go on and on but I won't  :-)

A Bump On the Knees

                      

 continued...

Okay, so I am sounding like a demented grandmother – pulling out the grandchild’s pictures on the flimsiest excuse.  I’ll stop.  Soon.  :-)

But…

Some months after her arrival and at one of our raucous family gatherings, nobody had noted that Buddy, also an S.P.C.A. rescue and one of my son’s dogs, was missing.  Nobody had noticed  – that is, except Farlie. 

Insistently, she bumped against my knee and moved away, time and again.  Finally, I got her message, followed her to the laundryroom and found a very dispirited Buddy inadvertently locked inside. 

Farlie was praised and we thought no more of the event until the day that Fran put the popcorn in the microwave for two hours instead of the intended two minutes.

In another room, Farlie was again heading and nudging, until finally, Fran followed her back into the kitchen which was thick with black popcorn smoke and getting thicker by the moment. 

A nasty mis-adventrure averted!

We were pretty  impressed.

continued: