Hi friends,
Excited to be with you today! This week I’m working on my first set of galleys for The Crushing Depths. It’s such a fun time being so close to publication but also nerve-wracking knowing this is my last chance to make any changes.
From Draft to Published
In case you aren’t familiar with the process a book goes through from the time I turn the rough draft into my publisher, I thought I’d share about the steps involved today.
Rough Draft
First, I turn in my rough draft. And when I say rough, I mean rough. I write my first drafts as they come out with emotions all over the page, I delve deep into my characters or strive to, I write scenes that I envision though I know might not make the final cut. I overexplain and don’t describe nearly enough. But I do this because I want my editors to see who the characters are to me and then, after they read through it, they met to discuss it. Then they write up Editorial Notes that some authors dread and other authors love. I fall in the latter category…after I have a few hours to fully process and a lot of dark chocolate and espresso to see my through.
Revisions
The feedback I usually receive is that my suspense thread works, and my overall structure is intact. Usually, they think the characters will work well with some adjustment and then they share their areas of concern. Yes, there are always areas of concern. This is where the chocolate comes in handy. My personal favorite for these times is Equal Exchange Organic Dark Chocolate—Ecuador Dark. Heavenly.
Then I spend a few days daydreaming and playing with ideas on how to best attack revisions. Diving into revisions is my favorite part of the process. The story is already there, you’re just chipping away the dross and finding the heart of it.
Line Edits
Once revisions are done, I send it back in. My line editor goes through them line by line and does an amazing job! If she finds things that still need to be changed, she gives me the opportunity to do so. After that, it’s on to the copyeditor who reads through for consistency and so much more. I do not envy her job, but she also does an amazing one.
Galleys Arrive
And, then the first set of galleys arrive. They are in a hard copy with the pages set like they will be in the book. I get my purple pen (thanks to Julie Klassen for the recommendation years ago), some sticky notes, a notebook, and of course a tall cup of coffee. This is my second favorite stage of the process. It’s slow and I try my best to be meticulous because I know it’s the last stage in the process. After this, I will get one more set of galleys but the only changes to be made are if I find a typo or error of some kind, which is very rare.
Published
This is the final stage before the manuscript goes to print. Soon it will be in your hands. I hope you’ll enjoy Rissi and Mason’s story. I can’t wait to share it with you!
Enter our Giveaway!
One more thing I excited to share with you is a super fun giveaway I’m doing with three friends. Tomorrow is the last day to enter to win four autographed books and four special prizes. Drop by www.danipettrey.com/giveaway to enter today!
Reader Question:
If you’re a writer, what’s your favorite stage of the process? If you’re a reader, what supplies or items do you like to have handy when you read a book? A special snack, drink…bookmark?
I can’t wait to read your answers in the comments below.
Have a fabulous rest of your week!
Dani
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Reader — tea and a comfy chair. Prefer the outdoors when it isn’t too hot in central Florida — usually with the dogs running around or napping at my feet.
I hope you have convinced your accountant that the chocolate and expresso are a business expense!
Thanks for many many many great reads and re-reads. You are one author i can re-read and pick up something new each time.
God’s blessings to you, your family, and your ministry / work.
Hi Marie,
Sounds like a lovely way to read. I really need to convince him, don’t I? LOL.
Thanks so much for your kind words and encouragement.
I’m a writer and a reader. My favorite part of writing is putting down a first draft as the ideas are dancing and not yet discarded because they don’t work. For this I need coffee and a healthy snack or I will live on Cadbury’s.
When reading I like a comfy chair and, again, a coffee.
Coffee I’m on board with, but there’s definitely a place for good chocolate in our lives. Like Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate. Hint. Hint.
Thanks for dropping by, friend. See you tomorrow.
If I am reading a good book I don’t need anything else except a favorite book mark. If I have a snack or coffee, I will get so engrossed in the book that I forget it’s there or mindlessly eat the entire bag of whatever I had to snack on lol. Best to not do that 🙂
LOL. That happens, doesn’t it?
I keep a bookmark in or near a book the entire time I’m reading that book. I pull it out as I begin a reading session, place it next to me, and commence reading. As I reluctantly complete a reading session, I re-insert my bookmark. If I’m reading somewhere where I’m likely to be interrupted at any moment–like at a doctor’s office, I keep the bookmark in the book as I read around it. I’ve found that laminated bookmarks do not work well since they tend to slip out and fall to the floor too easily leaving me frantically searching for my place in the book.
I’ve found that to be true with laminated bookmarks. I like the metal flip ones that just go over the top of the page best. Or I flip the page corners back. I drive my friend nuts with that.
The only thing I like to have near when I’m reading is a tall glass of lemon water. A comfy chair or my bed are my favorite places to read. Thanks for the giveaway!
Hi Kathy,
Fun choice. I love cucumber water (cold) or I throw in berries and some basil.
I love that excitement when the sparks of a new idea come together. It turns into work fast enough, but that first beginning is so much fun!
I love those sparks!
I love reading your books. I especially like to have a cup of coffee and a snuggly, warm blanket handy if it is a cold snowy day like today. Sometimes a snack handy is good, when things get really intense in the book I am reading. Thank you for sharing your writing with all of us who love to read.
Hi LaDonna,
Curled up with a warm blanket on a snowy day and reading is the BEST.
Great post, Dani, and congrats on putting another book to bed! My favorite stage is seeing my book in the bookstore. 😉 I actually like all the editing stages. HATE first drafting!
Hi Deb,
Thanks so much! That is a great feeling, isn’t it. I’m with you. I like revisions and editing. First drafting is so hard….
I enjoy your books so much. I keep a book marker handy all the time. Our granddaughter gave me “The Bookseat” for Christmas. I never heard of this before but I sure like using it when I read. You probably know what it is, but just in case, you can stand your book in it and has a clear strip across the front where you stand your book and you can read to the bottom of the page, then turn to the next. She knew how her Nana liked to read so that was a good gift. Thanks for the giveaway!
Oh wow. What a great gift. I’d never heard about it. Thanks so much for sharing.
I am a reader. I always like to have something to drink by me. I tend to get lost in books when I read and don’t even realize that I need a drink until I have to close the book. So it helps having a drink there as I transition back to real life. I love your books and I am looking forward to the new one.
Thanks so much for the encouragement and kind words, Sheila!
I love how stories draw us in so much!
I think I like editing the best, though there is a certain energy that comes from writing that first draft. I tend to get too bogged down in details and my word counts get too high, then I have to go in and look for scenes to cut. That is the hardest I think. I usually just have water around when I write. That way, it gives me a reason to get up and move around if I crave a snack.
As a reader, I don’t need anything except the book.
Thank you so much for sharing this process and for your giveaway. I hope to one day see my own books in print. I think that will then become my favorite part! Congratulations on your newest one.
Hi Rebecca,
I’m the opposite, my first draft is usually under word count and I have to add a lot in during revisions.
Thanks so much and best wishes on your writing! What kind of stories do you write?
I have written four contemporary fiction novels and in December finished the first draft of a contemporary YA fantasy. Thanks for asking.
I just received an outline for developmental edits.
and I have to cut about 15-20k