Signing On With a Small Publisher

It has often been said that editing is the hardest part of writing. But editing may also be the hardest part of publishing too. All told, it could be argued that I’ve been editing my first novel for three years, trying to make it good enough to attract an agent and then hopefully a publisher.

Now that I finally have signed on with a small publisher called High Hill Press, editing is still a part of the process. No manuscript is ever perfect the first time it is written, nor after the first time it is read over. It’s probably not even perfect that fifth time it’s read over. In fact, as I got through my manuscript for the umpteenth time, I’m amazed (and slightly appalled) that I still find simple spelling or grammatical errors. When I’m reading my own work at least, my occasional inability to spot even the most obvious of typos is usually due to my familiarity with it. I already know what it’s supposed to say so I don’t even recognize what it really says. Someone once described these typos as prairie dogs since they seem to pop up out of nowhere and I’ve found the analogy to be very appropriate. Publishers know this so they’ve sent my manuscript out to several different people for proofreading. At the moment, I’m still waiting for their feedback.

Soon enough though, I’ll be embroiled in the other aspects of getting a book published, which is really exciting. I’ll get to review designs for the book cover and beg people for blurbs to put on the book. I’ll get to try to market it, which seems like a daunting task but one that I’m eager to try all the same. I’ll get to experience what it feels like to have strangers read my work and (hopefully) enjoy it.

But first, let the editing continue.

-Alda