Sunday, September 30, 2007

Galleys on their way

The publisher is sending the galleys for the "producing" book via FedEx.

I asked a friend who has written a dozen successful books--1/3 fiction and 2/3 nonfiction--what to do with the galleys.

His reply:

Take a look, Tony, and see if there are any real problems which you can't easily solve. Most galley stuff is copy editing- and often copy editors prefer more conventional ways to say things than the writer. Also, look for questions- facts, opinions, gaps in continuity, and simple errors. Most are easily answered and dealt with.

The whole process can take you less than 8 hours if all the issues are just part of the manuscript ( remember 95-98% will be untouched.)

Copy editors are not always right, but when they are wrong, pay special attention.

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