The final proofread . . .
I just finished the final proof of the book. This is the first time I have read my book as a book rather than a manuscript. And I am astounded that after all my many proofreads, I still found things I had never noticed previously. While reading it as a real book, certain things that looked fine before did not look right to me. I noticed a few capitalization inconsistencies and, more than anything else, inconsistencies in hyphenated words.
When writing for publication, I have learned that there is often more than one acceptable way to do something; the most important rule is to make a decision and then be consistent throughout the entire book. For instance, if I hyphenate make-up, it needs to be hyphenated every time I use the word. I discovered in the final proof that I had hyphenated several words throughout the book and in just one place, I had not. Or vice versa. Email is a word that we initially hyphenated (e-mail) but it is seldom written that way today. I had hyphenated it in one place, but wrote it as one word everywhere else. Those are the kinds of little inconsistencies that would not matter to most readers, but would drive me crazy to have in the finished product. Once I see them, I cannot leave them. And editors just can't catch everything. An editor is seldom working on just one project. I think that I was able to catch some of these more minor mistakes at this point because I have stopped agonizing over the content and I am no longer rewriting anything. This run through was totally for printing errors and editorial errors previously missed. I was hoping I would not find any more editorial errors. But I did.
I have two friends proofing the book for me this weekend. I look forward to comparing what they find to what I've found. I made corrections to my file as I read. So if they don't come up with something I missed, it's ready to go. I just have to have my editor convert my word document one last time to a new pdf. And resubmitting it to my publisher will be quick and easy. I do it online. I won't order more proof copies. I will just proceed with printing books. So the resubmission shouldn't delay shipment by more than a day or two.
I know it probably sounds like I'm overly-scrutinizing my text, but this isn't a blog entry, it's a published book. I want it to be done well. If I had published this without these final corrections, I would have been disappointed with my finished product.
As I finished the final proof this morning, one thing really stood out to me. Although I began writing out of a desire to help others, I recognize that God has used this book to complete my own healing. I am a different person today than I was when I began writing in January. As I read the book today, I no longer feel fear and anxiety about anyone's reaction to it. If you could only know the emotional struggle I was in throughout the writing and editing process of this book, you would understand just what a miracle that is in my life.
The chapters about my mom will always be emotional for me to read. But I don't feel the same emotion in every chapter that I have felt previously. I have worked through a lot of things and where I may not have been able to fully forgive certain people for past hurts, I think I am now able to let go and forgive. But before I could do that, I had to come face to face with the reality that, although I thought I had forgiven, in some cases I probably hadn't because of the intensity of emotion that was still there; just buried so deeply inside. God brought me face to face with those hurts, with my still unresolved pain over the last nine months. As I read this last time, I found myself wanting to say in my heart to certain people, "I release you from owing me anything. I set you free. Even if you never ask for my forgiveness, I am choosing to forgive you."
The chapters that stir the greatest emotion in me today are the last two, which focus on my deliverance. I have overcome some strongholds through the process of writing my story. This time through, I didn't feel compelled to try to say anything better. It was solely about literary consistency. What a free feeling that is for me! And if that was the only thing to come from this effort, it was worth it for me. But I don't believe anything is ever just about me.
When writing for publication, I have learned that there is often more than one acceptable way to do something; the most important rule is to make a decision and then be consistent throughout the entire book. For instance, if I hyphenate make-up, it needs to be hyphenated every time I use the word. I discovered in the final proof that I had hyphenated several words throughout the book and in just one place, I had not. Or vice versa. Email is a word that we initially hyphenated (e-mail) but it is seldom written that way today. I had hyphenated it in one place, but wrote it as one word everywhere else. Those are the kinds of little inconsistencies that would not matter to most readers, but would drive me crazy to have in the finished product. Once I see them, I cannot leave them. And editors just can't catch everything. An editor is seldom working on just one project. I think that I was able to catch some of these more minor mistakes at this point because I have stopped agonizing over the content and I am no longer rewriting anything. This run through was totally for printing errors and editorial errors previously missed. I was hoping I would not find any more editorial errors. But I did.
I have two friends proofing the book for me this weekend. I look forward to comparing what they find to what I've found. I made corrections to my file as I read. So if they don't come up with something I missed, it's ready to go. I just have to have my editor convert my word document one last time to a new pdf. And resubmitting it to my publisher will be quick and easy. I do it online. I won't order more proof copies. I will just proceed with printing books. So the resubmission shouldn't delay shipment by more than a day or two.
I know it probably sounds like I'm overly-scrutinizing my text, but this isn't a blog entry, it's a published book. I want it to be done well. If I had published this without these final corrections, I would have been disappointed with my finished product.
As I finished the final proof this morning, one thing really stood out to me. Although I began writing out of a desire to help others, I recognize that God has used this book to complete my own healing. I am a different person today than I was when I began writing in January. As I read the book today, I no longer feel fear and anxiety about anyone's reaction to it. If you could only know the emotional struggle I was in throughout the writing and editing process of this book, you would understand just what a miracle that is in my life.
The chapters about my mom will always be emotional for me to read. But I don't feel the same emotion in every chapter that I have felt previously. I have worked through a lot of things and where I may not have been able to fully forgive certain people for past hurts, I think I am now able to let go and forgive. But before I could do that, I had to come face to face with the reality that, although I thought I had forgiven, in some cases I probably hadn't because of the intensity of emotion that was still there; just buried so deeply inside. God brought me face to face with those hurts, with my still unresolved pain over the last nine months. As I read this last time, I found myself wanting to say in my heart to certain people, "I release you from owing me anything. I set you free. Even if you never ask for my forgiveness, I am choosing to forgive you."
The chapters that stir the greatest emotion in me today are the last two, which focus on my deliverance. I have overcome some strongholds through the process of writing my story. This time through, I didn't feel compelled to try to say anything better. It was solely about literary consistency. What a free feeling that is for me! And if that was the only thing to come from this effort, it was worth it for me. But I don't believe anything is ever just about me.
Comments
I am so glad this book has been a healing process for you and that you have forgiven others who have hurt you.That is much easier said than done and I thank God he allowed you to write this book!Looking so forward to reading it!
Love Ya,
Deb
I have always found writing from the heart really expresses ones true self. As we have discussed before,letting go and giving forgiveness is not easy,but it allows us to move on and enjoy life to the fullest.
Love You,
Betty