I'm in a phase where I'm reminded of how much fun writing can be. That implies writing has its share of drudgery.
To wit, Saving Julian, the third novel in the Neonatal ICU series is at the stage of entering production. The next step is a copy edit, not to be confused with a developmental edit, a line edit, and proof reading. A developmental edit is a page or two of feedback about the overall novel--plot, characters, problems of omission and commission. Often this is what's asked of beta readers as well as agents and writer friends. A line edit is all about the clarity, flow and logic of sentences. A copy edit is more granular, involving consistency, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax. Copy edits and line edits are frequently confused terms and often an editor will do both in a single edit. Proof reading is the author's final look at the pages that will be published and fixes mistakes with page, paragraph and chapter breaks, pesky commas, open and closed quotation marks and such like.
I 'm at the phase of choosing a copy editor who I hope will throw in some line editing and proof reading. (They can't help themselves sometimes). Two have submitted samples of their edit of the first 20 pages. Editing fees vary widely. I should have said wildly--0.02- 0.12/word. At 90000 words, you can see this isn't chump change for Saving Julian at 90000 words. The estimate of the editor who was creative and excellent was $1000 more than the one that was good but not great. Mind you, poor Julian has already gone through years of various revisions and edits by me and an agent.
So where's the fun? The final push for publication for baby Julian is underway. My son and I are exchanging pieces of writing just for the hell of it. Facebook ads are pushing the sales of Baby Doe and DiBene's Offer along nicely enough, and friends and acquaintances have published recently:
The Last Songbird by Daniel Weizmann is a noir LA murder mystery. His second novel in the Pacific Coast Highway series is coming out in May.
Identicality by Jay Koppleman is an exciting science fiction novel that explores what it is about a human that is unique.
Care for the Carer by Jeff Camhi is a unique Alzheimer's memoir in that the caregiver is the main character.
Reboot by Jeffrey Green is a novel about a scapegrace (male naturally) who stumbles along reconstructing himself in Israel after 9/11 (America's October 7).
Vengeance by Nellie Neeman is the third book in the Jon Steadman thriller series.
Open Your Hand by Ilana Blumberg is a memoir about education differences for herself as a professor, and her kids in school after moving from the US to Israel.
The Long Black Coat by Diane Greenberg. Poems of Europe and Israel.
My Runaway Hourglass. Poems by Joanne Jagoda about time passing and what it's contained.
What's not to like? \