This week’s post is going to be short and sweet, because I am neck-deep in reviewing the galleys of my book THE WITCH OF ZAL.
What’s a galley, you ask?
Before a book goes to print but after it has been formatted, they create a galley of it—an uncorrected proof of the text. The author then goes over the galley to catch any last-minute typos or issues that might have been missed earlier. Since there is a substantial lag time between turning in the final edits and reading the galley, the author can see it with fresh eyes.
I found that the galley, which uses a different font and formatting than my final submitted manuscript did, makes mistakes easier to find. Thankfully, I am not finding many! I have to read both the print galley and the ebook galley. I’ve read the print, and hope to finish the ebook today.
The other exciting news is that the cover is finally finished! I saw a sneak peek earlier this week, and am eager to share it with the world. Having a cover makes the book very real.
And I’m glad it is real, because I have booked my first conference, at the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) conference November 15th. Discussing books with hundreds of librarians is going to be a thrill, and I can’t wait to meet them. After all, I’ve known since I was young that libraries are magic and librarians are magicians.
THE WITCH OF ZAL is almost at the finish line, and the next phase of my writing life will begin!
Congratulations Kerry! We are on a similar schedule. I just finished my galley proofing. What a nerve wracking experience but also so exciting!
I am looking forward to seeing your cover!
Thanks, Doreen! It was nerve wracking to read the galley, but I also haven’t read the book in over 6 months, so I had a really fresh eye. Thankfully, I still liked the book! 🙂 I loved your cover!