Over the past few months I've been in the process of getting Dead South published in print. You'd be forgiven for thinking that because I have a digital file that it'd be easy; but it really isn't! You need the manuscript to be formatted for print, you need new artwork, you've got to wait for the hard copy to be delivered and then you've got to proof it all.
The artwork, although time consuming, was actually pretty easy to get done. I used James from GoOnWrite.com again, and again he came up with the goods. He kept the original eBook cover and expanded on the rest of it.
Next up was formatting the manuscript. This was not a simple process. There are so many things that you need to do right to make sure that the book has a professional feel. Microsoft Word is great to write in, but not very user friendly when it comes to doing more complicated formatting. In the end I got it professionally done, via Create Space. The service cost $199 which is pricey, but it ensures that the book has a professional look.
After you've chosen what colour paper you want the book printed on (white or cream) and what finish you want the cover to be (glossy or matte) your proof will be sent out to you. These options are where I made my first boob. I chose white paper with a glossy finish and whilst the book was excellent quality, it looked a little bit like a text book. So, I've swapped it all around and have chosen cream paper with a matte finish. And I am pretty chuffed with how that looks.
The most difficult part of this process was the final proof read of the manuscript. You might think that it would be a waste of time to do so, considering that I've read it on numerous occasions and paid for it to be professionally proof read. But it really wasn't!
The book has been available in digital format for nearly 4 months and I'd removed a handful of errors that a few eagle eyed friends had found for me. So, I was pretty certain that the manuscript was going to be error free. Well it wasn't. I found 3 pretty annoying ones. One case of poor grammar and two cases of missing words. I have since amended the eBook and I have also submitted my changes to Create Space. However, this is not a free service and has cost me an additional $79. I could have left them there, but I wanted this book to be as close to perfect as possible.
I am now awaiting my final, final proof from Create Space. If it is ok, I'm hoping that the book can come out the week after Easter. That may be a stretch, but it will definitely be out by mid-April.
When it's out you guys will be the first to know!
Until next time,
David
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