Book Publishing and Editing

1/23/2013

Book Publishing and Editing

Since as a writer I am unknown to the world at large, I was curious to see just how many books were published in 2012.  Best estimate I'm getting is 15,000,000.  That's a lot of black ink on white paper.  Unfortunately, I can't find any reliable numbers on how many self-published books came out in 2012.  Nor can I find how many new authors made it through the web of publishing in 2012.  All I know for sure is that I would have loved for Wilma to have been among the 15,000,000!

While I wish Wilma much success, I know I would be thrilled beyond words just to hold a bound copy.  For me it would be like a pat on the back - you did it kid - that kind of thing.  Jeff and I talked this weekend that when I'm finished with Wilma, I will then have to put out some money in order to have someone edit and proofread the book.  This will cost money. So before I can (or will) make money, I'm going to have to shell out some big bucks.  Editing/proofreading doesn't come cheap.  Examples I found yesterday are: for light editing is $4.50 a page - heavy editing is $6.50 a page.  Or you can pay by the word.  One company wants two cents per word and another one wants fourteen cents per word.  So let's do some math. Currently Wilma is sitting at 226 pages and she's not finished.  Let's say I need heavy (whatever that means) editing the cost today would be $1,469.00.  

While I know I can't finish Wilma until I have a cover, acknowledgments and bio (which is short), I must also have the book edited and it's hard to part with a fairly large sum of money - when you ain't made a dime - and may never make a dime.  Okay that's one part of my brain talking.  The other side says you've been working on this for nearly two years and when you're done are you just planning to shove Wilma into a drawer to collect dust?  I don't believe for a second that Wilma is going to be the world's next great novel - but I do know this - that if I don't ever try then I'll never win.

Let's say that Jeff and I decide to gamble and pay to have Wilma edited and read.  Now the problem is who do you choose?  I have looked on Craigslist and can find some local folks who perhaps do this as a second job and their prices are lower.  Or do I go with a high end firm with a solid reputation.  You know the old saying - you get what you pay for.  When you have labored for nearly two years on a project, I think you would want the best editing you could afford.

Another question I ask myself is: am I ready to have a complete stranger tear my book apart?  I don't have an over abundance of self-confidence so I don't know how damaging it will be to have the manuscript come back bleeding red.  It might be very discouraging.  Actually that's not true, it would be discouraging.  I know that I am not a successful, published author and may never be.  I'm just somebody who wanted to write about a crusty, sassy old woman who wears support hose and orthopedic shoes.

I am furiously working on what I believe will be the last part of Wilma now.  Once I think I'm "done" then I will put all the parts together and print out the whole thing.  And then I'll read, make changes and read again.  How will I know when Wilma is done?  It's not like a turkey button that pops out.  To the few people (actually to the one person) who has read parts of Wilma I have only asked one thing: forget the grammar and spelling - is it interesting?  And I give big thanks to my friend who reads Wilma.

I'm super excited about the food for the day - wait for it - it's national pie day.  Think of the choices.  I think I would go straight for coconut cream but I do love a good cherry pie too.  And I suppose there is nothing preventing you from eating pizza PIE!

It's cold here in the east - 12 degrees at the moment.  I am breaking out the fur (faux) coat today which makes me look a bit round(er) but it's warm. 

Enjoy Wednesday.

P