How It Works-Being an Author-How a Manuscript Becomes a Book

This is the last in my series of How It Works, Being an Author. Today I will explain what happens after I turn in a completed manuscript. On time of course! So far, I've never been late for a deadline. That's important because a book has to go through many hands at a publishing house before it is ready for a bookstore or library shelf.

First of all, the editor reads the manuscript and makes suggestions as to what she/he thinks will make the book better. This is the revision stage. Most first-time authors may believe that their "baby" needs nothing more. However, a wise author listens to her editor. Most editors (not all) provide a good sounding board to let you know if you actually conveyed what you hoped you had. To me the hardest part of writing is replicating on the page what is in my head--the sights, sounds, emotions my characters are experiencing. The editor's most important job is to make sure an author has done this and done it as well as she/he could.

So unless one has one of those rare editors who just aren't very perceptive, it is to the author's betterment that she listen to the editor's comments. In most contracts, the author has the aye or nay about making revisions. On the other hand, the editor is the one who approves payment to the author and that's based on whether or not the manuscript is in the editor's opinion suitable or good enough to publish. So the two must come to a meeting of the minds.

After revisions have been done and please both the editor and author, the manuscript is line-edited. This is where the editor or a designated line-editor goes through using the Chicago Manual of Style and "corrects" the author's punctuation. I used to be an English teacher so I should know my grammar, etc pretty well. But line editors with the CMS always find "mistakes." After line-editing, another editor--a copy-editor--looks it over for even more discrepancies and mistakes. So that means, a manuscript goes through at least three editors before it goes to the typesetter.

And then it comes back to the author one more time before being printed into book form. This is called different things at different houses: Author Alterations, the Galleys, the Proofs, the First Pass Pages. Whatever a publishing house calls it, it is the final chance for the author to go over and check for mistakes, typos, etc. The author is always warned at this stage that
1) make as few changes as possible because once a typesetter goes back in, he might fix one error and create another,
and 2) if the author changes more than 10% of the text, she will be charged for each change. This can run around $10 per change. This is charged because it is very costly to re-set type. So by this time, the author should have already made any major changes or else she pays the price--literally!

After the author has gone over it this time, she/he will never see it again till it's a book!

Many times authors receive notes from readers telling them about typos or mistakes in a book. Authors just shake their heads. Nothing, absolutely nothing can or will be done once a book has been printed. And in this world, how many things are perfect? I don't know of anything--really. Every author and editor and typesetter has the same goal: to produce the best book they can. But we're only human!

This process takes at least 6 months and usually 12 months so an author is always working a year in advance of publication.

I hope this series has given you a peek into my world as a working author.
So would you like to be a writer now that you know? What about the process surprised you most? Your turn now!

How It Works-Being an Author-How a Book Gets a Cover

Hi, here's another facet of being an author that many readers have asked about. How does a book get its cover?

The process varies between publishing houses. At most houses, the author is asked for input and information about the covers and the text that appears on the outside of the book. But 98% (my estimate) of all authors do NOT CONTROL what goes on the cover of a book. Who does?

Though editors have some clout, it seems to me, the marketing department holds sway over covers. (I often think about being an artist and having to paint a cover to please a marketing department in addition to picky authors--the artists have my sympathy!)

At Steeple Hill, a division of Harlequin/Silhouette, Love Inspired authors like me fill out an AFS-Art Fact Sheet-for each book. The form is done online now and is quite exhaustive--covering a short synopsis of the books plot, a complete description of hero, heroine, important secondary characters, season of book, and the description of three scenes from the book. It takes hours to complete.

At other houses, I've been given suggested covers to comment on. One house even let me choose the models for two of the covers and another house lets me help write the back cover text.

At one house, however, I wasn't asked for any input and was just given covers. One of which was the most hideous cover ever known to mankind--Just my opinion. But I think that a book cover ought to ATTRACT a reader to pick up the book from the shelf (or click Larger image button on the online page)--not repel them.

So here's the cover I'm talking about. Look at the heroine's face and the hero's and all the clutter!

In the story, I said that the heroine wasn't good-looking in the usual way, but that didn't mean she was UGLY! And she's a daring 1920's flapper--not a school miss! And would you be tempted by that hero???? I ask you.


Nearly a decade later another house bought my Blessed Assurance series, all three books, and reissued it. Now I think this cover is ATTRACTIVE. Look at the first one and then the second one. Which do you prefer??

I have tried over the years to cultivate a detached attitude toward covers because ONLY THE NY TIMES BESTSELLING authors have control over their covers (and not all of them either probably). And what to me might be ugly, must have looked good to somebody, right?

Drop by my website and look at my book page. Let me know what your favorite cover and least favorite there are. Do you agree with my opinion of the covers above?
Next Tuesday, I'll be posting another of these How It Works articles.
Hope you'll drop by!