March 31st, 2021
Wow. Does anyone else feel like March just zipped by in a blink? I looked at the calendar this morning and had to do a double-take. But here we are, on the last day of the month, and here I am writing another monthly progress report. The biggest update I have is that I received the copy edits back for Deceit (that’s book one in the D-Evolution, for anyone not in the know).
If you’re anything like I was before delving into the world of publishing stories, you’re probably thinking that a copy edit is all there is. In fact, there are several levels of editing a story goes through before it’s given to the masses. Developmental editing comes first, and an editor at this stage helps with big picture things, like plot and characterization. Next comes copy editing where an editor pays attention to style, tone, consistency, and as much grammar and punctuation as they see fit (although they rarely seem to get to all of it, in my experience). Finally, we have a round known as proofreading where an editor abolishes all grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. At least, that’s the hope.
So, the copy editing for Deceit is done, and I was quite pleased with how few blunders I had made in my attempt at a clean manuscript. After fourteen years of making stuff up, it seems like a handful of writing rules have wriggled into my brain and stuck there. Now the story gets passed onto the proofreading editor for another run through the gauntlet of red ink. If things go half as well as the copy editing round, I’ll be a lucky dude.
–Sean