Paksworld

I’ve been told I’ll be getting the page proofs early in September.   This is the step that produces ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies, or review copies.)   As of September, we’re only six months from publication…scary thought.

Page proofs are the first time I see the book as it will look–well, with the typeface, the arrangement of chapter titles on the pages, etc.    It looks even more  “real” in the ARCs, which are the right size and bound in a cover.  Changes to proofs are expensive, so if I make many, I have to pay for them.  Particularly expensive are changes that make a page lop over–because that changes all subsequent pages in that chapter (and, at worst, all subsequent chapters if there’s not a short page at the end that can absorb an extra line or two.   This is why going over the copy edits carefully  is so important.

Other production news–Baen’s told me that Todd Lockwood won’t have time to do all three re-works of the original mmpb covers in time, so he’ll do one and Dominic Harman will do the other two.

Meanwhile, I need to get back to work on the monster map as well as everything else (Book Two’s revisions, Book Three’s first draft, etc.)   I want to have Book Two ready for the editor by the end of September.   And the big map done as soon as I can clear off the kitchen table again (don’t ask!!)  so that I have all the details nailed down for when (mumble-mumble-spoilerish-stuff) needs checking.   I haven’t done a lick of work on the book since a week ago Thursday, what with ArmadilloCon and the trip to Clemson, what with recovery and catching up on stuff when I got home.