books – Page 3

Pruning Needed

October 22, 2015

Writing a book is an accomplishment, but the work certainly doesn’t stop there. A couple weeks ago, I worked on what is called the “Review Edit” on A Widow’s Might where, after the editors carefully went over my manuscript and made corrections, it came back to me to either accept or reject each change. We sent it back and forth until we were all happy with it.

What a humbling experience to see what I thought was a nearly perfect manuscript come back with red markings all over it! Many changes were small, but others required some rewriting. In the process I had to give up some sentences or phrases I had thought were really good in order to make the message clear. While I didn’t enjoy seeing all those red marks and purple comments, I knew the editors and I were working together to produce the best, most readable book possible. So I accepted most of their changes, and this made the book much better.

The editing process is very much like the pruning of a vine or bush. As I worked on the manuscript, I thought of the scripture in John 15:1-2 where Jesus talks about pruning, saying He is the vine and the Father is the gardener who removes unproductive branches and prunes the productive branches so they’ll bear more fruit. This passage used to scare me. I thought it was talking about removing people from the Kingdom if they weren’t doing their job. But no, I think now that it means as we abide in Him, He removes activities and relationships from our lives that are no longer productive, and He trims and refines fruitful ones to make them healthier. He loves us and wants the best for us.

In Hebrews 12:5-11 we read about discipline. Although we don’t enjoy the process at the moment, the end result is well worth it: “the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” I am very blessed to have editors who can spot the weaknesses in my book and get them out of there. And even more, I’m blessed to have a loving Father who prunes my life, helping me get rid of unproductive parts so what remains can be more fruitful.

A Book and its Cover

October 5, 2015

One of the questions I am asked most frequently these days is, “How are things going with the book?” The short answer is: very well. Praise God, who has blessed me with an editor who keeps things moving and is a joy to work with. Sometimes it can take a year or more from the time a book is accepted for publication until the finished product appears, but we’re moving along much faster than that! The proposed release date is February 2016, which will be here before we know it.

The process of getting a book from manuscript to the bookstore shelves involves many steps. I thought you might enjoy hearing about those steps. I did promise to share the journey with you.

The first step, once the contract was signed, was submitting the manuscript. Right as I was negotiating the contract, my daughter Julie suggested a change that involved moving some chapters around. This turned out to be a really good idea, so I had to do a little rewriting before sending it in.

I completed an editing form to help the editors get a feel for the message of the book. They began editing and proofreading as soon as they received the manuscript. Each editor goes through the book several times. While they were working on that, I found the photo of myself that I wanted them to use for publicity. I chose the one you see on my Facebook page, which was taken on the Alaska cruise ship, so I had to write the cruise line to obtain permission to use it. Because my publisher encourages authors to take an active role in producing and promoting the book, I wrote copy for the back cover (this is harder than it sounds!) and biographical information for the inside. I was also asked to find quotes from my book that could be used in the publisher’s promotional materials.

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but cover design is very important. First, I went through thousands of photos on the two websites the publisher uses, searching for the perfect one. Their graphic designer does all the work of putting the cover together, but I had input into it, and the final say on the design. I wanted a picture that would convey the tone of the book. I had in mind Psalm 1:1-3, which describes a godly man: “He shall be like a tree, planted by rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.” This psalm forms the basis for my Chapter 2, “Spiritual Photosynthesis.” We decided on the image you see here, which contains all the elements: tree, water, and sunlight and depicts strength, depth, and joy. Would this cover make you want to pick up the book and see what it’s about?

Today I submitted what is called the first author review. This was my opportunity to see the changes the editors had made, and accept them or suggest other changes. There were a few parts where I need to do some rewriting or add more explanations. This is not disheartening; it’s just a part of the process. Now they’ll look at what I’ve done, accept or reject my changes, and propose other changes. The manuscript will go back and forth this way until we all agree on the final product.

My next steps while we’re in this editing process will be developing my Launch Team and looking for endorsements for the book. You’ll be hearing more about the Launch Team shortly, with an invitation to become a part of it and an opportunity to read the book before it’s published. I’m also working on lining up speaking engagements, and of course I’m having a lot of fun with my blog.

I’ll keep you posted on the progress. I hope you like the cover!