Genesis of a Novel – Part XV – First Round of Edits

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? About 100 days, to be more precise. That’s quite a while to wait. Nope, not really. Not at ‘publishing house’ speed, truly it isn’t.

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However, I do have a fantastic editor, and this IS actually longer than she normally takes. You see, I keep track. Because I’m one of those annoying numbers people, that’s why!

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My average length of time between signing contract and getting my first round of edits is 79 days. Now, one of those was 10 days (first book submitted, when my publisher had fewer authors!), and one was much longer (131 days). But even if I take those outliers away, the average is 81, still close. This round was 107, so on the high side. But she’s been swamped, and she makes certain not to cut corners, so I’m fine with the wait!

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The editor sent me a Word document with my manuscript. It contains two types of edits. The easier type is adding or subtracting commas, correcting words (waterskin to water skin, towards to toward, etc.) and the like. I just look at each one and decide (usually) to accept the correction. Occasionally I will decline it because it is part of someone’s authetic speech, or an archaic spelling that works better with the story. I’ll leave a comment bubble for her explaining the rejection.

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The second type of edits are comment bubbles. Those often take longer to correct. Some are easy, such as ‘this is an awkward sentence’ or ‘your timeline is off here, please fix.’ Other times it’s more difficult: ‘Your pacing is off here. You might want to pick it up last scene.”

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Once I correct all those comments, I also have my own to correct. You see, the three months between me submitting the manuscript and my editor returning it for edits were not spent idle. Not only did I write another novel in the meantime, I thought about this one. I cogitated. I percolated. I came up with interesting tidbits that could improve the story, the character, the setting. I made notes of these epiphanies in my copy of the document so I could make those changes when the edits came around. Since I’d written the next novel (and started a third!) since then, I could use that time to tie in some of the events of the other novel, to more easily mesh the overarching story. Details of characters that are in both, that sort of thing.

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Now that the editor has the manuscript once again, she’ll go through for a second and usually third level of edits, sending each to me in turn to correct. So now we wait again.

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The novel does have a publication month (January 2018) though not yet a concrete date. More information on that to come when I know.

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In other writing news, I JUST submitted (like today!) Misfortune of Song, the prequel to Misfortune of Vision, the novel with which you’ve been riding along. I’ve started writing the third novel, Misfortune of Time, which takes place before Song.

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More parts:

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I write historical fantasy novels, mostly set in Ireland, and a contemporary romance based on my parents’ 30-year search for true love. Don’t miss information on Celtic myth and history, as well as practical travel planning tips, and hidden places, in my travel books.

• Call of the Morrigú – Historical fantasy set in 1797 Ireland.
• The Enchanted Swans– Historical fantasy set in 500 BCE Ireland, based on The Children of Lir, an Irish Fairy Tale.
• Better To Have Loved– Contemporary romance based on the true story of my parents’ 30-year search for love
• Legacy of Hunger– Historical fantasy set in 1846 Ireland. Druid’s Brooch #1 (Now available in PRINT!)
• Legacy of Truth– Historical fantasy set around 1800 Ireland. Druid’s Brooch #2
• Legacy of Luck – Historical fantasy set in 1745 Ireland and Scotland. Druid’s Brooch #3
• Misfortune of Vision – Historical fantasy set in 12th century Ireland. Druid’s Brooch #4 (release date January 10, 2018)
• Misfortune of Song – Historical fantasy set in 12th century Ireland. Druid’s Brooch #5 (projected release date April 2018)
• Misfortune of Time – Historical fantasy set in 11th century Ireland. Druid’s Brooch #6 (first draft done – in editing)
• Turlough’s Tale – Short Story in The Druid’s Brooch series, set ten years before Legacy of Luck.
• Stunning, Strange and Secret: A Guide to Hidden Scotland
• Mythical, Magical, Mystical: A Guide to Hidden Ireland

More info at Green Dragon Artist :: Home ,

Christy Jackson Nicholas, Author , and

Tirgearr Publishing – Christy Nicholas

Green Dragon Artist Blog

About Green Dragon Artist

Celtic Fairies, Fables, and Folklore! Bestselling author (top #100 Amazon Canada, #1 in Paranormal Fantasy, Amazon Canada) Christy Nicholas, also known as Green Dragon, is an author, artist and accountant. After she failed to become an airline pilot, she quit her ceaseless pursuit of careers that begin with 'A', and decided to concentrate on her writing. Since she has Project Completion Disorder, she is one of the few authors with NO unfinished novels. Christy has her hands in many crafts, including digital art, beaded jewelry, writing, and photography. In real life, she's a CPA, but having grown up with art all around her (her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother are/were all artists), it sort of infected her, as it were. She wants to expose the incredible beauty in this world, hidden beneath the everyday grime of familiarity and habit, and share it with others. She uses characters out of time and places infused with magic and myth. Combine this love of beauty with a bit of financial sense and you get an art business. She does local art and craft shows, as well as sending her art to various science fiction conventions throughout the country and abroad. Facebook: www.facebook.com/greendragonauthor Homepage: www.greendragonartist.com Blog: www.greendragonartist.net Twitter: www.twitter.com/greendragon9