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THE MAKING OF A BOOK
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PART 46 I SEE THE FINISH LINE
I had a plan for publishing, but the unexpected often derailed plans. July 2022, I hired Literary Management Group (LMG) to produce my faith manuscript. LMG said it would be ready before the end of 2022. I changed the title to Seeking Justice and sent the manuscript.
LMG replied the first chapter needed work. There was nothing to draw the reader into the story that offered something of value to them. I rewrote the chapter. LMG loved it.
Next step, each chapter needed something the reader could apply to their lives to help them understand faith that pleases God. By August 1st I had deleted a chapter, added a new chapter, and added the applications, which I called steps. I also suggested four options for titles. But I felt something was missing. LMG thought the revisions were good and thought nothing was missing.
In late August 2022, we discussed the manuscript and agreed on the title Faith’s Mystery. I revised the manuscript to say clues instead of steps. The last clue became the element of faith I felt was missing. LMG suggested I start a website called Faith’s Mystery. I had a website I titled Teena L Myers that I used with my other books. It had been dormant for several years. I changed the name and reactivated it.
The manuscript went to copy editing early September, and I received a list of things they needed: endorsements, head shot and bio, back cover hook to attract readers, acknowledgements, and prologue. I sent everything requested except the prologue. Instead of putting a prologue in the book, I blogged a long prologue explaining the backstory, hoping to complete it near the time the book is ready to be released.
Circumstances beyond anyone’s control delayed production. I received the copy edits to review early November. I accepted most of the recommended edits and rewrote several sentences to add clarity. The manuscript was ready for copy design mid-November and then the holidays were upon us, which also delayed production.
I received three cover designs the first week of January 2023. LMG leaned toward option #1. Option #1 was okay, I hated option #2, and liked option #3. I asked my husband and son which cover they liked. My husband chose #3 and my son #1. I had a tie instead of a winner, so I put #1 and #3 on Facebook and asked my friends to vote. The vote was a landslide in favor of #3.
LMG sent the interior design for my review on January 9th. I hated it. They sent a new design. I loved it. They applied the new design, and I received the galleys on January 12th. I read the first 46 pages and rejected it. If this is what the book would look like when printed, it was not acceptable. There were inconsistent spacing between the last sentence on a page and the footnotes. I understand the blank space when the next page was a new chapter, but I did not see the need for blank space when the next page is not a new chapter.
I returned the galleys with my complaint about the spacing and a few other corrections. I am expecting the final page proofs on Wednesday, January 25th. If I can review and approve by Friday, January 27th, Faith’s Mystery will be available for sale by February 1, 2023. Unless the unexpected delays the plan.
Faith's Mystery 