I got my manuscript back from my ace proofreader, Jude White, at the weekend, and I’ve been desperate to start work on it ever since. Unfortunately (well, fortunately for my bank balance) I had to finish two indexes first…
But now work is all done so I can settle down to go through the changes and suggestions she made.
ANXIETY ALERT!!!
Have you ever used Word’s Track Changes? It is stressing me out. Every time I accept or reject a change I have to go back and find it and check it did it right. I’ve got this (probably irrational) fear that I might make more mistakes as I go along – an extra space here, two words merging together there – and end up having to pay to get it proofed again. And then what? Make the changes and get it proofed again. And on and on…
I think I’ve become a little obsessed with making the finished manuscript absolutely error free. But then, I did pay out £325 for proofreading instead of doing it myself or giving it to family and friends to do. And I’m glad I did – I’m only up to the second chapter of the proofed version and Jude has spotted loads of things. Well worth the money, and as I’m a total pedant myself when it comes to spotting errors in other people’s books, it’s right that I should practice what I preach.
Anyway, Jude has given me some good advice for working through the document, so I’m just going to be careful and not stress too much. Next deadline: uploading to Kindle by Friday, 11th May!
Joanne Phillips 
May 4, 2012 at 11:54 am
It’s the final straight now, you can do it! Congratulations! Look forward to reading the end, I’m hooked now.
May 4, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Thanks Marina 🙂
May 4, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Hi Jo, well done on being so close to the end of editing/beginning of publishing! With track changes, I find it’s best to have your original document up with the one with the ‘changes’, then edit it on the original rather than accept the changes. It means you don’t have to worry about accidently accepting too many spaces or something. Good luck!
May 4, 2012 at 1:35 pm
That’s a brilliant idea! I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Thanks Rosanne 🙂
May 7, 2012 at 9:50 pm
That was going to be my advice too. I have just completed my manuscript in that way. It is so much easier. Good luck with it.
May 4, 2012 at 6:21 pm
Good luck! 🙂
May 7, 2012 at 8:23 am
Thanks Emma 🙂
May 4, 2012 at 10:02 pm
I love Rosanne’s idea — I am going to adopt it! I always have the same irrational (rational?) fear of introducing new mistakes. I had a similar experience while copy editing someone else’s manuscript using Track Changes and worried that I would introduce errors as I made my comments/changes. Good luck with the final stretch!
May 7, 2012 at 8:26 am
Hi Audrey,
It’s a great idea, and I’m definitely going to try it next time. My only problem is that the proofreader made some changes outside of Track Changes, such as removing extra spaces and correcting a couple of proper names. So I have to work on the proofed document this time – but I have found that if you use the drop-down menus next to ‘Accept’ and ‘Reject’ you can choose to accept or reject only, without moving on, allowing you to see that the changes have been made OK.
x
May 5, 2012 at 8:19 am
Wow, good luck for the 11th honey 🙂
I think it’s definitely a good idea if you’re going to self publish to have a professional proof reader and/or editor look over the book first. I’m thinking I’ll do the same with mine before submitting to a publisher/agent. I make so many silly little errors lol.
Exciting!!!!! 🙂
Xx
May 7, 2012 at 8:27 am
Hi Vikki,
Thank you 🙂 I can recommend Jude White – very professional and not too expensive.
Jo x
May 7, 2012 at 8:46 am
Thanks Jo, much appreciated 🙂
Xx
May 5, 2012 at 9:10 am
GOOD LUCK JO! Will be thinking of you. xxxx
May 7, 2012 at 8:27 am
Thanks Christine x
May 5, 2012 at 9:49 pm
Good luck! The proof reading cycle is really something to fry your head!!
May 7, 2012 at 8:29 am
You’re not wrong! Some of the corrections, particularly in characters’ speech, are grammatically correct but don’t quite capture the ‘voice’ I was going for. It’s another type of skill entirely to decide when to depart from the rules for effect. Or not. 🙂
May 7, 2012 at 9:54 pm
I’m sizzled – I’m on my 4th read through since receiving my reveiw copy ten days ago – I think I must doze whilst I read.!