It is a strange feeling, unwrapping the package that has come through the door to find a copy of your own book in your hands. All those months of effort are starting to finally come to fruition. I say finally as, even though this is my second book, it was only a proof version.
It is still a thrill however.
I must admit that with my first work, I did not put in the effort to proof read it and correct it in the way I should have. The results speak for themselves. I will revisit this work at some time.
I hold my latest work in my hands and flicking through the pages I am left with conflicting feelings of pride and embarrassment. Pride because I have produced something that not everyone does, something which looks good in its physical form. Embarrassed because it has become a reality that people can look at, comment on and judge. Once it is out there there is no going back. I can’t help being afraid of what people may think. Why, I cannot say.
I’ve been working on this book for a few years now. I am pleased with the way it looks. Matt’s original artwork for the cover looks amazing yet, as a proof is not ready to publish. I have read the manuscript over and over again, changed things, moved stuff about and chopped stuff out. By now it should have been perfect yet I found forty seven errors that needed correcting. Some were so blindingly obvious I don’t know how I missed them, including no page numbers or a contents page. There were a few spelling mistakes, usually due to a word that looks similar such as though and through, as well as some spacing errors. The biggest number of mistakes however, was due to me missing out the full stop at the end of a sentence. I have a bad habit.
Ah well, I’ve been back to the grind. I’ve sorted all the errors out, at least I think I have and have had the nod that everything is good to go.
It is now out to market. Just in time for Christmas.
It is still a thrill!
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 