We all have them. However, I have a friend who says I have more technology struggles than anyone else she knows of. On Wednesday, I had a major screw up. I was in the process of completing the set-up for SECOND ACT on CreateSpace. My formatter Tim with Top e-Publishing Services had done a great job, and we’d edited the heck out of the manuscript.
Still at one point in the process, after a 24-hour wait while “something” happened on their end, CreateSpace asked me to proof the doc again. I had Bob glance at it. Big mistake! He of course caught something.
Of course, the real mistake was mine for not correcting the problem in the documents I sent to Tim. It’s in the Author Bio section. I’d seen it when I was sending stuff to the Book Partners in Crime Promotions who are doing the FB Release Day party and my tour in April. I fixed it there. I did not remember to fix it with Tim’s doc of the whole manuscript.
What’s the problem you ask? You know how in the bio here on the web site I say something about being a theatre arts teacher? Well, almost always, spell check highlights the word, “theatre.” It wants the word spelled er at the end rather than re.
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Anyone who’s really connected to the business spells it re. I always have. The er word is where you watch movies. Anyway, I apparently assumed that’s what the little red underlining was about. WRONG! It’s the extra r at the front of the word. So when you read your print copy of the book, it will say “threatre” arts teacher.
I found in trying to fix it today, that CreateSpace doesn’t really want you to change anything of the content of the manuscript, just the format—like page size or color. By the time I realized that, it was too late. I’d already clicked proof which sent the whole thing back for another 24 hour approval run!
A lovely open Wednesday when I expected to get everything taken care of with the book, slid by without that happening! Instead, I cleaned out emails—that’s a little like cleaning the closets–and bought a wedding gift. I had to do something to feel productive.
So as of Wednesday afternoon, I hadn’t ordered the print books! AGGGHHH! It will cost me a fortune in shipping to get them here in time for the book signing on March 29. But I’ve learned a lot from this little experience.
#1 The book is not perfect.
#2 The book is never going to be perfect.
#3 After doing my best, I’ve got to be satisfied with good enough!
The last one is very difficult for me and my husband because both of us tend toward the perfectionist end of the spectrum. We’re better than we used to be, but still….
And #4 CreateSpace really doesn’t mean for you to “proof” the manuscript at that point in the process, you silly person! It’s all encased in a pdf document where you can’t get at it!
(Couldn’t resist) you may see some others, because, at some point, you have to stop editing and move on. Each time I read a manuscript, I see a way to tweak the words to say it differently—maybe better, but maybe just differently. So for now, this is SECOND ACT, The Second Chances Series, Book 1!