Page Proofs Arrive for Court of Fives

Here’s an extremely basic version of how my part in the publishing process works in traditional commercial publishing (not other kinds, like self-publishing, which I don’t have enough expertise to discuss):

I write a book. Maybe I write an entire first draft and then sell it to a publisher or maybe I sell it on proposal and write it after I have a contract. I revise the work some number of times and turn it into my editor.

The editor gives me revision notes, and I revise.

After several revision passes, the manuscript goes to a copy editor who goes over it to make sure there is proper grammar, consistency of usage and nomenclature, and no awkward language, and to check for a character’s eyes changing color from brown to blue and other such random mistakes.

The manuscript gets typeset into the visual form it will have as a book. At this point I get sent first pass page proofs to proof for typos and any final minor line edits. Page proofs for my forthcoming YA fantasy novel arrived this week.

Here is a photo of the title page of COURT OF FIVES, with lovely typography and design.

A photo of the title page of Court of Fives, Book One of The Fives, Kate Elliott. From the page proofs.

I have a full month to proof the text. So far the text has been very clean.

Here’s the first page:

pg1C0Fproofs

On more step closer to publication, which is (alas) still a ways off: Summer 2015, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

I will have more information about the story and publication details in a later post. Meanwhile, I’m thrilled to see my “Little Women meet the Count of Monte Cristo in a setting inspired by Greco-Roman Egypt” fantasy turning into a book.

2 thoughts on “Page Proofs Arrive for Court of Fives

  1. I hope the page proofs are going well, and that Justine’s book release is going swimmingly. Sorry to be a nag, but have either of you busy people had the time to schedule the next women’s fiction book club discussion? (I just don’t want to miss it!)

  2. Susan, tomorrow Monday 30 June USA time (10 pm ET, 7 PM PT, 4 PM HT), and Tuesday 1 July noon ET Australia time.

    We both got really swamped this June with work and also with family illness.

    Thanks for asking!

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