As a writer, you’d think I’d chosen the most solitary of
professions, all holed up in my little study tapping away, on my own. But when
it comes to getting my books OUT THERE, it’s a different story. I have a TEAM
and what an amazing bunch they are!
Firstly, I have beta-readers in Lincoln, who scour my early drafts
and answer a series of questions, such as ‘Does the story drag anywhere?’ and
‘Did you find out certain facts/reveals too soon/too late?’ etc. I also want to
know if they worked out ‘who dun it’? And if so, where? It’s always a fantastic
feeling when one of them gets in touch, saying, ‘I’m still reeling from the big
twist at the end – never saw that one coming’…
My copy editor is in Plymouth and she also gives me structural
edits, pointing out, for example that one strand of the story is too implausible or
the main character contradicts herself. She has the most amazing eye, having
worked as an editor for major publishing houses for years. She also irons out
clunky sentences and proofreads. I’m always shell-shocked to see how many back
to front and awkward phrases I manage to produce in the beginning! She also points
out the technology I get wrong. Not being much of a techie, I often mention a
'video' instead of a 'DVD' or 'CDs' instead of 'iPods' or 'smartphones'.
During this time, across the other side of the world, my
fantastic cover designer is sending over draft versions of the ebook and
paperback covers from Texas! We go back and forth for a while until we get the main image and the atmosphere right. The new book is all about snow, but the feel of the cover has to be savage and remote, so we try to find a dark, menacing mood, rather than the look of a pretty snow globe! The covers all match the branding my designer has set up for me,
giving each book a distinctive look in terms of the all–lower-case font for the
title and the distressed texture.
In the meantime, my Agent is focusing on the books that are
already selling. She is putting me forward for special promotions on Amazon, so they will
appear in ‘Kindle Daily Deals’ not only in UK and US, but also in, say, India
or Australia. As I write, all my books are in the Top 30 Psychological Thrillers listings in the UK.
Then, when all the edits come back, I knuckle down and fix everything in the story, tighten
up the plot, tidy up the narrative, swap the order of events to make it more
dramatic. Then I check for continuity – as I mentioned, the weather is a particular issue in this
new one – with shoulder-high snow drifts which thaw, then freeze over into treacherous ice. I love the
chance for lots of imagery and the way the conditions plays such a big part in the
plot, although one astute beta-reader reminded me I needed to pay more attention
to down to earth issues like grit, anti-freeze, ice-scrapers and so on.
After that, I proofread – this is the stage I’m at right now,
running through the whole book in two to three days, in long blocks, so that I keep on
top of the story without too many interruptions. Then, I’ll sort out the
formatting. The print book looks very different from the ebook version, which
has no page numbers for a start, and needs individual links to each chapter at
the beginning. I’ve mentioned it before, but Catherine Ryan Howard’s book is a huge help at that stage.
Then the book will go to my proof-readers; two more helpful
souls from Lincoln. One is female, in her mid-fifties, the other is male,
mid-twenties. It’s good to have a range of readers! When that is on the go,
I’ll start my preparation for the launch, setting up blog tours, planning
giveaways and writing features for book sites.
So here is my little homage to my fantastic Literary Team –
you know who you are – and you’re all brilliant!
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AJ Waines’ novels are Standalones and can be read in any order.
Find AJ Waines at:
Blog * Newsletter * Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest * Goodreads * Google+
AJ Waines’ novels are Standalones and can be read in any order.
- Girl on a Train became a Number One Bestseller on Kindle in UK and Australia (2015)
- Dark Place to Hide sold 2,000+ copies in the first month.
- The Evil Beneath went to Number One in 'Murder' and 'Psychological Thrillers' in the UK Kindle charts.
- Awarded Kindle KDP Top 100 'most-read Author' in UK (2015)
Find AJ Waines at:
Blog * Newsletter * Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest * Goodreads * Google+
