The proofed copy is delivered with what seems to be an incredible amount of corrections and facts to check. Actually when I start doing it – its not too bad – but it will take the weekend to do. My computer with the invaluable Google is down a flight of stairs from the kitchen table … Read more
Finish typing the labels for people who have ordered the book. I manage to e-mail most people who have ordered it to let them know that it is delayed until May. The next big push must be to bookshops – I met someone from Heywood Hill last night and he told me that they are … Read more
Talk to the proof reader about my muddled footnotes – I think we sort something out. The book now won’t be ready to be collected until Friday. I start typing out labels for all those who have ordered the book. When the postcards arrive – I’ll have to send one to everyone who has sent … Read more
Drive to Battersea to deliver the manuscript for a thorough second proof read. It should be ready tomorrow … at some point I’ll have to do the index but not before the corrections are inserted. Send off press releases to the Bookseller and Publishing News and I let Great Ormond Street Hospital know about the … Read more
Check that Nielsen Book Data have the details of Halfway to Venus on their database. They do – although the information evidently hasn’t filtered through to the shops yet. Finish the proof reading and I finally get the footnotes sorted. I start to think seriously about publicity – whether in fact I can cope with … Read more
Back from a soggy weekend in Gloucestershire. Collect the proofs from my sister – a pro – and start incorporating the errors I have found from my set into her copy of the manuscript. My punctuation is abysmal – I was always teased about my commas (or lack of …)
Send off the artwork for my postcards – I have decided to order 1000 – somewhat ambitious but the price differential between 500 and 1000 is minimal. I also redo the text for the book’s cover which, although it’s going to be a paperback, is going to have flaps. I continue to proof-read ….
Spend day proof-reading and checking some of my sloppier references. Why can’t I be more organised when I’m doing research? Although what I have discovered is that you can put whole chunks of text into Google and it will come up with the right reference within seconds. Magic.
Only a small amount of time on proof-reading the book today – but I have now got an image (the book cover) for postcards. Maybe tomorrow will be more constructive.
Completely different kind of day from yesterday; no one rings and no one comes round. I spend it correcting proofs and trying to sort out the footnotes some of which I seem to have got wrong by one number which of course makes all of them wrong. Ring the wholesalers Bertrams and Gardners to tell … Read more