Copy Edits

On Friday I got my second ever set of copy edits. I wasn't really expecting them so it was a nice surprise and makes the sale to Harlequin feel all the more real. Copy edits are a print out of the book with numbered pages and lines. A copy goes to me and to my editor and we get to proof it and I can request any necessary changes at this time. With Dorchester my copy edits were minimal. Very little of the book was changed from what I originally wrote. Very, very little. As in so little that I didn't catch changes if there were some made. I'd done a revision for my Dorchester editor and changed my hero's likeness from Ricky Martin to Benjamin Bratt (good change, I know!) but other than that, Jane is pretty much like I wrote her. The book to Harlequin is different. The HAD monster has taken over and although technically correct I cringe at 3, 4, and 5 HADs showing up in a single sentence. There are also changes with my phrasing of things where perhaps it'll translate into foreign languages easier? And some specific references have been changed to more general things. I found it very interesting to see the differences in the process from one publishing house to another. I only found a couple of typos, but I plan to go through the copy edits another time just to make sure I didn't miss anything. As a writer I cringe at the thought of picking up a book I wrote and seeing typos. Some happen later in the game, where the author has no chance to find them and correct them, but I don't want any overlooked that I have the power to correct.

Will keep you posted as I go! on this wonderful process of publication.