Yesterday I got the copyedited manuscript of One for Sorrow in the mail. Today I began going through it, checking everything out, correcting anything that needed correcting, adding/excising, etc. I’m almost halfway done with it after a few hours, but my head is hurting something fierce, so I’m taking a break for the day and will finish it up this weekend. But wow, copyeditors are scary and amazing. Mine has looked up road names to point out “Fisher-Corinth Road” does not have a dash between it, according to official online Ohio resources. (Even though that’s how it’s spelled on the road sign out here.) And has caught inconsistencies like when I spelled “Mmm-hmm” with the three m’s on page whatever, and then “Mm-hmm” with only two m’s in some other line of dialogue. I’m very grateful and very very afraid at the same time. I hope they’re being paid well, copyeditors, because I sure know my brain sifts right through things of this nature and I’m glad someone is there to catch stuff like this.
After I’m done with this, I think my part of making the book is finally over. What a relief that will be. Seriously. I have read this book a gazillion times now. By the time it comes out, I will probably want to run screaming from the sight of it. This may make for awkward reading and signing events.