GOING THROUGH MY GALLEYS
I received my galleys for The Heart of the Matter, my novel that will be published by Heartsong presents in April, 2007. The galleys are (is?) the typeset version of a novel, exactly as it will appear in the printed book. It has two pages per piece of paper, laid out landscape style.
It's thrilling to hold your galleys in your hand. I held it and said, "Thank You, Lord, for this writing opportunity."
I also asked God to let this novel touch someone's heart in a special way.
Over the weekend, I sat down and read it indepth to find any errors and to make requested changes. Three hours went by, and I didn't even know it until I happened to look at the clock. I couldn't believe it.
I took a short break and then went at it again. It was enjoyable reading it. I haven't seen the novel since last May when I turned it in. The story is based on the scripture, 1 Samuel 16:7: "Man looks at the outward apearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." The premise is,
A woman with a problem...
A man with a prejudice...
A child with the answer.
As I read it--again, I haven't seen it since last May--I thought, This reminds me of Pride and Prejudice slightly. I'd say that's a good thing.
My requested changes are minor but will clarify or add continuity. Going through your galleys, of course, is the last leg of the editing process. The novel has already gone through editors and proofreaders. Editorial changes make your story better, in my opinion. I'm thankful for good editors.
One requested change I'm making is interesting. Backdrop: This is a novel set in the South (Florida). The characters are Southern through and through. In the original version, I said they were drinking "Cokes." In the South, we say a generic "Coke" for all soft drinks. We never say "sodas." Well, we used to never. We're getting influenced by Northerners lately, I've noticed. :)
Anway, we'll say, "You want a Coke?" meaning "You want a soft drink?" So the editor replaced my original "Coke" with "soda." Twice.
I'm requesting "soda" be replaced with "drinks." It's not a big deal. It's just a Southern thing.
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I can't wait to go through my next set of galleys.
posted by Kristy Dykes @ 6:10 AM
8 comments
8 Comments:
One of the editors who reviewed my first novel took issue with the protagonist always drinking Diet Coke. Hey, he's a doctor, and they live on caffeine--typically black coffee or Diet Coke. What's wrong with accuracy and specificity?
I hate saying "soda"--that's Yankee. Of course, in the part of Texas where I grew up, it wasn't, "Do you want a Coke?" It came out, "Yuh wanna CoCola?"
Yes, I've heard CoCola many times too! All Southerners unite! At least for standing up for the use of something other than "soda" in our novels!! Yeah!
It's those nuances that make a story believable for the reader.
How exciting! Although you've done this before, I suspect it doesn't get mundane. I'll look for your book when it comes out.
I can't wait to experience what you're experiencing!
In Arkansas, it's soda.
Thanks, all, for your comments. Arkansas calls it "soda," eh? No matter the name, it tastes good, doesn't it?
I'm always surprised when I read my galleys or even the ms before submitting for deadline, how I can get lost in my own story! LOL.
I hope it translates to readers.
We say soda in Florida. Or Coke. I grew up in Ohio and we said "pop."
Rachel
I'd change it back to coke, Kristy. A novel should have the flavor of the setting. I think it's very important.
Thanks, Colleen, for that advice. Actually, when I posted about this on the ACFW loop, I looked these places up in my manuscript and found I'd submitted "soft drinks" and "cold drinks," and I'd deleted "Coke" before I turned in the manuscript. But the editor replaced all of these with "sodas." We'll see if they get changed back. Thanks again.
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