In “Disco Donna,” three very modern teenage girls stumble
upon proof of their town’s most famous urban legend. Disco Donna was the 80’s
girl too hot to care about her bad reputation. Donna was murdered on Halloween
night, left in her bed clasping a single red rose. Her killer was never found
and theories of the murderer’s identity are still whispered in the town’s
cafés, shops, and high school hallways.
It was great fun to create my own urban legend and even more
fun to work with the talented authors who shared their expertise and time to
take my story from rough draft to less-rough draft, sharpening plot twists,
highlighting characters, and omitting needless words. We discussed techniques
for breaking and entering, ink colors, and the best ways to hide things you
don’t want your parents to find. When my drafts came back heavily tattooed with
editorial marks, my heart fell, but each suggestion helped me tighten and
improve the work.
Now the story is a galley. To sailors, the galley is a
kitchen. To lovers of B movies, a galley is a Ben Hur style long boat powered
by men chained to oars. In publishing, the galley, or “galley proof” is the mock
up of the book, the penultimate step before it goes to be printed. It’s the
last chance. The galley is the dress rehearsal of the publishing process. All
the writing and rewriting and editing and polishing have taken place and now
we’re looking for typos. It’s done. Don’t get any ideas, the editorial
coordinator warned me. (OK, Barb!) It’s too late for changes, unless they are
huge.
So I am thrilled and a bit afraid to review my story. What
if I do find that huge mistake? What if’s make for good story ideas, but also
for a bad night’s sleep. But then I remember the great advice and help I have
received from my Sisters in Crime editors. Thank you Marcia, Donna, and Barb!
Without your help, I wouldn’t have slept as well last night.
How did you feel when you first saw your work in galley
form?
It felt great, Shari. I found no mistakes, but what I did ponder were changes in word usage. Did I really want that comma there--is it technically correct or does it confuse? Perhaps I could have stated that better. Will all my nits add up to impact that is less that what I hope for because I was less than perfect? It felt great, but then again, a story is never finished.
ReplyDeleteI agree with E.B. Every time I get a galley (and mine seem to come at the worst possible times, with a very quick turn-around) I find myself second guessing all sorts of things. Why didn't I say it that way? Is this pronoun confusing--should I have used a name? Or have I used the name too often?
ReplyDeleteBut galleys are down to typos and obvious, horrendous errors, so I try to quell my doubts and concentrate on making sure it's as error-free as possible.
So true, E.B. I've heard that most authors look at their first published works and cringe. There was an article in the Washington Post on Sunday where Gene Weingarten revisits the Agatha Christie short stories he loved as a teen and realizes that her early stories were pretty rough. She got better as she went, and that gave him hope. Same here.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, KM, I've got to bat away the horror and just get the work done.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction was similar to everyone else's excitement mixed with anxiety. When possible I jump in quickly which tones down both emotions.
ReplyDeleteIt was the first time I actually believed I would be in print. It was for my bridge book and it was pretty exciting. Now when I receive them it’s: you want it back by when?
ReplyDelete~ Jim
Always excited--but finding all the mistakes can be frustrating. Better in the galley than in the printed book.
ReplyDeleteHuge congrats, Shari!!!! Yay!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Shari and E.B., too.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see the galleys for my first published story which was "Cheating on Your Wife Can Get You Killed" and won the first and I think only short story contest put on by Love is Murder and appeared in Crimespree Magazine. The first galley, I saw was for "The Professor's Books" in FISH TALES, the first Guppy anthology. I think that was when I truly felt like an author. And yes, it's a great feeling, but a worry, too, that I might have been able to make it better.
Congratulations, Shari!
ReplyDeleteI was excited yet concerned that I would encounter a huge mistake. The what ifs could have made me crazy if I let them.