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Author Craft / A question on the publishing process
« on: December 31, 2015, 02:47:50 PM »
Hi, all! Happy new 2016 (almost)
I have a question about the publishing process as I am writing a book about an author (very meta of me, I know ) and I was hoping someone who knows the business will be able to help me out.
Basically, I would like to know the stages a book goes through from a publisher saying yes to the book hitting the stores.
I imagine that there will be several rounds of edits to start off, and then proofreading (galley proofs was the term wikipedia turned up for me), and then maybe some more minor edits (spelling, grammar etc) before printing and distribution. Is this correct? Or have I left out anything important? My author writes YA fantasy/sci-fi, by the way, if that makes a difference.
Specifically, I would also like to know when is the last time (like seriously seriously last time) an author can feasibly make plot changes to a book prior to publication. I think (from Googling) that the last time one can make actual changes in terms of plot is in the first galley proof, as after this only spelling and glaring errors can be revised (because apparently it costs money to make changes at this stage), but as I say, this is all stuff I've gotten from the internet and it could all be untrue....also, would it make a difference if the author in question was very famous and/or a bestselling author (think JK Rowling bestselling)? Would they get more leeway in that case?
Thanks in advance
I have a question about the publishing process as I am writing a book about an author (very meta of me, I know ) and I was hoping someone who knows the business will be able to help me out.
Basically, I would like to know the stages a book goes through from a publisher saying yes to the book hitting the stores.
I imagine that there will be several rounds of edits to start off, and then proofreading (galley proofs was the term wikipedia turned up for me), and then maybe some more minor edits (spelling, grammar etc) before printing and distribution. Is this correct? Or have I left out anything important? My author writes YA fantasy/sci-fi, by the way, if that makes a difference.
Specifically, I would also like to know when is the last time (like seriously seriously last time) an author can feasibly make plot changes to a book prior to publication. I think (from Googling) that the last time one can make actual changes in terms of plot is in the first galley proof, as after this only spelling and glaring errors can be revised (because apparently it costs money to make changes at this stage), but as I say, this is all stuff I've gotten from the internet and it could all be untrue....also, would it make a difference if the author in question was very famous and/or a bestselling author (think JK Rowling bestselling)? Would they get more leeway in that case?
Thanks in advance