I brought my matte finish print proof to work on Wednesday. A lot of people liked the matte, how it felt so "soft" and "powdery." Others thought, same as me, that it might be better in glossy.
"I think glossy would make the blacks deeper and the whites pop more," I said. "And maybe boost the saturation on the blues...I want it to be truer to the digital file." So goes the debate.
There was a lady who suggested embossing the letters on the cover. I had thought the exact same thing when I laid eyes on my first print proof. Unfortunately, this cool effect is not an option with cheap on-demand printing. Honestly, the quality of the print proof was mediocre. I wish I could afford a boutique printer or an overseas mass production run that I could import.
I noticed a crooked margin, which tells me that the pages are not cut straight. It wasn't even me that noticed. One of my colleagues spotted it. I hope it's not like this in production. This bothers me and I think I need to take it up with the printer...
Another thing that I noticed when I was digital proofing was the way the typesetting in a couple places contained only part of one line or one word carried over to a page by itself (end of a chapter). I had debated fixing this, but I wasn't sure it was worth bothering the formatter again over it. Although, in the end I think my critics know best. There was only one person out of about 30 people who scanned the print proof who wasn't bothered by a "widow." Everyone else expressed very strong feelings about the annoyance of lone lines and widowed words. So, I did contact the formatter for a revision on the typesetting...and I did feel like a nuisance. But from what I've digitally proofed, it was the right move. It looks much cleaner...
So, here I am, ordering print proof number two. I paid for expedited shipping because I want to release Silver Awakening, both the e-book and the paperback, on September 10th. Originally I had wanted to release at the end of August, but I ran into so many technical issues, and then of course the design process took much longer than I had anticipated. But I think it is better to delay and feel like I have a product that I'm confident in rather than hurry to meet a self-imposed deadline. Well, sort of self-imposed...I have plans to hold a book signing while in California, where I'll be heading to attend a big family/friends event in mid-September, which is why I made the Drop-dead deadline September 10th. I don't want to miss an opportunity to help spark any potential word of mouth buzz. I mean, I'm an indie author who no one knows or cares about, right? Don't I need all the help I can get?
This has been a long and slightly difficult process. I think as I write my next novel (I'm working on Sins, Hims, and Whims of a Single Mother, but I also just started compiling all my notes for a Silver Awakening sequel, so we'll see which one I finish first.) I need to keep in mind the struggles. During this process I figured out how to make slight revisions to my e-book and I realized that while it is time-consuming, with my art education and background, it wasn't as impossible as I thought it might be. I'd like to try it myself next time...at least for my little Sins, Hims, and Whims novella. Also, I might either lay it out in In-design myself or hire one of my many friends who are designers--even if they are busy and I have to wait awhile. I learned that it is easiest working with friends who are invested in YOU...a lot less back and forth, a lot less feeling guilty for asking to change something you're not totally satisfied with, no debate about obtaining original files--originals offered up stress and worry free. The people who know you and love you just tend to appreciate you more as a person instead of treating you like a nuisance.
Nevertheless, this being said, I also feel the need to brace myself. One thing I'm certain of is that those who love you and support you are typically not as hard on you and your work as faceless strangers and armchair bloggers. This is why I've felt the need to make my very first self-published novel the best it can be.
This journey began in 2008. It's finally coming into fruition. To be determined...
- JNP
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