The exciting announcement of the week is that the “Dark Empire” manuscript is complete! The final word count came in just under 84,000 words. The next steps involve beta readers and content editing.
Content Editing: Since I will be indie-publishing, I’m looking for a professional content editor to help me identify any plot gaps, lagging character arcs, and any other significant story problems. If any of you have any recommendations, please pass them along. I’m considering a few different options.
Beta Readers: A number of people have already reached out to me to review the completed draft. My only warning to these wonderful folks is that the final book may be very different, based on the results of the content editing.
I’m thrilled to receive any and all feedback, and I encourage my beta readers to be as honest as possible. Don’t worry about hurting my feelings! Anyone who has ever asked me to edit their essays knows I do not hold back with the red pen, but I also don’t see it as an attack.
Identifying problems in the pacing, the story, the dialogue, etc., NOW is far better than finding them itemized in a nasty review of the published book.
Next Steps: You’ve probably noticed a few modifications to the website, which is what I’ve been working on since finishing the manuscript. I’m also queuing up a few blog posts and have an exciting announcement coming up. Setting up a mailing list is high on my to-do list, too. Finally, identifying a content editor is a task on the critical path to publication.