I finished the first draft of Bound into the Blood, book 4 of The Hounds of Annwn, a couple of weeks ago and set it aside to ripen. It always helps to wait a couple of weeks before doing the editing — gives you a chance to approach it more like a fresh reader.

Since I write near-final first drafts, with all the loose ends tied up, the editing process is more of a copyedit and proofread set of activities which proceed in a certain order.

First I run the manuscript through Autocrit, scene by scene. This helps me identify repeated words, in particular, and cliches. It's depressing how often when writing that you come up with just the perfect word and then, one paragraph (or even one sentence) later, you decide to use it again. Must have something to do with it being fresh within your mind. A mechanical editor tool like Autocrit is invaluable for reducing this problem — it sees things the human mind ignores (“the the” is always a favorite).

I fix any loose ends that might remain (I make notes of them in each scene as I write). Then I format the book for ebook and print BEFORE I proofread it. It's much easier to proofread something if it looks different — bigger font, different wraparound locations, whatever it takes. I read through it relatively quickly, for feel (and typos), then I go back and read through it slowly for typos. I typically find 30-50 errors at this point, so one more read-through is always a good idea.

I toss a version round about this time to my husband, but I'm usually done before he finishes reading. Still, I incorporate his finds, too.

I expect the book will be up for sale in about two weeks (or sooner). I'll announce availability as soon as it's up — first to my newsletter subscribers, and then here on the blog.