Copy Edits and Interviews

I've been working hard on the copy-edits of my forthcoming Andy Horton crime novel today. It's called The Suffocating Sea and it will be published in hardback in March 2008. Fortunately there weren't many changes to be made just one or two little niggly ones that can throw out a few chapters or so. But it's nearly done and before my deadline of Thursday. Just need to read through it again tonight with a fresh eye and see if it makes sense. It's this final part of writing that I like the least. Once the novel is written and as perfect as I can get it, (which is never perfect enough for me) I like to get shot of it and move on to the next one, but of course that's not possible. Fresh eyes are needed to make sure all the loose ends in a crime/thriller novel tie up and the copy-edit needs to ensure the publisher's house style is followed as well as checking the punctuation holds together. Then there are the page proofs to read and it is SO difficult because I keep thinking as I read, I could have phrased that differently or written it better. But that is dangerous because once you start tinkering with one thing before you know it the whole blessed thing needs a re-write and that means delays and anxiety, and the book will never be ready. It's one reason why reporters and feature writers rarely show their interviewee the article they've written because they know you just can't resist changing it. So I am wondering what Mike Allen of The News will write up for his feature on me in next Monday's local daily newspaper after interviewing me yesterday. As I used to say to my marketing clients relax, it will be fine. Bit different when it's you! But it's good timing just before Christmas, because it might help boost sales and I have just learnt today from my IT man, who came to fix a couple of techie problems, that Deadly Waters is in Portsmouth Waterstone's recommends. That's good. I might drop by and sign a few copies.