On Editing Books

Editing is (un)oficially complete for Utopian Circus.
Next prepare the file in Sigil for eReaders & finish eBook art before starting paperback layout. 

Then Convert files to epub then read in hindsight and find more key errors. I find this is always the way the human sees through the last threads of obscurity, looking over one's shoulder. With A Rising fall I found a dozen grammar issues that i overlooked and a key verb that i left out. This lived in the print edition that i self financed. Gives it more character. The key here is story telling, not grammar check.

If you would like good grammar, hire me to be your English teacher. If you want to be affected, read my book and allow me to tell you a story.

But for the sake of not having to provide missing words on a post it with every book, tricking the brain into thinking the product is final and viewing through a tablet is the best way to come across any spelling or grammar issues. Only yesterday I opened A Rising Fall paperback to a page and the first word my eyes saw was the word 'begot' as opposed to 'begat'. The first word i saw. not the first i focused on but literally the first inch of blank that scraped my eye was this mistake. It's the flaws that make the brain and any art and beauty marvelous. 

The POD editions on Amazon and Create Space are perfect. But you just know that, that's not perfect, not for me.

This is homemade publishing and editing at its most unrefined but doable.


Anyway, here are some quotes from Utopian Circus that I amassed during the eiting process:

UTOPIAN CIRCUS (MARCH 2013 RELEASE)

“Without a gauge to define a limit, how can I possibly extend my reach? Without a defined wrong, how can I possibly determine what is right? And without applause, how do I know when to stop?"

“Is death not enough of a gauge?” 

“Life is not enough of a reward” 

His touch made her desire him and her desire made her feel lonely and her loneliness only made her want him to touch her more.

I am an ocean away from the sea of content.

As long as he stayed modest in mind; he would sink and drown in a river of stupendous simplicity. 

It was the service of ideals that served as ideal.

The will of one is worth the ill of many.

One and many are but the same number in the division of one’s heart. The loss of one, is no less than the loss many.

Utopian Circus will be released digital for free in March 2013

Print versions will be available through Amazon & Create Space in June 2013

Take Risk and Take Care,

C. Sean McGee