As I get deeper and deeper into preparation for the publication of my adult fantasy novel, I thought it high time I give you all an update and let you know about the publishing process so far.
First, what’s new?
The novel has a new fancy shmancy title: DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING. And, it’s got a brand-new blurb.
As a daughter of the Salt King, Emel ought to be among the most powerful women in the desert. Instead, she and her sisters have less freedom than even her father’s slaves … for the Salt King uses his own daughters to seduce visiting noblemen into becoming powerful allies by marriage.
Escape from her father’s court seems impossible, and Emel dreams of a life where she can choose her fate. When members of a secret rebellion attack, Emel stumbles upon an alluring escape route: her father’s best-kept secret—a wish-granting jinni, Saalim.
But in the land of the Salt King, wishes are never what they seem. Saalim’s magic is volatile. Emel could lose everything with a wish for her freedom as the rebellion intensifies around her. She soon finds herself playing a dangerous game that pits dreams against responsibility and love against the promise of freedom. As she finds herself drawn to the jinni for more than his magic, captivated by both him and the world he shows her outside her desert village, she has to decide if freedom is worth the loss of her family, her home and Saalim, the only man she’s ever loved.
It’s also up on Goodreads, so go add it to your TBR! Doing this will keep you in the loop as things get closer to the release date (early 2021), and it will also let you know of future giveaways!
The Editing Process So Far
If you’re like the 6-month-ago me, you might not know a whole lot about the editing process. I have found this entire process fun and incredibly interesting, so I know there are those of you out there who think the same and would like to hear a more about it.
First, I received an “edit letter” from my editor. This was a long letter detailing thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the book. It’s all done in a very constructive way, so where the weaknesses are noted, the ways to strengthen them are described. This was the beginning of “developmental edits.” These are big picture changes/additions. I was given about a month to make the changes before the manuscript went back to the editor.
Developmental edits were incredibly daunting at first. I was tasked to add more world-building into the novel, which really shifts the framework of the entire book, so it was almost like a tiny re-write. BUT as hard as they were, it was amazing to see how much stronger the book was after. (Gosh, it’s almost like the editor knows what she’s doing, eh?)
Scene edits came next. This zoomed the editing scope in a bit more. She looked at things on a smaller scale (goals of the book quartiles, chapters, scenes, etc), and suggested changes that allowed the book to feel more even both action-wise and emotionally. Scene edits took me about 5 weeks or so, and were overall quite fun, because I got to add more scenes to the book.
What’s next?
Now, a few beta-readers have the novel. They’re going to look at it and see if they can find places that pull them out of the novel. Things that might make you put the book down one day (…and I really don’t want you to put the book down!). After their feedback and any changes I make to the manuscript based on their suggestions, we’ll go to line edits and finally, copy edits.
Of course, this is my editing experience and I’m sure every author goes through something a little different. I can say my take-away (so far) from this entire process has been very similar to what I’ve heard from other authors: EDITORS ARE THE MOST AMAZING PEOPLE EVER AND ARE COMPLETELY INVALUABLE. So if you’re a prospective writer and you’ve debated about hiring an editor, the answer is DO IT.
I’ll be back soon with another post In the meantime, you can follow along on my instagram for more frequent bookish updates. And don’t forget, go add DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING to your Goodreads TBR, and tell all of your friends to do the same. Because, of course, spreading the word is how bookish people show their love.
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