The "proof" process – A Call for Help

One of the most difficult things for me to do with my writing is to "proof" the final product. It's very hard for me to drill down into the small details of my writing after I have spent so much energy and time with the creation of the characters and story. I do not have the advantage of being able to pay for professional editors/proofreaders – though some of my good friends have done their best and given me good feedback. You know who you are – thank you! However, it's clear that I cannot continue to call on the same people every time. Proofing takes a lot of effort.

Therefore, what often happens is that I go ahead and publish my books knowing that there may be some grammatical, punctuation, or even content errors within the pages. I do my best to find them, but at some point (usually the third or fourth draft) I figure "it is what it is." I'm not sure if this is a good strategy or not, but it is where I am today.

However, there is one wonderful advantage of self-publishing which allows me to remedy this situation somewhat. I am the author and the publisher. There are no literary agents or publishing houses to work with. No contracts. No restrictions. No additional fees. I have complete control over the creation, distribution and publishing process. Therefore, I can revise, reformat, and republish new versions or editions my books whenever I want.

This is what I'm doing with my very first published book, Dolphins Dance. I will soon publish a completely rewritten second edition of the story. I also plan to correct some errors brought to my attention in The Scent of Ginger. This will be just a new version, not a full on second edition.

—Which brings me to this current call for help...

If you have read, or will be reading, any of my books and you come across a grammatical or punctuation error, or just something that seems awkward – please let me know about it. I take all feedback very seriously and most gratefully. Please contact me by e-mail if you have any suggestions or feedback – rraker@hawaii.rr.com