special galley review edition
The initial manuscript for a book I'm calling Movement:
Seeking Perfect Lines is now complete. Through the services of
two digital, on-demand printing houses I'm making a special review
edition of the manuscript available at a few cents over my cost.
This special pricing is intended to attract some assistance in finalising
the manuscript.
What I'm seeking are people who'd like to help me edit,
refine and otherwise perfect the text. You needn't be an editor, or
even much of a reader. What you should be is the kind of person interested
in reading the kind of book I'm writing, an anthology of the best
travel stories posted in the Nomadic Spirit Travelogue.
The 2+for1 Review Deal
It's pretty simple. Purchase this review edition, write your corrections,
observations, suggestions into it and send me the marked-up copy by
July 15, 2004. In return I'll:
- Take your observations to heart, finalise the manuscript and
send you an autographed copy of the published first edition, in
which your contribution will be gratefully acknowledged.
- I'll return your review copy, also autographed, and with my own
comments in response to yours, if you like.
- As a final incentive, I'll throw in an 11X16" giclee print
of your choice selected from any appearing in my personal
photography gallery, and I'll sign that too.
I'd like to get as many as 20 reviewers. Just to be safe, use the
contact form to let me know you intend
to participate before you buy the review edition.
I don't expect these things to leap off the shelf, but as anyone who
reads my travelogue probably understands, I've learned to expect the
unexpected. First-come, first-served.
Reviewing Movement
Here are some guidelines for your review. I certainly don't expect
reviewers to comprehensively fulfill this suggestion list. However,
the suggestions marked with an asterisk, "*",
are mandatory. The current book is longer than optimal
and I've got to cut down the number of stories. I've got my own ideas,
but experience tells me they don't always reflect my readers' tastes.
- Read it once through without marking anything. (The first time,
read it for you.).
- When you're finished, write down your impressions, Any impressions.
- Take a break. Let it sit for a day or two.
- Now, wade back into it and mark away.
- *Please write legibly.
- Red pen is preferred, but don't inconvenience yourself.
- Correct my spelling and grammar, of course.
- Language, syntax, semantics as well.
- Comments on style welcome.
- * Rate each story on a scale of
1-10. 10 is best. Use your own criteria. "It felt
like a 3" is a good criteria.
- If you have a more "formal" criteria, let me know what
it is.
- Identify any stories which need more work or editing.
- * Identify up to 5
stories that absolutely must appear in
the first edition. (mandatory!)
- * Identify at least 5 stories that
should not appear in the first edition.
(mandatory!)
- Have I left out an Nomadic Spirit travelogue
story that should be in?
- Mark confusing, boring, awful, passages, and tell me why they
are if you can.(Single-word descriptives are fine--essays are not
expected, but are welcome nevertheless.)
- Mark compelling, wonderful, groovy passages, and try to explain
why, as above.
- Comment on overall presentation and structure. Suggestions:
- Do you like the chapter design?
- Are the brief introductions to the stories too brief?
- Should there be an index?
- How about the cover design and text? (back and front)
- Anything else you think of.
- Anything else that comes to mind. Tell me a story if you like.
- If you're anywhere near as verbose as I am (<-- verbosity sample
;), feel free to attach additional pages, post-its, whatever.
While you're thinking of what to say and how to say it, be honest
with yourself and with me. Try to be constructive, but don't sugar-coat
your criticism. I can take it; you should see some of the feedback
my site receives, not to forget rejections from publishers and agents!
About this Galley ReviewEdition
This review edition was designed with being marked-up in mind. It's
printed in 8.5X11" format. The "Wire-O" ring binding,
aside from being the cheapest available, allows the pages to lie flat
which is best for writing on. I've left 1" margins all around
for marginalia.I'd have liked to print it single sided, but at up
to 6¢ a sheet, that's cost prohibitive. I considered distributing
an electronic version, but those just don't read the way a book does.
Your purchase options are CafePress.com
and Lulu Press, both
reputable online digital, on-demand publishing companies whose books
are of similar quality. The books are cheaper on Lulu Press, but shipping
to most regions is cheaper on Cafe Press. Net cost for Americans
using the US Postal Service appears to be about $5 cheaper on Lulu
Press. While for Canadians, it's about $2 cheaper
via CafePress.com.
Your Mileage May Vary.
Looking Ahead to the First Edition
The first edition printing, when it's ready, will be "perfect-bound"
-- a regular paperback, in a 6X10" format.
Images depicting both "Wire-O" and "Perfect"
bindings appear at the bottom of the the context bar at right.
