Thursday, June 16, 2011

Proofing, indexing

After a few quiet months — quiet on my end, anyway — my book is back in my lap again. I now have page proofs in front of me, and I have two tasks to complete: (1) proofreading the entire book one more time, now that it has been copyedited by McFarland and laid out by their design staff; and (2) writing the index for the book.

The first task shouldn’t be too tedious. My editor at McFarland made a point of telling me the manuscript was already very clean, and I don’t think a great deal of copyediting was done silently. I have noticed a few changes (e.g., I had written an “about the editor” blurb for myself, separate from the rest of the “about the contributors” blurbs, but McFarland collapsed them into a single list, and put me in the proper spot alphabetically). Now that the book has been laid out, I can tell you that it is [xii] + 217 pages in length. That’s not counting the index, which might add another ten pages or so.

The second task will be more of a challenge, since I have never put together an index before. Well, I guess I can’t say never. I included an index with my fourth-grade school project on Saturn (the planet, not the god), and perhaps for one or two other school projects in the two or three years following. But somehow I don’t think these early experiences will help very much. For one thing, the material being indexed was only ten or so handwritten pages, each half-filled with photos cut out of National Geographic Magazine. Fortunately, for this index, I have the benefit of the advice of friends and colleagues who’ve been through it before.

The quicker I can get the proofing and indexing finished, the sooner the book will be out. Not that I’m going to sacrifice quality for speed. I’m a patient guy, and it’s been nearly three years since I first began to think about this book already. A little while longer isn’t going to hurt. As Gollum said, “more haste less speed”. Eile mit weile, am I right? Or, maggior fretta minor alto. See also: proverbs (cliché), proverbs (foreign language).

McFarland has tentatively scheduled Tolkien and the Study of His Sources to go to the printer four weeks from yesterday: July 13. I don’t know how long the printing process takes, but it is beginning to look like the date shown on most of the major booksellers’ websites (that is, August 16) might actually be accurate after all. Or at least close. My editor had warned me it would likely be later in the Fall.

I suppose we’ll see soon enough, but for those of you interested in the book, you really don’t have that much longer to wait. I am abuzz with excitement at the imminence of hearing what you all think. Review copies will also be going out before too much longer. Then, if the reception is good, it will be time to bask in my accolades — or if not so good, to duck. :)

17 comments:

  1. Ohne Hast, ohne Rast (Goethe), as Oliver Sacks said to himself while surfing down a mountain on his butt with a broken leg.

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  2. I predict basking - assuming your fish persona is that of a shark. (Terrible puns a speciality)

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  3. Saranna, I wasn’t fishing for compliments, hahae, but thanks! I’m glad you’re seeing it from that angle; I hope you aren’t the sole one! I hope reviewers take the same line and don’t have much to carp about. Of course I hope the Spanish critics all say, muy bonito! Okay, okay, I’m really floundering now; I’d better clam up before I make a clownfish of myself. Ack, I can’t stop; somebody tackle me, quick! ;)

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  4. As you can see, Saranna, I took the bait …

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  5. I'm looking forward to reading it:). New books about Tolkien do excite my interest, and since you have put it together, I know it will be worth reading!

    Liilyput90

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  6. Just pre-ordered it from the UK! They have a better deal......and the shipping is free...:). I found to my surprise, that you can even order it from India!

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  7. I'm excited for you, Jason! I hope the reviews will be good. I anticipate the same joy and excitement for my own book. To paraphrase the Professor, we are exposing our hearts to be shot at, but then again there will definitely be praise also.

    Namarie, God bless, Anne Marie :)

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  8. Net effect of all that codding about is that I have to trawl deeper! We may have to scale this down, it's not a bad haul so far :)

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  9. It's tempting to join in this long-line of comments... but it's not really my plaice, and I don't want to make anenome of Jason. Seriously, though, congratulations on the imminent book. I remember my index with a kind of grim fondness. I don't know if you've ever looked in a book's index and found some wry or ludicrous entry that made you laugh? Now is your chance to lay that egg.

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  10. More fishy comments, great! I realise I cheated with net(t), hope that didn't drive you in-seine?
    More seriously, I have always admired indexers, and the importance of a good index can't be overstated. How often I have seethed at a bad one! And how often reviewers have noted that a particular book would have been enormously enhanced by an index. Really wish you well with the job, Jason.

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  11. I myself (as a reviewer) have criticized indexes more than once … What is that bitter, bitter taste? The irony of karma? Ack!! :)

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  12. We'll be very kind, and shall dance the Lobster Quadrille with you to sustain your spirits...........

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  13. Speak for yourself, Saranna! Bwahahahaha!

    Revenge is sweet!

    (Just kidding.)

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  14. Good luck indexing. It's the one aspect of editing I loathe. Hopefully indexing your own work is easier and much more enjoyable.

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  15. I see the release date is now predicted as being November 17th. Was there something that slowed the release down a bit?

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  16. Interesing! Amazon and the other e-tailers are notoriously bad about these dates. They often change in all kinds of wacky ways right up until the time the books actually arrive in the warehouse. In fact, I learned from McFarland a couple of days ago that the book has already been printed, and copies already being sent out to distributors! The book should be available pretty much any day now. Amazon probably won’t figure this out until they’ve actually got the books right in front of them.

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