Welcome to the first newsletter of spring. I am greatly relieved to report that the manuscript for the fourth novel in The Declan Hunt Mysteries series has been submitted to the publisher. This book wraps up the story arc from when Declan Hunt and Charlie Watts first met until … well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out. And I even get to reveal the title in this newsletter, but you’ll have to read right to the bottom of the newsletter to find out what it is.
So now that the manuscript is with the publisher, what happens next?
The manuscript will go through a number of steps, the first of which is content editing. The editor will read through the entire novel, making notes on any problems with flow, logic, and clarity of story line. Observations and concerns are written on the manuscript by annotating the computer file using the “track changes” setting. If there are major structural problems, the publisher will get in touch with me to ask for a little bit of rewriting before moving onto the next step.
Next comes line editing. This is more specific work that involves the flow of sentences, technical elements of the writing, (such as ensuring that dialogue is properly tagged so the reader knows who is speaking which line), and trying to ensure the language of the book flows smoothly. Again, these observations are added into the computer manuscript as notes using the “track changes” setting.
I get the novel back with these notes appended, and have time to make the appropriate tweaks and adjustments.
For example, in previous books my editor has asked me to merge two chapters into one. They have asked me to ensure that things that happen in the past use the appropriate tense in the grammar. I have been asked to ensure my chapters stay in one point of view as opposed to switching points of view mid-chapter, which can be confusing to a reader. All of these adjustments ensure that the story is as easy to read as possible.
When I’m done my changes, I bounce the manuscript back to the publisher.
Now it’s time for the copy editing stage. This is the part of the process where an editor goes through every letter, punctuation mark, and word to ensure that the manuscript is free of typographical errors, or mistakes in spelling or grammar. The editor also ensures that the book matches the style guide of the publisher.
There is an extra complication with my books. Although the largest market for my books in the USA, the publisher is located in England, and my books are all set in Canada. This informs the spelling of words (for instance colour instead of color). When in doubt, I use the spelling offered in the Oxford English Dictionary. Some of the characters also have their own way of phrasing things which break the rules of grammar. The editor has to ensure that things that are written outside the rules of grammar aren’t accidentally corrected. There are many things to take into consideration.
After the editing is done, the book is formatted and I receive a copy to proof-read. This is the last time I will have a chance to correct any errors before the book is published.
Once the editing process is underway, the cover artist begins to work on the image for the front of the book and I get to work crafting the description for the back of the book. This is also a time where plans are set in place for marketing the book as it approaches its release date.
And that brings me to the first clue about the last of The Declan Hunt Mysteries. The image below is NOT the cover art for the book, but it is intended to give you a bit of a taste for what you can expect from the next novel.
The title of the new novel is … The Attercop.
This is a word that comes from old English, and means “poison head“. The term refers to a spider or an ill-natured person.
This book is a mystery unlike the others ones. We are introduced to the villain in the very first chapter, although the identity of that villain is one of the mysteries that Declan and Charlie must solve.
The story itself is a fast-paced journey through a web of intrigue, but it is more complex than that. The novel deepens the story arc of the previous three books, and at the end, I hope that it will create a desire to look back through the earlier novels and read them again to find the clues that lead to the grand finale book four. Or perhaps you might wish to re-read them again in preparation for the final installment.
In the upcoming months, I will let you know how the editing journey is going with the publisher. By April, I should be able to share the description used on the back of the novel, by May … a sample chapter, and in June I will reveal the cover. The Attercop is scheduled to be released in August.
In the meantime, thanks for reading. I hope that your spring brings you much joy and time to curl up with a good book.
Warmest Regards,
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Peter E. Fenton 