This is it.
It arrived in my inbox yesterday. It took twenty-one instalments of twenty pages at a time, almost a complete ream of paper, two ink cartridges, and a maximum dose of patience to print out on my slow, hesitant ancient little desk-jet printer.
It is the final proof!
It’s a bizarrely strange and exhilarating feeling to hold this sheaf of paper in my hands. Clearly I have done many rounds of proofing before, right up to the final proof before original publication. But this is different. This is a document formatted for paperback publishing; each page is laid out exactly as it will appear in the actual book! This is a manuscript prepared and proofed for me by someone else. In a different font. It looks and feels completely different to the last version of the manuscript that I clutched in my trembling hands. This is final! When I am done with this, it will go to the printer. Whoa!
What will I do with it? First of all, I shall read it back to front, and bottom up. I’m not looking to read the story this time; I am looking once again for typos, missing punctuation marks, errant parentheses and other fine points of style and grammar. Whatever I find, I shall note down and send back to the wonderful team at Sapphire Star.
Next, I shall go through the proofing sheet sent by Sapphire Star to look through and approve the last set of comments or changes made by the publisher. This, I will do during a traditional front-to-back-top-to-bottom read. So essentially, in the next week, I shall read this manuscript twice. Thank God it’s the school holidays so I have lots of uninterrupted time at my hands… not! 🙂
I am tremendously excited. This is it; this is real. Signing the publishing contract ‘way back when’ in February felt real, but in an abstract way. This is really real. Roll on 6 September when I shall hold, not a proof but an actual book in my hands. Whooooop!
It’s a big deal to me, and therefore I send apologies just in case I’m going on about it in an undue fashion. But it is very exciting… the last step on the way to actual printing.
If you’re an author, how do you feel when the final proof lands in your hand? And what proofing strategies do you employ at this, the end-stage of the process?
Well, I never thought I’d get to use this image…. Hands up those of you who have genuinely seen on of these on the telly in their lifetimes!
If you have indeed seen one of these test cards before, you’ll know what they mean. “The broadcaster apologises for the service interruption.” Or it could simply mean that the channel is offline.
In my case, at this point in time, it means both. My service is interrupted, and I am therefore offline. Here’s why:
Yes, I’ve finally moved house, with the entire Wells family, of course. The big day is today, Tuesday 19th June. And the implication? No telephone line, no cable, no broadband (ADSL or DSL, for those of you on the other side of the pond).
NO INTERNET.
That’s right. So I won’t be blogging, tweeting, emailing, using Facebook or doing anything technical at all.
No posts, not even Music Monday or CentreStage. Nada. Niente.
Complete Radio Silence.
How long will this sad state of affair last? Who knows. I’m told it could be a week from today, or more. So… until you see me back online, I’ll have to refer you to the test card and tell you: Author, Interrupted. But you’ll know when I’m back, rest assured. Take care, my friends, and don’t forget to keep rockin’. Oh, and send me some good vibes while I’m unpacking 100 boxes.
Posted in Miscellaneous
Tagged moving house, Nicky Wells, Radio Silence, removal, Service interruption, Test card
Music Monday: today with a home moving theme (sort of!)…
As all matters ‘house’ and ‘moving’ are dominating my life right now, I thought I’d share some of the joy and excitement with you with a classic song sporting a totally apt title. I opted for the original rather than the fancy version on top of Buck House… And please imagine me singing at top volume as I direct the movers and supervise the Madness!
Happy Music Monday… and now, sadly, I must dash!
Posted in Music Monday
Tagged Madness, moving house, Music Monday, Nicky Wells, Our House
It’s Music Monday!
Today I have a very special treat for me you! As you all know by now, I am about to move house for the first time in nine years. This is the biggest move since I left home age nineteen. It is probably for this reason that the upcoming move is creating associations with long-forgotten emotions of ‘uprooting’ the first time; and among all of those associations has swum to the surface what turned out to be the ‘theme song’ of my first few months in England.
It wasn’t an elected theme song, you understand, it just kind of happened. It was on the radio all the time and some of the lyrics resonated. For example:
Runaway train, never going back
Wrong way on a one-way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I’m neither here nor there
That described me perfectly, making it a happy song to me. I had run away, in a manner of speaking; in an organised, planned and orderly fashion. I didn’t just up-stick and go, but it still felt like The Great Escape. I was never going back, no way Jose. My family didn’t really believe I would last, but I knew this was ‘it’. Yet I hadn’t quite arrived anywhere even when I started to settle, and for the longest time I really was ‘neither here nor there.’ It’s not that easy to fit into a new culture, and it takes time until you feel like you truly belong.
It was only much later that I took the time to listen to all of the lyrics and also happened to see the video on MTV (not something readily available on the shared TV in the Hall of Residences lounge). It was therefore only much later that I realised that the song is really about missing persons, many of them children, who have run away for a whole host of devastating reasons, or been cruelly taken from their families. In fact, the intended meaning and message of the lyrics didn’t apply to my circumstances; and I was greatly saddened by the story the video depicts, which is a million years from my own experience. But still: the sentiment of the chorus at least had become my own, my little runaway theme.
Turns out I wasn’t the only one to read a different meaning into the lyrics; quite a few folks out there seem to feel the lyrics were about depression in some capacity. Goes to show how much the written (or sung, as it were) word is open to interpretation if taken out of a concrete context! 🙂
Thus Runaway Train by the amazing Soul Asylum continues to be one of my favourites to this day, for all the right reasons.
And of course, as always, it’s over to you right now….
Do you perhaps have a ‘theme song’ for a particular period of your life?
Or have you, like me, ever made a song ‘your own’ before discovering that the lyrics tell a radically different story from your own interpretation?
Posted in Music Monday
Tagged moving house, Music Monday, Nicky Wells, Runaway Train, Soul Asylum, The Great Escape, Theme Song
You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone, or so they say. I’m currently discovering that this isn’t a wholly accurate statement!
Ever had that weird feeling of missing something before it’s even gone? That’s me all over at the moment.
It’s no secret that the Wells family will be moving house soon. In fact, after more than ten weeks of nail-biting, hair-tearing anxiety, we have finally exchanged contracts and confirmed a moving date. 19th June is ‘M’ day for us!
But this isn’t simply a move up the road (not that there’s anything simple about any move, but there’s little moves and big moves. This is definitely a big move). The Wells family, including this here author, will be moving to the Middle East.
Eeeeek, got ya! Well, sort of. Technically, we are moving to the middle east—of England. Our new home is a three-and-a-half hour drive up north east in sunny (or so I’m told) Lincolnshire.
Even though I’m plenty used to moving, this is a different experience. I have been settled here like I haven’t been settled anywhere since I left home at nineteen. Specifically, I will be leaving behind eight years of building friendships. A house that my husband and I lovingly painted and painted all over again (on the inside, I hasten to add). A house that saw the arrival of two children, two years apart. With everything that entails: wee on the walls (well, how was I supposed to know that a boy infant can pee in every which position, every which way, in every direction?), sleepless nights, first steps, first foods, bumped heads, dents in walls and floors from thrown toys. Laughter and joy, sickness, tears and frustrations. Many a tantrum.
Memories, in short. A house and a life filled with memories, and we’re leaving it all behind. Although arguably, we’re taking the memories with us–we’re just leaving the setting behind.
So as I go about my daily business, I find myself in the throes of premature nostalgia. “I’ll miss the walk down the lane to school,” I was thinking this morning. “Look at those lovely daffs nodding their heads over that wall.”
“I’ll miss the village and the river Trym, sometimes so docile, and sometimes offering a bit more oomph in the fast-flow department.”
“I’ll miss the coffee shop on the corner that does the best tuna melts.”
And so on. Nostalgia before the fact. A sense of heightened perception that seems to make everything clearer, sharper, more in focus. I suspect that that’s the purpose of the phenomenon, a kind of memory-factory to ensure that you take with you all those feelings and impressions that mattered to you in a certain environment (and some that don’t, presumably).
Anyway, there it is, and it’s getting steadily more pronounced as we are counting down the days now. The children are feeling it, too, probably even more so than me.
So my question to you is: what’s your instance of nostalgia before the fact?
PS: of course I wiped the wee off the walls. I even repainted the offending patch, the very same day, having previously disinfected it. And I fixed all the dents, too. I’m emphasising this point just in case you happen to be our purchaser and you’re getting nervous about the house!
Posted in Miscellaneous
Tagged Lincolnshire, memories, Middle East, moving house, New Chapters, Nicky Wells, Nostalgia
It’s the Jubilee weekend. So what could be more fitting to post on Music Monday than this classic? And what song could be more appropriate?
No further comment or lyrics needed, methinks. Have a great Jubilee Bank Holiday, one and all. Oh, and don’t forget to tell me what you’re up to by way of party…..
Queen: Don’t Stop Me Now!
Posted in Music Monday
Tagged Celebration, Don't Stop Me Now, Having a Good Time, Jubilee, Music Monday, Nicky Wells, Queen, Rock, Rock Band
Do you know that old saying, “what a difference a year makes”? Well, it’s not even a year–it’s just under eleven months, actually–since I started my publishing journey. Lately, I’ve introduced quite a lot of changes and have blogged about them as I went along. I felt it was time to take stock and consider how this here ‘hapless duckling’ has morphed into… well, not quite a graceful, soaring swan, yet, but perhaps one that is poised and ready to fly.
That was then…
The day is 9 July 2011. It’s Monday morning, 9:30 a.m., and my debut novel, Sophie’s Turn, has just this minute appeared ‘live’ on Amazon Kindle. After four months of writing, several rounds of editing, seven years of maturing, and a frantic few weeks preparing my masterpiece for self-publication, it is finally ‘out there.’ I shed a tear or two; it is a very emotional moment. Unsurprisingly, however, nothing much happens. No, Sophie’s Turn does not hit the bestseller lists within days, or go viral.
This was my author platform then:
A cover, lovingly, expertly and painstakingly crafted by hand…
…and a photograph (well, a cut-out).
Nicky’s author image, mach 1
That’s it? you say. Uhm, yes. But fear not, I have learned a few things along the way. Take a look at…
This is now!
I’m a fast learner, and things changed quickly. I reached out to friends for advice, and then to bloggers. I started building a network, garnering reviews and visibility, making new ‘virtual’ friends. In October, I was honoured to join the unique and interactive reader/author project, loveahappyending.com. And in February 2012, I was thrilled to sign with trail-blazing US publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing. So let’s take a look at my platform as it is today. Spot the difference?
My slogan.
My glamorous author photo (if I say so myself).
Find out here about the provenance of this photo!
Romance That Rocks Your World! Meet Nicky Wells, Author.
My brand.
Read all about the unveiling of the Rock Star Romance brand here.
My stunning cover.
Find out about the people who helped create this cover here.
My social networking platform.
(still under construction… ever expanding)
So, it does feel like I have come a long way. Hopefully, I am poised and ready to fly when Sapphire Star Publishing is launching Sophie’s Turn on 6 September 2012. Thank you to all the many fantastic people who are helping me along the way, not least: Amy and Katie at Sapphire Star Publishing; Jessie Dalrymple; Shirley Mukisa; Shaz Goodwin; Sue Fortin; Linn Halton; everyone at loveahappyending.com; Deborah Smith; my gorgeous husband; and the many, many wonderful bloggers who support me: know that you make this author’s world go round!
After all this, it still makes me uncomfortable to ‘boast’. I don’t mean to boast, as such. I abhor boasting, and would rather hide in a corner. So why this post?
Well, for one, I simply mean to share my joy and excitement. And for another, I hope that sharing my experience may perhaps help new and aspiring authors find a shortcut to building their own strategies and platforms.
So here’s the question for the day, Id’ love to hear your thoughts:
All you amazing established authors out there, what was YOUR biggest ‘aha’ moment along the way?
All you wonderful aspiring authors, what is YOUR biggest challenge on the road to publication?
It’s Music Monday!
This past week I have been thinking about emotion. In my deliberations and ruminations, I recalled a fantastic song whose lyrics and melody portray raw emotion like few other songs I’ve known. The song is unbelievably sad and yet, in a strange way, I find it uplifting. Perhaps it’s a sorrow shared; perhaps it’s the knowledge that sadness complements happiness like sunshine follows rain.
The song speaks for itself, and I give you today a masterful piece of poetry and music by one of the greatest songwriters the world has known: the haunting Jacques Brel. The lyrics are in French, obviously, but I offer you my feeble attempt at a translation, not always literal. I don’t know if it can touch the original, but it’s the best I can do. There is imagery bar none here, and I wish I had the power to convey emotion in this manner.
As always, if you like this song, please honour the artist and buy it for your own use through the appropriate channel.
Ne Me Quitte Pas by Jacques Brel
Ne me quitte pas / Il faut oublier / Tout peut s’oublier / Qui s’enfuit deja / Oublier le temps / Des malentendus / Et le temps perdu / A savoir comment / Oublier ces heures / Qui tuaient parfois / A coups de pourquoi / Le coeur du bonheur / Ne me quitte pas
Moi je t’offrirai / Des perles de pluie / Venues de pays / Où il ne pleut pas / Je creuserai la terre / Jusqu’apres ma mort / Pour couvrir ton corps d’or et de lumière / Je ferai un domaine / Où l’amour sera roi / Où l’amour sera loi / Où tu seras reine / Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas / Je t’inventerai / Des mots insensés / Que tu comprendras / Je te parlerai / De ces amants là / Qui ont vu deux fois / Leurs coeurs s’embraser / Je te racont’rai / L’histoire de ce roi / Mort de n’avoir pas / Pu te rencontrer / Ne me quitte pas
On a vu souvent / Rejaillir le feu / De l’ancien volcan / Qu’on croyait trop vieux / Il est paraît-il / Des terres brûlées / Donnant plus de blé / Qu’un meilleur avril / Et quand vient le soir / Pour qu’un ciel flamboie / Le rouge et le noir / Ne s’épousent-ils pas / Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas / Je ne vais plus pleurer / Je ne vais plus parler / Je me cacherai là / À te regarder / Danser et sourire / Et à t’écouter / Chanter et puis rire / Laisse-moi devenir / L’ombre de ton ombre / L’ombre de ta main / L’ombre de ton chien / Ne me quitte pas
NOW THIS IS WHERE THE VIDEO WOULD BE. However, I have run into embedding restrictions on this occasion so bear with me and click through to the link instead. It’s well worth it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za_6A0XnMyw
And here’s the English translation by yours truly.
Don’t leave me. Let’s forget, for everything can be forgotten that has gone. Forget the time of misunderstanding, and the time lost determining how those hours sometimes killed the very heart of happiness by questioning “why”.
Don’t leave me. I will give you pearls of rain from countries where it never rains. I will dig up the earth even after my death to cover your body with gold and light. I will make a kingdom where love will be king, love will be law and you will be queen. Don’t leave me.
Don’t leave me. I shall invent meaningless words which you’ll understand. I shall tell you about those lovers who found their hearts ignite twice. I shall you the story of this king who died because he failed to find you. Don’t leave me.
One has often seen erupt the old volcano believed extinct. They say there are scorched lands yielding more wheat than the height of April. And when evening makes the sky burst into colour, don’t the red and the black marry well? Don’t leave me.
Don’t leave me. I’ll cry no more, I’ll speak no more, I’ll hide here to look at you dance and smile and listen to you sing and then laugh. Let me become the shadow of your shadow, the shadow of your hand and the shadow of your dog, but don’t leave me.
Now, then: is there a dry eye in the house? 🙂 xx
Posted in Music Monday
Tagged Emotion, Jacques Brel, Music Monday, Ne me quitte pas, Nicky Wells, Sad songs, Sadness
This is it! The ultimate cover for Sophie’s Turn. How excited am I?
Why another new cover, you ask? Quite simply, another new cover marks the start of a new era for Sophie’s Turn, the first published edition coming out from Sapphire Star Publishing on 6 September 2012. As for those of you who’ve been following my publishing journey, it’ll strike you that actually, this new, ultimate cover is quite similar to the last version you saw. That’s because the amazing folks over at Sapphire Star Publishing liked the concept so much, they didn’t want to change it much at all. Thank you! 🙂 But check out the subtle changes… see if you can spot the differences! I’m enchanted, personally.
Huge congratulations go out to the original creator, Jessie Dalrymple–see, I told you you rock. 🙂
And here it is! Cover first, but don’t miss the credits below…
Here’s the credits, with HUGE thanks:
Cover design: Chad Lichtenhan
Original design concept: Jessie Dalrymple
Image: “A carousel and the Eiffel Tower lit up at night” by www.unrestrictedstock.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Over the coming days and weeks, you will gradually see this cover appear on all the usual sites, beginning with the book icon in the top right-hand sidebar of this very blog. Hooray!
So… what do you think?
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Nicky Wells: Love & Thrills 