This morning the last edits for my book Islands of Deception went to the publisher. This was the last proofread of the book before it goes to final layout and printing. It is a bit strange to be at this point in the process after writing and editing the manuscript for the last three years.

The last few changes were mostly typos and fine tuning words. It’s amazing how after so much editing there are still a few typos, missing punctuation marks and even a few revisions to conform with writing style. I am learning more and more about the publishing industry and its use of the Merriam-Webster dictionary and The Chicago Manual of Style for its standard.

I like to use the analogy that writing and publishing a book is sort of like building a house. First it is designed with the creation of the plot. Next the house is roughed in with the first draft of the book. Then the carpenters come in to do the finish work–which is the editing phase. The style manuals mentioned above would be the inspectors coming in to make sure the book conforms to standards. Then there is the last tour of the house where the manuscript is polished off and declared finished and ready for printing.

It is exciting to finally see this book nearing the finish line and the printing press. A big thank you to so many who have helped me get to this point.