Page proofs are no spoofs

Today I signed off the page proofs for Hachette: they’re final and ready for the printer. As a newby to this author gig, I well appreciate what a significant step it is to finally get to final page proofs. It’s still far from the book as a finished product, but it’s the last stage on the journey before “the book” is released. I have done my bit, for now. It means the 102,000 words, pared back with some judicious editing — and what a crack team of editors they have at Hachette Australia — are as ready as ever they will be. It means the legalling — which drove some more edits, some more anonymysing (is that a verb?) and some careful re-casting — has had its important say. It means the proofreaders have added their many cents’ worth, and done a fine job picking up where the copy and book editors left off. It means the photographs have been selected, cropped, blocklines finalised and copyright clearances negotiated. It means the acknowlegements have addressed all of the wonderful people who have helped along the way — and it has been a long way. I am stifling any expectations of where this will all go, but I know deep down it’s an absolutely amazing true story about two very special women who paid a huge price, ultimately for their trust to have been betrayed. I hope I have done them justice.