I’m hosting a guest post today for the release of “Child of the Night Guild” by Andy Peloquin. I’ll leave the word to Andy now, who talks about his process for clean manuscripts.
My Process for Clean Manuscripts
In my (few) years of writing and submitting manuscripts to editors, I’ve had most of them tell me, “This is one of the cleanest manuscripts I’ve seen.” I attribute that to the incredibly thorough editing process I subject my books to before they’re ever turned into the publisher.
The first step is sending the book off to alpha readers, people who read the first draft and give me feedback on the “broad strokes” of the story, characters, plot, plot twists, etc. I give alpha readers six weeks to read, and during that time I’m working on another project. That way, when I come back to the manuscript, it’s like I’m approaching it with fresh eyes.
As I work on improving the book according to the alpha reader suggestions and feedback, I go over every sentence with painstaking care to make it as perfect as I can. I often end up rewriting large portions of the book to flesh out details, tighten up mistakes I made in the first draft, and basically cleaning everything up. My goal is to make it as perfect as possible by the time I send it off to beta readers.
Beta readers will go through it and offer feedback on the story at large, but they’ll also look at the nitty gritty: show vs. tell, passive vs. active, character elements, sentence structure, grammar, flow, and all the rest. That’s another six weeks dedicated to another project while the beta readers get out their red pens and slice and dice.
After the beta reading phase, I go over the manuscript and make changes according to their suggestions. I DON’T read each sentence over, but I simply edit the mistakes and make the changes they recommend. It’s a much quicker phase, allowing me to get to the next stage faster.
The next, most important stage is also the last one before submitting the work to the editors. I print out the book and read it on paper. I find that the words that looked good on the computer screen often don’t read as well on paper. So this final phase helps me to really focus on the flaws that come out as I’m reading the “final” version.
After I find all the mistakes on paper, I give the manuscript one more pass to correct everything. Once I’m sure it’s done and I’ve corrected all the mistakes, it’s off to the editor (where it goes through 2 additional rounds of editing before formatting and publication).
Yes, this is a long, drawn-out process that takes me far longer than a writer who goes through fewer rounds of self-editing. We’re talking a total of 8-9 months of time, with around 5-6 months of solid work invested in writing, rewriting, and editing. But it leads to cleaner manuscripts with fewer errors and better all-round quality of writing. I know my readers appreciate my perfectionism!
About the Book
Title: Child of the Night Guild (Queen of Thieves Book 1)
Author: Andy Peloquin
Publication Date: Jan 17, 2017
Paperback Price:
Digital Price: 2.99
Pages: 401
ASIN: B01N1TC3VW
Child of the Night Guild (Queen of Thieves Book 1)
“They killed my parents. They took my name. They imprisoned me in darkness. I would not be broken.”
Viola, a child sold to pay her father’s debts, has lost everything: her mother, her home, and her identity. Thrown into a life among criminals, she has no time for grief as she endures the brutal training of an apprentice thief. The Night Guild molds an innocent waif into a cunning, agile outlaw skilled in the thieves’ trade. She has only one choice: steal enough to pay her debts.
The cutthroat streets of Praamis will test her mettle, and she must learn to dodge the City Guards or swing from a hangman’s rope. But a more dangerous foe lurks within the guild walls. A sadistic rival apprentice, threatened by her strength, is out for blood.
What hope does one girl have in a world of ruthless men?
Fans of Sarah J. Maas, Scott Lynch, and Brent Weeks will love Queen of Thieves…
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Canada
Goodreads
Book Launch Event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/336765836707837/
Join my Thunderclap: http://thndr.me/fdeiQu
Author Bio
Andy Peloquin: Lover of All Things Dark and Mysterious
I am, first and foremost, a storyteller and an artist–words are my palette. Fantasy is my genre of choice, and I love to explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of fantasy heroes, villains, and everything in between. I’m also a freelance writer, a book lover, and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about my fascination for the worlds I encounter in the pages of fantasy novels.
Fantasy provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle–it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand new way. Fiction at its very best!
Website: http://www.andypeloquin.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyPeloquin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andyqpeloquin
www.linkedin.com/in/andypeloquin/
https://plus.google.com/100885994638914122147/about
https://www.amazon.com/author/andypeloquin
https://www.facebook.com/andrew.peloquin.1
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYAKG5k06vcmc02Uy4fGLfA
http://andypeloquin.com/join-the-club/
10 Things You Need to Know About Me:
Hot wings, ALWAYS!
I never forget a face, but rarely remember a name.
I’m a head taller than the average person (I’m 6′ 6″)
Marvel > DC
I was born in Japan, and lived there until the age of 14.
Selena Gomez, Skrillex, Simon & Garfunkel, Celine Dion, and Five Finger Death Punch are all in my writing playlist.
Aliens are real, but it’s self-centered of us to believe that they would come to visit Earth.
Watching sports: suck. Playing sports: EPIC!
I earned a purple belt in Karate/Hapkido/Taekwondo.
I dislike most Christmas music, aside from Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
A Few of My Favorite Things
Favorite Books: The Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch, The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson, Sherlock Holmes by A.C. Doyle, Warlord of Mars by E.R. Burroughs
Favorite Songs: Wrong Side of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch, Prayer by Disturbed, I’m an Albatraoz by AronChupa, Look Down from Les Miserables, Shatter Me by Lindsay Sterling and Lizzi Hale
Favorite Movies: 300, Red Cliff, Shoot Em Up, Love Actually, Princess Bride
Favorite Comics: Anything with Deadpool, Wolverine or Doop in it
Favorite Foods: Hot Wings, Meat-Lover’s Salad, A good sandwich (made by me), Yaki Soba, Sushi
Favorite TV Shows: The Flash, Daredevil, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hawaii Five-0, Brooklyn 99, Firefly (too soon!), The Last Ship, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones
Reviews:
“Creative, gritty, and beautifully dark…fantasy addicts will love it!” — Peter Story, author of Things Grak Hates — http://peterjstory.com/
“The fantasy world has a compelling new antihero…the Hunter will terrify and captivate you.” – Eve A Floriste, author of Fresh Cut
“From the first words on the page this fantasy holds the reader spellbound even after the book is finished…his character is very well-defined even if his past is a mystery. Root for an assassin? Oh, yes, one must!” — Carol Conley, for InDTale Magazine
“Oh the carnage! Fantastic bloodthirsty carnage! The fight scenes in this book were fast-paced, detailed and thrilling. I love a good sword fight and there is plenty of that here.” — Ami L. Hart
“One could get lost in this novel for its twisting plots, seemingly endless imagination, dark yet irresistible characters, or the mind-numbing paradox of its simultaneously dark and romantic world. One could follow the long and winding road of the dusky, fierce protagonist and fight tooth and nail not to sympathize with him. One could dance in the dizzying, intricate circles of Peloquin’s neo-mythology, or even basque in the black sunlight of a well-crafted gothic novel that both entertains and enlightens.” — Jesse G. Christiansen
Book Excerpt
We’ve been at this for hours! When will he let us rest? Mind numb from hunger and fatigue, Viola placed one weary foot in front of the other. Blood dripped from cuts in her hands, arms, and forehead.
Master Velvet refused to let up. “Your past is gone, your families forgotten. You have no names, no identities. You are nothing more than a number until it is deemed fit to give you a name.”
The children called out as one, “Yes, Master Velvet!”
“Everything you are, everything you will be, you owe to the Night Guild. We are your masters, your creators, your gods.” The tirade had repeated for endless hours, but Master Velvet never seemed to have enough.
“Yes, Master Velvet!”
Master Velvet’s voice cracked like a carter’s whip. “Disobedience will be punished harshly. Obedience will be rewarded well. Learn this and you will flourish in the Night Guild.”
Viola’s legs wobbled, her shoulders ached, and her arms shook from exertion. “Yes, Master Velvet!”
“Forget everything you know. Forget life outside this room. You eat, sleep, and shit at my command.”
“Yes, Master Velvet!” Viola’s voice cracked from thirst and fatigue. She wanted to lie down, to close her eyes, to sleep.
Master Velvet snarled in her ear. “You live and die at the pleasure of the Night Guild. You belong to the Guild mind, body, and soul. What are you?”
“We are tyros, Master Velvet.”
He crouched beside her. “And what are tyros?”
“Lower than dirt, Master Velvet!”
A satisfied smile spread across his face. “Empty your buckets and set them on the floor beside the barrels. Double speed, my drudges.”
Viola tried to move faster, but her feet refused. By the time she reached the barrel at the far end of the room, only one other child remained. The boy, barely taller than her, had yet to empty his bucket. He strained to lift his heavy load. His hands trembled uncontrollably—a permanent condition that made even eating and drinking difficult. Water splashed down his tunic, turning the dirt to mud.
Emptying her pail, Viola dropped to the sodden ground with a half-sob, half-groan of relief.
“Get up, tyros!” Master Velvet would not let them rest.
Tears of exhaustion and frustration streaming, she climbed to her feet. Though her back protested, she forced herself straight when Master Velvet approached.
Stand tall, no matter what. Mama’s words echoed in her thoughts. I’m trying, Mama, but I’m so tired!
“Chow time, my drudges. You’ll find that table over there loaded with delights to fill your little bellies. Eat. You have done well.”
Someone had piled the table high with fruits, sweetmeats, and treats. She’d been too exhausted to notice. The scent of fresh bread, cinnamon rolls, and pastries wafted toward her. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation.
Master Velvet placed a hand on her shoulder. “Not you, Seven. You were the first to fail, so an example must be made.”
“B-But…” Viola couldn’t put up more than a weak protest.
“Off with you, Seven. To your bunk and reflect on your weakness.” His dark eyes held no kindness. “Pray to the Watcher for strength to survive.”
“Y-Yes, Master Velvet.” She turned away to hide her tears.
“Perhaps you’ll try harder tomorrow, Seven.” He spoke without a trace of compassion or pity in his voice. “If you want to have any hope of survival here in the Night Guild, this will be the last time you fail.”
Hunger gnawed at Viola’s belly, but it could not outweigh the bone-deep weariness. She forced herself not to look at the other children, to block out the sounds of their eating. Feet leaden, she turned to the tunnel that led to their sleeping quarters.
Tears flowed in earnest once she reached the darkness of the passage. Sobs of anger, desperation, and frustration washed over her, shaking her body like a leaf in a whirlwind.
Slamming the door shut behind her, she threw herself onto her bunk and buried her head in the thin pillow. She didn’t care that her clothes were soaking wet or that she hadn’t had any water to drink for hours. She wouldn’t allow any of the others to see her cry.
Bright Lady, hear me and protect me in my hour of need. Her parched throat refused to form the words.
The prayer had comforted her in the past, but now it felt empty. The hunger, exhaustion, and thirst remained. Minutes ticked by in silence. Nothing happened.
She balled her fists and swallowed the ache in her belly. Down here, she was all alone. The Bright Lady can’t hear me.
Why would she? The goddess of healing hadn’t heard when she’d prayed for Mama and baby Rose. The gods were far away, if they cared at all. Mama was gone and Papa had left her here. In this place, she was the only one she could count on. She had to be strong, just as she had been after Mama died.
I will get through another day. Just one more.