Blog No. 323 - The Struggle, and Triumph, of Publishing our First Book: The Camino Soul Songs, Part 2 - 25 Aug 2024

My purpose is to give hope to those who have lost hope.

Without hope, we remain lost in the Shadow Lands.

‘This book could be it’, John pondered. 

Many nights and days were spent on the Camino Soul Songs project. John has never done something like this before. In fact, until now, John has done many things that he has never done before. Being able to do what others his age would dream of doing filled him with joy and hope.

He isn’t a man to give up. 

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Most proofreading happens digitally, so this picture is simply symbolic. Source

What To Consider With A Proofreader

The part of the Journey that was most tedious and most lengthy was getting the manuscript into proper form. Due to some technical difficulties, the proofreading process took a little longer than expected. By 1 June 2025, Oliver had done the first (of many) proofreads. 

It is always important to review the work before continuing. Human error does occur, and some mistakes will still slip through. This is especially true when it is a freelancer. They may also leave comments or suggestions throughout the draft that need your attention. You must always try and answer these as fast as you can, since the proofreader cannot continue without you. 

Aside from this, you may also find that not all proofreaders will work in a compatible way with you. In fact, some may overstep and completely change the meaning of your work. Now here is where you must be flexible, whilst still maintaining some kind of boundary. Nuance is important. If you send your work to be proofread, be ready to accept criticism. Your proofreader is your first reader, they will be the first source of feedback to your yet to be released masterpiece. Their opinion is important, because they will view it from a different perspective than yours. Having said that, if they suggest a change that could make your storyline completely different (for better or for worse), do discuss either way. What matters is that no changes are made without your approval.

Now, you must also be clear with your proofreader. Provide them context of your story, why are you writing this? What is your inspiration? What is your aim? You must also make sure they understand your style, so that the structure and tone of the writing remains consistent. This is why communication is so important when collaborating with a proofreader, and why multiple proofreads need to be done too. The better the proofreader understands your meaning, the better they will work. 

Our Proofreader

We were fortunate to work with Oliver. He understood the sensitivity of John’s project and respected the meaning of the text, making only the necessary adjustments while carefully correcting the grammar. Most importantly, John was pleased with the quality of his work. Oliver offered thoughtful suggestions and comments that genuinely supported John, and he never attempted to alter the story in any significant way.

Perhaps, if you are a writer looking for a reliable proofreader, I can refer you to Oliver.

Moving on, you may have noticed that there is a large gap between when the first proofreading was delivered, and when it was published. This can be explained by the fact that John was a little unprepared at times. It is expected, when so much happens at once, you find yourself dizzied by the hundred little things that tug on your sleeve like restless children. 

John tried his best to review all the changes Oliver did, but it did take him a long time. There were simply a lot of them, and he wanted to make sure his first book was perfect. There was a lot of back and forth between John and Oliver. He found passages which did not match up, and ones which were somehow exact copies of the previous. Oliver would point out a hole, John would patch it up, make amends, and Oliver reviewed the work again. Ultimately, Oliver delivered his final proofread on 14 July 2025. 

It took 44 days. From a rough draft to a final draft. Everyone’s journey is different, and yours may not drag on like this, but this was John’s experience. 

The Photos

In the following days of receiving the final draft, John needed to reduce the amount of photographs in the book. Photos mean colour, and colour means cost. If he wanted to make sure his wallet didn't become a void, then this was what he needed to do. This step will not be necessary to many. John’s book is unique, and the photos are there to support the story. Nevertheless, this process was quick. Culling the amount of photos was an easy task.

John finally felt satisfied with his final draft. No mistakes, less photos. This draft started to look like a book. Yet one final step remained.

Formatting

By helping others to heal

We help ourselves heal

Remember those who preceded us.

Give abundant Love

Always