Here we go she knows it all, writes it all down to tell us all. . .

August 6, 2010


In some countries, writing is forbidden. I mean you will die if you are caught writing forbidden.

To this day I can remember how this made me feel. How I had looked at writing as a taken-for-granted thing everyone could do if they wanted to.

I am in the process, the very long and drawn out process, of having my dissertation turned into a book. All the ducks were lined up in a nice, neat row: publisher's acceptance of the manuscript, formatting the manuscript to the publisher's specifications, indexing the manuscript (NOT something you want to do on a regular basis), sending in the final manuscript and then seeing my name in print.

Or so I thought.

Apparently, there were a few decoys messing up my nice, neat row.

A letter appears from the publisher indicating that the final step (where have I heard THAT one before) is to have the manuscript proofread by a professional proofreader who will sign an affidavit atesting to the proofreadiness of the manuscript.

Oh, and I have a month to complete this task.

Well.

Finding a professional proofreader in a city with two univerisities should be a relatively painless task.

It was a logical, if not realistic, conclusion.

It took me two weeks to find a proofreader who lived within the same geographic area and who I could sort of afford. One woman I was referred to lived in New Jersey and was charging $35.00 an hour (USD). Just a little too rich for my blood (and budget!)

And because proofreaders are in short supply, those who do this work are very, very busy, so finding someone was no guarantee that this person would take on my manuscript.

Luckily, she did.

WHAT a humbling experience it is to have a professional proofreader read my manuscript. Evidently, I'm not all that great of a writer. I never thought I was Steinbeck, or Atwood, or Laurence, or any other great writer, but I did think I could string together words to make a sentence that made some sense.

Of course, not many academics are good writers. Howard Becker wrote that "(Academics) will use 20 words where 2 will do." And I've read enough academic journals to believe this. However, academics tend to think of themselves as good writers and are not very gracious when it comes to being told that perhaps they are not all they thought they were.

I do not have the luxury of ignoring criticism. I want to publish a book that people want to read, so I need all the help I can get.

But I also want to finish the damn thing and move on to the dozens of other projects I have on my plate.

Title lyrics: She's Been Writing by Ocean Colour Scene