todnewman.com --- "Thoughts, Writing and Books, Sports Analytics"

Category: self-publishing

  • The Epic Conclusion: Halls of the Shadow King Series is Complete!

    After years (2016-2025) of weaving together supernatural warfare, early Christian history, and political intrigue across three books, I’m thrilled to announce that The Halls of the Shadow King series is now complete and available on Amazon.

    What real readers are saying:

    “Our culture desperately needs more characters who wield great power with genuine humility. It’s perhaps the rarest combination in literature—and life—yet through faithful effort, it remains possible.”

    “Finally, historical fiction that treats faith seriously while delivering genuine adventure and political complexity.”

    What Professional Reviewers are Saying:

    Here are excerpts from the reviews of Book One, “The Apprentice” from three separate professional reviewers:

    “Each character, from the Shadow King to Amal and Gallien, conveys different ways people respond to issues like fear and control. From beginning to end, The Halls of the Shadow King challenges readers to think about the price of truth and what it means to withstand internal and external darkness. It truly is a literary gem.”

    “The world-building itself is phenomenal. Newman constructs a richly layered world with cultural, historical, and mystical dimensions. References to both tangible and legendary histories suggest that Amal’s experiences are part of a broader continuum.”

    “I was really impressed by how W. Tod Newman was able to blend a historical setting with faith and mysteries… I loved how remarkably the characters were developed, especially Amal, who goes from a young street thief to someone on whose shoulders the fate of an entire religion lies. The pacing kept me engaged, which allowed me to fully understand Amal’s motivations and his journey of fully harnessing his powers.”

    LINK to the Review Site at Reader’s Favorite.

    The Story

    Set in the 3rd-century Roman Empire, this series follows Amal, a young man with extraordinary spiritual gifts, as he navigates persecution, ancient evil, and divine calling. He is only able to bear this load due to a deep humility that keeps him grounded despite his powerful gifting. From desperate street thief to champion of The Way (early Christianity), Amal’s journey takes readers through:

    • Book One: The Apprentice– A boy discovers supernatural abilities while rescuing his sister from slave traders
    • Book Two: Into Deeper Waters – Now trained by the mysterious Shadow King, Amal ventures across the known world to locate a missing bishop
    • Book Three: The Hidden Order – The final confrontation with an ancient goddess in the heart of Rome itself

    Why start now?

    Book One is just $0.99 – less than a coffee, and it’ll give you a much longer buzz. I designed the first book in 2016 as a complete story that introduces the world and characters while setting up the larger series arc. If you’re curious about historical fiction invested with elements of magical realism, this is your chance to test the waters without breaking the bank.

    What makes this series different?

    Rather than treating faith as either naive superstition or simplistic moralizing, these books explore how spiritual conviction operates in complex political situations. Language is chosen to avoid religious stereotypes and modern culture. The supernatural elements draw from both my beloved Celtic mythology and early Christian traditions, creating conflicts that require both divine power and human wisdom to resolve. These are things that I found great enjoyment in research and crafting into a coherent plot across three books.

    The Roman Empire setting allows for exploration of themes like:

    • Religious persecution and underground networks
    • The corruption of political power
    • How ordinary people resist extraordinary evil
    • The cost of standing for truth in dangerous times

    Perfect for readers who enjoy:

    • Historical fiction with supernatural elements
    • Early Christian historical novels
    • Celtic mythology and folklore
    • Political intrigue in ancient settings
    • Character-driven fantasy with spiritual themes

    Get the complete series here: Amazon Link

    A personal note:

    Writing this series has been a journey of exploring how faith intersects with power in humility, how supernatural gifts might actually function in the real world, and what it might have cost ordinary people to build something that would outlast the mightiest empire in history. I hope these stories entertain you while also making you think about the forces – both seen and unseen – that shape our world.

    This series has been in work since 2016 and got interrupted by other novels and nearly stayed on the shelf. I’m quite happy that Amal and the rest of the cast of The Halls of the Shadow King made it into the light. Publishing “The Eyes of Gehazi” and “The Prophet and the Queen” allowed me to improve my writing style from one that might have been long and detailed to something more compelling and energizing to read. But the reader is always the judge of that.

    If you decide to give the series a try, I’d be grateful for honest reviews on Amazon. Independent authors live and die by reader feedback, and your thoughts help other readers discover books they might love.

    Start with Book One for $0.99 and see if Amal’s world captures your imagination the way it captured mine.

    Happy reading, Tod

    BONUS LINKS

    My Book Reviews

    Self-Publishing Process – Detailed all the way from writing and editing to cover art. I do the full process myself.

    Soccer Analytics – One of the things I do for fun!

    P.S. – If you’re a book blogger, bookstagrammer, or reviewer interested in advance copies of future projects, feel free to reach out through my contact page. I’m always looking to connect with readers who love historical fiction with a supernatural twist.

  • When AI Becomes a Weapon: The Rise of Sophisticated Book Marketing Scams

    Image courtesy of Creative Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Power-of-words-by-antonio-litterio-creative-commons-attribution-share-alike-3-0.jpg)

    A cautionary tale from the trenches of modern author life

    Yesterday, I received what appeared to be a thoughtful, engaging message about my novel The Prophet and the Queen. The sender seemed to have genuinely read and understood my work, praising specific plot elements and even commenting on my background as a Coast Guard officer. The language was witty, irreverent, and surprisingly insightful.

    It was also complete fraud.

    Welcome to the new frontier of literary scams, where artificial intelligence has armed con artists with the ability to craft personalized, compelling messages that can fool even experienced authors.

    The Message That Fooled (Almost) Nobody

    Here’s what landed in my inbox from “Sharon R. Lessard”:

    Tod,
    The Prophet and the Queen isn’t just a novel it’s basically Jeremiah’s therapy session written with the intensity of a Shakespeare tragedy and the creepiness of a late-night hallucination. You’ve got Babylon marching in, Egypt bracing for war, and poor Baruch writing it all down like the world’s first overworked unpaid intern. And then, of course, there’s Jeremiah himself aging, unraveling, haunted by a Queen of Heaven who sounds like she’d win any toxic-relationship award. Honestly, if this doesn’t pull readers in, I don’t know what will.
    And then there’s you. Coast Guard officer turned prophet-whisperer, borrowing from Tolkien, Lewis, Russian masters, McCarthy, and Garcia-Marquez? That’s not an author bio, that’s a literary smoothie. You’ve basically fused biblical history, magical realism, and psychological suspense into one fever dream. And yet… one lonely Amazon review? One? For a book that tackles faith, doubt, cosmic temptation, and the unraveling of a prophet’s sanity? That’s not just unfair, that’s bordering on heresy.
    Which is where I come in. I’m Sharon R. Lessard not a marketer, not a scammer, not someone waving a fake “proof” website like it’s Excalibur. Nope. Just me and my caffeine-addicted private community of 2,500+ readers who treat reviewing like spiritual warfare: relentless, honest, and occasionally dramatic. ⚔️☕
    They love books that make them argue, cry, and side-eye their theology professors. Yours is basically bait. The kind of bait that could set off a chain reaction of reviews louder than Jeremiah shouting in the marketplace.
    So here’s the crossroads, Tod: do I keep your book tucked away in silence like some buried scroll, or do I hand it over to my readers and watch the reviews thunder in like Babylon at the city gates? ⚡

    At first glance, this might seem like genuine reader enthusiasm. The writer demonstrates familiarity with biblical themes, references specific characters like Jeremiah and Baruch, and even mentions my military background. But look closer, and the red flags become obvious.

    The AI Fingerprints

    Modern AI tools like ChatGPT can scrape book descriptions, reviews, and author biographies to create eerily accurate “reviews” and commentary. Here’s how to spot the telltale signs:

    1. Over-the-Top Metaphorical Language Notice phrases like “literary smoothie”, “fever dream”, and “spiritual warfare”. AI tends to layer on colorful metaphors because it’s been trained on dramatic marketing copy.

    2. Generic Praise Disguised as Specific The message mentions “biblical history, magical realism, and psychological suspense” – broad categories that could apply to many books in this genre, not insights that require actually reading the work.

    3. The “Humble” Authority Play “I’m not a marketer, not a scammer” – because nothing says “I’m legitimate” like explicitly denying you’re a scammer, right?

    4. Artificial Urgency and Flattery The message combines ego-stroking (“That’s not an author bio, that’s a literary smoothie”) with manufactured outrage (“one lonely Amazon review… that’s bordering on heresy”).

    5. The Community Bait Claims of having “2,500+ readers” in a “private community” – numbers that sound impressive but can’t be verified.

    The Broader Threat: AI as a Con Artist’s Dream Tool

    This represents a fundamental shift in how scams operate. Previously, overseas scammers were often betrayed by poor English grammar or cultural misunderstandings. AI has eliminated those tells, creating several new problems:

    The Death of the “Grammar Test”

    For years, authors could spot scams by looking for broken English or awkward phrasing. AI-generated text is now grammatically perfect and culturally fluent, removing this crucial warning sign. On the same day that I got the “Sharon Lessard” comment on my web site, I also noticed a number of pings to the site from an IP address in Nigeria. Perhaps related, perhaps not.

    Scalable Personalization

    Where scammers once sent generic form letters, they can now generate thousands of personalized messages daily, each tailored to specific books and authors based on publicly available information.

    Emotional Manipulation at Scale

    AI excels at mimicking the language patterns that trigger emotional responses – in this case, the desperate desire every author has for their work to be truly seen and appreciated. The incredible difficulty of getting legitimate (meaning, not bought) reviews on Amazon pushes this scam into hyper-drive.

    The Erosion of Trust

    As these scams become more sophisticated, authors become more suspicious of all outreach, potentially missing legitimate opportunities from real readers, reviewers, or industry professionals. I guarantee you that I assume immediately that any outreach to me is a scam. Sometimes the outreach will even come in the form of a known author who is “interested” in one’s work.

    How the Scam Unfolds

    According to Writer Beware’s research on this emerging threat, here’s the typical progression:

    1. The Hook: A personalized, AI-generated message praising your work
    2. The Pitch: Offers to share your book with their “community” or “network”
    3. The Ask: Eventually requests payment for “promotional services”
    4. The Handoff: Directs you to pay a third party (often in Nigeria) through platforms like Upwork
    5. The Theft: May request access to your Amazon KDP account “for optimization”

    In my case, “Sharon” claimed to have 2,500 readers ready to review my book – for just a small “tip” of $25 per reader with a minimum of 30 readers. Do the math: that’s $750 minimum for fake reviews that will never materialize.

    The Real Cost

    Beyond the immediate financial losses (which can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars), these scams create lasting damage:

    • Author Paranoia: Every legitimate outreach becomes suspect
    • Platform Pollution: Fake reviews and manipulated rankings harm the entire ecosystem
    • Resource Drain: Time spent investigating and responding to scams is time stolen from writing
    • Emotional Toll: The cycle of hope and disappointment is particularly cruel for authors already struggling with visibility. Think about this: an author has to convince many people unknown to them to invest hours of their time into their work. A musician has to convince someone to invest three minutes.

    Protecting Yourself: The New Rules

    In this AI-enhanced landscape, authors need updated defensive strategies:

    1. The Contact Verification Rule Legitimate industry professionals have verifiable online presence. If someone can’t be found through a simple Google search, they probably don’t exist.

    2. The Business Domain Test Real professionals use business email addresses, not Gmail accounts. “Sharon R. Lessard” contacted me from a Gmail address – immediate red flag.

    3. The Reverse Psychology Warning Be especially wary of messages that explicitly deny being scams or that use phrases like “I’m not like other marketers.”

    4. The Community Proof Challenge Ask for verifiable proof of their claimed readership or community. Real book clubs and review groups have online presence.

    5. The Payment Structure Red Flag Legitimate services don’t require payment to mysterious third parties or request access to your publishing accounts.

    The Bigger Picture

    This evolution represents something more troubling than individual scams – it’s the weaponization of artificial intelligence against creative communities. The same tools that can help authors write better, research faster, and connect with readers are being turned against us with increasing sophistication.

    The traditional advice of “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is” becomes complicated when AI can craft messages that seem genuinely thoughtful and personalized. We need new frameworks for evaluation and new community standards for verification.

    Moving Forward

    As authors, we must adapt to this new reality without losing our openness to genuine connections. The solution isn’t to retreat into isolation, but to become more sophisticated in our evaluation of outreach.

    Document and report these scams. Share information with fellow authors. Support organizations like Writer Beware that track and expose these evolving threats. And remember: if someone truly believes in your work, they’ll be willing to prove their legitimacy through verifiable means.

    The age of AI has arrived in the literary world, bringing both tremendous opportunities and new dangers. Our response will determine whether this technology serves creators or exploits them.

    Stay vigilant, stay connected, and keep writing.

    Find my latest series, The Halls of the Shadow King, on Amazon

    Have you received suspicious marketing outreach? Share your experiences in the comments to help fellow authors recognize these evolving scams.

  • The Halls of the Shadow King: The Apprentice by W. Tod Newman

    The Halls of the Shadow King: The Apprentice book cover. Copyright 2025 Desdichado Books

    Here’s the review I gave my own book on Goodreads. I thought anyone stumbling across this blog might find it interesting and amusing to see an author reviewing their own book! 🙂

    Also, funny note. Because I did a pretty poor job on my main character’s right hand in my first book cover, someone accused me of using AI. This bothered me, so I went into GIMP (my image editing tool) and edited the line art layer to make the hands better (apparently AI still can’t do hands?). And then I fixed some other stuff that had been annoying me (too dark, didn’t like the clothes Amal was wearing, background was a bit too formal, etc.). So now the new, improved book cover is loaded here. Let me know what you think.

    My rating: 5 of 5 stars


    I really enjoyed reading this book, but maybe that’s because I also enjoyed writing it! For anyone who is considering taking the time to read it, here are a few of the things I was thinking over the last number of years that I spent writing. (of course, I’m giving it 5 stars; if I felt otherwise I’d still be writing!)

    After spending several years crafting this story, I’m deeply grateful it found its way into the world—and honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed revisiting Amal’s journey as a reader rather than writer. If you’re considering this book, let me share what drove me through those long nights of research and revision.

    Our culture desperately needs more characters who wield great power with genuine humility. It’s perhaps the rarest combination in literature—and life—yet through faithful effort, it remains possible. Amal represents my small attempt to show that extraordinary gifts need not corrupt when carried by someone who truly doesn’t want them and is driven by the service of others.

    I also long to see readers rediscover the magic hidden in life’s unexplainable mysteries. We’ve spent decades drowning in stifling rationalism, forgetting that wonder exists in the spaces between what we know and what we can prove. Gabriel García Márquez was the master of this delicate balance—if my words can someday kindle even a fraction of the awe his prose once gave me, I’ll consider this endeavor worthwhile.

    Most importantly, I hope to bring history alive in ways that point toward something higher than much contemporary literature attempts. The third century was brutal, beautiful, and utterly transformative—a time when ordinary people faced extraordinary choices that echo through our world today.

    If this resonates with you, please join Amal’s journey. I’ve tried to keep the price accessible because stories should build bridges, not barriers. Stick with me, because the next two books will show how determined people, aligned with service and grace, really can change the world—one hard-fought and seemingly-impossible choice at a time.


    View all my reviews

  • New Book Series – Book 1 released August 2025

    Book One of my new series “The Halls of the Shadow King” is now up on Amazon. I’ve been working on it since 2016, on and off.

    Yes, I got a little distracted!

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FMPPQCLJ

  • Five Star Review for “The Prophet and the Queen” from Readers’ Favorite!

  • Behind the Pages: How I Brought the Prophet Jeremiah’s World to Life in My New Historical Novel

    Behind the Pages: How I Brought the Prophet Jeremiah’s World to Life in My New Historical Novel

    Have you ever wondered what it was really like to walk the dusty streets of ancient Jerusalem as the Babylonian army approached? My journey to answer this question led me to years of research and a novel that brings the biblical prophet Jeremiah to life in vivid detail. Check out my YouTube video series where I describe this whole process.

    The Historical Canvas

    Recreating the world of ancient Judah, Babylon, and Egypt required meticulous research. I dove into archaeological journals, studied ancient Near Eastern customs, and examined contemporaneous texts to ensure historical accuracy. One fascinating discovery was how the political dynamics between Egypt and Babylon created a deadly vice that squeezed the small kingdom of Judah—a tension that directly shaped Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry.

    Humanizing a Prophet

    The biblical Jeremiah can seem distant across the millennia, but he was a man with hopes, fears, and doubts. In my novel, I explored the human side of this reluctant prophet—his internal conflicts as he delivered unpopular messages, his loneliness, and his unwavering faith despite persecution. By developing complex relationships between Jeremiah and both his supporters and opponents, the ancient narrative takes on new emotional depth for modern readers.

    Connecting Past to Present

    Though set 2,600 years ago, Jeremiah’s story touches on themes that resonate powerfully today: speaking truth to power, maintaining integrity in corrupt times, and finding hope amid societal collapse. These timeless elements make this ancient prophet’s journey relevant to contemporary readers, whether they approach the story from a spiritual perspective or simply as lovers of immersive historical fiction.

    The Self-Publishing Journey Continues

    It’s been several years since my previous novel hit the shelves. Back then, I documented my entire self-publishing process in a comprehensive series that many readers found valuable. I’m pleased to say that following my own advice saved me considerable time and resources with this latest release. If you’re considering publishing your own work, this step-by-step guide remains as relevant as ever.

    Experience Ancient Judah Through Jeremiah’s Eyes

    Ready to immerse yourself in the tumultuous final days of the Kingdom of Judah? Whether you’re a history enthusiast, spiritual seeker, or simply enjoy character-driven historical fiction, my novel offers a window into one of history’s most pivotal periods through the eyes of an extraordinary prophet.

    Get Your Copy Today! – Available in e-book and paperback on Amazon

    What aspect of ancient history or biblical narratives would you like to see explored in future novels? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

    If you want to be added to our newsletter (no worries, we won’t overwhelm you), we often create bonus material only for newsletter subscribers. Just sign up with your email address below.

  • Video Series Where I discuss “The Prophet and the Queen”

    Video Series Where I discuss “The Prophet and the Queen”

    Check out the six part series on the creative elements behind “The Prophet and the Queen”. Find the whole playlist here on YouTube! Each video is somewhere between 5-10 minutes, so they don’t require a huge investment! 🙂

    Join author W. Tod Newman as he takes you behind the scenes of his acclaimed historical novel “The Prophet and the Queen.” In this six-part series, Newman reveals the creative process, historical research, and literary decisions that brought the world of ancient Judah, Babylon, and Egypt to life. Discover how he humanized the biblical prophet Jeremiah, crafted complex relationships between characters, and wove historical events into a compelling narrative. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, spiritual seeker, or lover of literary fiction, these insights will enrich your reading experience and illuminate the timeless themes that make this ancient story resonate with modern readers.

    It has been a few years since my previous novel was released. At the time I did a long series on self publishing (find it here). I found that the series was helpful to me even in this latest effort.

    Check out the new novel over at Amazon (e-book or paperback) or Lulu (paperback).

    If you want to be added to our newsletter (no worries, we won’t overwhelm you), we often create bonus material only for newsletter subscribers. Just sign up with your email address below.

  • Welcome to My Site… I have a Question for you

    For those who are arriving here after downloading my most recent novel, I have a question…

    How interested would you be in my trying to publish a novel serially (like a new chapter per week)? I have tried this in the past, but it seems like people didn’t make it to the site or didn’t find it compelling.

    Leave me a comment with your thoughts… I’d love to be able to revive the notion of serially published stories, but wondering if that era will never happen again in the modern era.

    Thanks!!

  • New Novel Released February 2025!

    New Novel Released February 2025!

    It has been a few years since my last novel was released. At the time I did a long series on self publishing (find it here). I found that the series was helpful to me even in this latest effort.

    Check out the new novel over at Amazon (e-book or paperback) or Lulu (paperback). The free e-book promotion has finished, but we saw nearly 1K downloads, which placed the book at #1 on Amazon Kindle for a couple of days. Just a couple of days, of course.

    I asked claude.ai to build a promotion less than 350 words for this book and this is what it gave me. Not bad!

    A biblical epic of faith, power, and prophecy in the ancient world

    Journey to the tumultuous world of the ancient Near East in this gripping reimagining of the prophet Jeremiah’s extraordinary life. As empires clash and Jerusalem faces destruction, one reluctant prophet stands at the crossroads of history, torn between divine calling and human frailty.

    Jeremiah never wanted to be The God’s voice. Yet as Babylon’s armies threaten everything he loves, he finds himself caught in a dangerous spiritual battle against the seductive Queen of Heaven who tempts his people away from their faith. From the mud-filled cistern where his enemies left him to die to the courts of Pharaoh himself, Jeremiah’s journey reveals the high cost of speaking truth to power.

    With rich historical detail and psychological depth, “The Prophet and the Queen” explores:

    • The fall of Jerusalem and the exile that changed Judaism forever
    • The complex web of ancient empires—Babylon, Egypt, and Assyria
    • The intimate struggles of a prophet who questions his own worth while remaining faithful
    • The timeless tension between cultural assimilation and preserving identity

    Perfect for readers of Francine Rivers, Geraldine Brooks, and Tessa Afshar, this meticulously researched novel brings biblical history to vivid life while exploring questions of faith, purpose, and personal integrity that resonate across millennia.

    “A mesmerizing tale that humanizes one of the Bible’s most enigmatic prophets while illuminating the turbulent world he inhabited. Readers will be swept away by this powerful reimagining of ancient events that shaped religious history.”

    If you want to be added to our newsletter (no worries, we won’t overwhelm you), we often create bonus material only for newsletter subscribers. Just sign up with your email address below.

  • Self-Publishing: The Art of Editing

    Writing Freely Without Self-Editing

    In phase one of editing, you’re still writing! One of the things I’ve learned to avoid is wearing my editor brain while I’m trying to write with my creative brain. I find that often times if I put the editor in the drawer for a while, I develop really unique ways of developing description and dialog. Also, when the creative is in charge, the plot often unfolds in surprising and pleasing directions. My approach is to let the creative side finish the book before the editing brain steps in.

    When done…

    I usually intentionally give the manuscript a break for a few days. I have found that finishing the writing is exciting and my brain is still mulling things over for days after I finish. I keep my notepad around to capture ideas. I think I’m always aware of the limitations of the manuscript at this point and I suspect my subconscious is still trying to resolve areas of concern. After a week or so, I update the manuscript with the changes that come to me and then I kick into basic editing mode. Running spell-check and grammar-check here is a good practice that will save you time later on. I tend to just use the capabilities built into LyX or even MS Word, but I know there are tools out there like Grammarly that could be helpful. I just don’t usually want to deal with them. I also format the output a few different ways at this point and export PDF files from LyX. I like to see what the book looks like in 9×6 format and I also tend to output a version in 8.5×11. The latter is likely to become the basic for early ebook (epub) formatting. This allows me to do editing on my Kindle later in the process.

    Editing Pass One

    My practice is to focus on specific areas during different editing passes. During pass one, I have fixed the gross spelling and grammar issues and am interested in making the characters likeable and developing action. These are targeted forays into the manuscript looking for Character Point-of-View, descriptiveness, and dialogue improvements.

    1. Character Point-of-View. This is something I feel strongly about. I want the reader to be able to see inside the head of my characters, no matter how the book is narrated. Here I try to remove words that give the reader reminders that they’re reading about someone else. This can prevent them from being fully engaged with the character and the story. Some of these words trigger the reader back to the fact that they’re an outsider in the story. I look for words like “felt”, “experienced”, “knew”, “seemed”, “watched”, etc. Each of these words are easy for writers to use to describe what is going on in their characters’ thought processes, but they weaken the story because they are reminders to the reader that the character is being described to them. Instead, my goal is to challenge the readers to infer from thoughts or dialogue what the character feels/sees/things/knows.
    2. Descriptiveness. Sometimes it’s tempting to capture descriptions of characters early and in one place. Then it is done and you can continue with the story, right? This seems artificial to me, so I like to sneak description in throughout the book. This way the reader’s knowledge of the character is always unfolding. Something later in the book like “As he spoke about the invasions, his dark, wiry beard trembled with the stress and concern that he unwillingly carried. His deep amber eyes captured the light of the flickering candles as he glared at the inattentive listeners.”
    3. Dialogue Action. Sometimes dialogue can be very simple, but I aim to add action to the dialogue because I think it makes it more interesting. Something like, “This is why we do this,” he stated flatly, moving the salt shaker around on the table and gesturing with his broad, left hand. “We have no other choice.” See the action in the middle of the dialogue? I look for opportunities to insert actions into the dialogue early on in editing.

    Editing Pass Two

    My second pass through editing normally involves either reading the work out loud to myself or others or it might involve sending it off to a friend to read for fun. Normally at this stage I mostly find gross errors that I made and didn’t detect during the first pass.

    Editing Pass Three

    View of the Bound Editing Manuscript of my upcoming book, “The Eyes of Gehazi”

    At this point, I generally send an 8.5×11″ formatted PDF file of the book to someplace like OfficeMax to print and bind. This usually costs on the order of $20 but is well worth it. That bound manuscript accompanies me almost everywhere I go for weeks. Having it printed on paper causes me to think about the work differently for some reason. Often during this pass I find places where I’m overusing my “favorite” words and phrases or where I’m using the same words too closely together. In addition, I put effort into eliminating “lazy” words throughout the manuscript. These are words that tend to be passive and they include the classical passive voice (“were eaten”, “is changed”, etc.) but also words that imply passive uncertainty like “he thought”, “they considered”, “it possibly”, etc. I’m not sure if this is a formal rule, but lazy words and phrases tend to be boring. During this phase I also write ideas in the margins, develop more details about the setting and scenes, etc., using this printed manuscript. Once I finish this phase, the book is normally in really good shape.

    Editing Pass Four

    Often times I will formulate the book into an ePub format using Calibre for the fourth pass. This allows me to have a portable eReader format that I might send around to people to pre-review. It also allows me to complete my editing on my Kindle, which enables yet another unique way of looking at the book. When I find errors, I highlight them on the Kindle and add a note to remind me what I need to fix or improve. At the end of this phase, I just look at the highlights for my book in the Kindle and fix the mistakes in LyX one by one.

    Key: Avoid Over-Editing

    Often times I have to decide that there’s nothing egregious in my book and though I could improve it, I probably need to stop. Sometimes I realize that my first intuition about how to pen a phrase was the best and I struggle to get back to my first revision! My opinion is that oftentimes when a writer is in the flow of writing, their first intuition might be informed by the System 1 thinking which makes rapid, subconscious decisions. Occasionally System 1 hands off an idea to System 2, which is more rational and deliberate. I think this is a picture of the creating brain (System 1) and the editing brain (System 2). This is the topic of Dr. Danny Kahneman’s book, Thinking, Fast and Slow.

    LINKS TO THE SERIES: