Ears Wide Shut

Since I'm in the final steps of edits for my second book, I've been searching out blogs and articles on the subject. From that search I've found my new favorite tool.

A Little Background

Unfortunately I don't have many reviews posted for my first book but they all seem to have a similar theme. Good story. Developed characters. Too many editing issues. Mostly three out of five stars.

Now, I promise I've read through the book multiple times and used a professional editor. So what gives?

My working theory has been: When I went through the editing and formatting process I created multiple versions. My day job is as a systems analyst so I've been taught to save each step, giving the files incremental numbers so I can always go back to an earlier version if needed. Maybe somewhere along the way I stumbled and used a version that wasn't completely edited. I checked my versions and posted an updated file. Surely that will fix my issue.

Or not... and please, don't call me Shirley.

This second book has to be pristine when released. I've kept careful track of my most up to date files, ensuring nothing gets mixed up. All the while I've kept my head in the sand where the first book is concerned.

Honestly, I've read and re-read the thing so many times I didn't want to visit it any more. It's in the wild, on its own. Let it be.

So what's this new favorite tool? Text-to-voice.

I've seen others post that the best way to edit is to read your manuscript out loud or have someone else read it to you. Yeah, not gonna do that. But when I saw a post about a technology that could do it for me, I jumped.

Now, I know text-to-voice is nothing new, but I'd never really thought about using it to edit. I said something to my wife and she immediately told me some of her author friends have been using it for years. Once again, I'm late to the party.

I downloaded a free version of "Natural Reader" (not a plug, it was at the top of my Google search) to my PC and got my headphones ready for a listen. When I opened the folder with the most current version of my new book, I saw the final file for the first one sitting in the corner, untouched for a few months, acting ashamed and abandoned.

Should I get out the shovel and unbury my head? Should I open my ears to that loved but deserted story?

I loaded the dusty file and sat back. Holy Crap! I still subscribe to the theory that these words were fixed at some point but it was a mess. I can no longer pretend it didn't happen.

The last week has been spent going word for word through the file. Using text-to-voice brings both senses into play; visual as I follow the cursor across the page and auditory as I listen to the programs voice.

Next Week's To-Dos:

I've got to reformat this newly edited version and get it loaded to Amazon, Nook, and Smashwords. It will be almost like a new release without the fanfare, tweeting, or any hope for attention. There may be only a handful of downloads still coming but I owe my first born story that much.

Next, I'll be using the same method (although I may try a different program) to pick through the second book before releasing.

In another blog I read that a writer isn't really an author until they've written 1,000,000 words. By the time I finish my current book-in-progress I'll be more than a quarter of the way there. After this learning experience I'd like to add another line to that mantra.

You're not an author until you've listened to 1,000,000 of your own words.

Keep your ears wide open and never stop believing in yourself.

(And yes, I used text-to-voice to proof this blog before posting.)

C.L. Blanton