Earlier this morning, I finished the galley proofs for my upcoming book, The Way of the Heathen: Practicing Atheism in Everyday Life. This is the final step before the book goes to the printer. “Galleys” means the typeset pages of the book: the author makes sure there aren’t formatting mistakes, does one final round of proofreading and minor editing, signs off on the project, drinks or screams or does something else celebratory, and immediately goes into a panic about that paragraph that they were going back and forth on and whether Alex was really right about the word “green.” (Long story. We might do a podcast about it someday.)
And yes, I’ve been doing this at the same time that I’ve been co-building and co-launching a business. If any of my friends and colleagues have been wondering why I’ve been even more exhausted, overworked, scattered, terrible about returning emails, and impossible to schedule with than usual over the last few months — yeah, this is why. Sorry I couldn’t tell you about it sooner. Loved writing the book; loved building this blogging site. Doing both at the same time — yeah, that was interesting.
So the book is done! Well, except that I’ll have to take one more look at the next round of galleys to make sure all the corrections were done right. And then there’s getting the ebook formatted. And recording the audiobook. And publicity. And… Writing a book and getting it published is funny: it happens in so many stages, each stage seems like the final one until you remember the next, and to some extent it’s never really finished. (I’m still doing publicity for my other books. Have I mentioned that I’ve written some other books? I have. I’m author of four books: Comforting Thoughts About Death That Have Nothing to Do with God, Coming Out Atheist: How to Do It, How to Help Each Other, and Why, Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless, and Bending: Dirty Kinky Stories About Pain, Power, Religion, Unicorns, & More. They’re all available in ebook, print, and audiobook, they’re all awesome, and you should buy them.)
But being finished with galleys is a hugely important version of “done.” At this point, I am not making any more changes. I’m double-checking the changes I’ve made, I’m putting the book into different formats — but The Way of the Heathen: Practicing Atheism in Everyday Life. is done. It is what it’s going to be. I’m really, really happy. I think you’re going to love it.
Congratulations! That has to feel really good.
Congrats! I’ve read a couple of your previous books and am looking forward to this one.
I’m so excited for the new book! And the one after it too. 🙂
Oh good, more fodder for the kindle.
Hi Greta. Congrats on the book. Are your books downloadable for or otherwise available without utilizing the greedy, exploitative, racist , capitalist intrunent of oppression that is Amazon? I really would like to read your books but I am a full time activist and Tumblr blogger. Unfortunately, that is unpaid labor in our fucked up society. My greedy brainwashed parents won’t even give me money to do the things I enjoy, like reading literary erotica, or going to atheist conferences in Europe and Australia. I’m our fucked up America, my parents think that just because they pay for my iPhone and car then they don’t have to give me any more money so that I can afford to enjoy myself. Can you give me a link where I can find your books for free? Also, another orbit blogger Benny Vimes did something really great that I think others should do. He put a content note for capitalism on his post. Would you consider adding one the beefy time you link to Amazon or other such capitalist exploiters/merchants? Every time I am reminded of the imperialist, unjust, and oppressive system it triggers my anxiety attacks.
Yes. All my books are available in ebook form on Smashwords.
Ask your library to get them. All my books are also available in print. If your library can’t or won’t buy them for their own collection, they can get them on interlibrary loan. But I can’t afford to give my ebooks away for free. Ebooks are a significant portion of my income as a writer. Please don’t ask writers to work for free.