In mid-July, I sent the second draft of The Moreau Witches off to Elizabeth Slaughter to be edited. Though the book had been read and beta-reviewed by many helpful friends, followers and strangers, it would be the first time that a professional editor picked the words apart to see where I had gone wrong with grammar, spelling, plot and gods know what else.
Naturally, I was a little nervous to see how Elizabeth would wield her red ink across the pages of my work and waited with bated breath for news of her progress. A week or so into editing, she informed me that she loved the story and was making good progress. She then continued to give me positive feedback and updates throughout her work.
On Monday, August 27th, I received her printed edits of The Moreau Witches and have been working on applying those edits throughout the text. I cannot thank her enough for the work she put into my novel and how she has helped me to polish the words to make them shine a little brighter.
I have said it a thousand times before, and I will say it again: a writer is only as good as their editor. In my case, it will be editors, as after I have finished applying Elizabeth’s edits, a UK-based editor will help me double-check for any new typos I may have created. She will also help me ensure we haven’t accidentally Americanised any of the text as the book is written in Victorian English.
I had not expected to have this back in my hands until the first or second week of September, so needless to say, we’ve been making great progress. For everyone who has asked: yes, that means we’re still on track for the release date of October 31st!
With the release date creeping ever closer, a lot of you have also been asking about pre-ordering the book. Unfortunately, since the book is still being edited, I have no idea what the final page count and therefore the cost of the printed edition will be. I do, however, know that the eBook will sell for $2.99.
Aside from special purchases from my online store, there is no way to pre-order the eBook just yet, but with all the requests coming in, I think it’s time to find a way to make it happen.
What do you guys think? All thoughts and suggestions are welcome from readers and writers, alike!
UPDATE: The novel is published. Get your copy on Amazon!
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For ongoing updates, check out the #MoreauWitches hash tag on Twitter, where I often tweet in real-time, while working on the novel. If you’re interested in pre-ordering the witches’ tale, or would like to help with funding, please grab an item from my store! 😁
Alexis Chateau
Activist, Writer. Explorer.