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The Nitty-Gritty of Galley Editing


By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

I'm in the middle of reading two different sets of Galley Reviews. The first Galleys is for Out of the Storm, a historical romance novella that kicks off a 3 book lighthouse series. The novella releases in late fall of 2014. The second Galleys is for Love Unexpected which is the first lighthouse book. And it releases December 1, 2014. 

Whenever I mention that I'm working on Galleys to friends, they invariably raise their brows. Most people don't really understand what Galleys means or entails.

Before I was published, I had no idea there was even such a thing as Galley edits. And even after I got my first Galleys, I was still confused about what the term meant.

So I did a little investigating and discovered that the term "Galleys" is actually short for Galley proofs.

Old wooden galley tray with lead type. *Source Wikimedia.org*

In the old days printers had to meticulously place each individual letter of each individual word together to form a printed page. The printer laid and tightened those letters into wooden or metal trays called galleys. Then a limited number of copies were printed and proofread. The printer would make further changes, re-arrange the type, and print the final copy.

Nowadays, printing has evolved beyond metal letters and trays. Actually, the Galley editing stage involves different things for different publishers. But I think it's safe to say that overall, Galley Reviews are one of the final editing stages that a book goes through before publication, and the stage usually involves proofreading a printed version of the book.

My publisher is somewhat unique in that they have two sets of printed Galleys.

During the first round, I'm able to see the manuscript that has recently been line edited by my in-house editor. Most of the time, I can't even tell my editor has made any changes unless I carefully compare the Galleys to an earlier manuscript. I've realized that's the sign of a good line editor, when he's able to make important changes but his fingerprints are invisible.

Here's an example of the kinds of changes he makes during line editing (this is taken from the first page of my novella):

My version: "The man's wide-open eyes peered into the heaps of gray clouds covering the early morning sky, the streaks of black the reminder of the storm's fury."

My editor's version: "The man's unseeing eyes stared up at the dark-gray clouds covering the early morning sky, a reminder of the passing storm's fury."

As you can see, he subtly trimmed some of my wordiness. If I don't agree with the changes he's made, I make notes on my printed Galleys about how we can further adjust things (and usually we come to a compromise). I also trim, check for repetitions, and try to catch any mistakes, before finally sending the Galleys back to my publisher.

During the second and final set of Galleys from my publisher, each page is already set for how it will look in the book. So at that point, I'm not allowed to make any big changes. I can only mark little mistakes, missed commas, misspellings, etc. It's actually the very last time I'll see or read my manuscript before it goes to print.

Why are Galleys done six months ahead of the book's release?

There are actually many benefits to having the book *mostly* edited and ready to go that far ahead including allowing time for publishers to begin marketing the book, sending it out to reviewers, and soliciting endorsements.

For me personally, Galleys are a rather depressing stage in my love affair with my book. By the time I see the Galleys, the gushing and giddiness that I felt with my first draft is definitely over. I've read and edited the book so many times, that it's lost its appeal. In fact, as I nitpick the manuscript, everything begins to glare at me. And by the time I finish reading the last set of Galleys, I'm ready to throw it in the trash. Needless to say, I never read the book again.

What about you? What do you think of the Galley stage of editing? Do you think it's a worthwhile editing stage or is it antiquated?

21 comments:

  1. When I see some badly edited books I think it's something that's much needed. You notice a lot more with the printed version in front of you. I bet you're happy when everything's done and you're ready to move on to the next book. Even though it must be a great feeling to see your book ready and printed.
    This is a great article! Very informative too for me as beginning writer. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Yes, I agree! You definitely catch things on the printed version that you miss on the screen. In fact, I catch even more when it's formatted to look exactly like it will on the page. Even though two sets of galleys is a lot of work, in the end it makes for a very cleanly edited book! Although no book is absolutely flawless, I've had very few readers mention seeing mistakes.

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  2. Jody, I'm sure every freshman writer has the same thought--"They bought it. Why does it need editing?" But every stage of editing you describe (and the editorial letter that precedes them) is important. So, although I hope my editors aren't reading this comment, I think edits are important. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Richard, I definitely had those thoughts! But I've since learned (like you), that I'd have a hard time working with a publisher that doesn't make editing a priority. Even multi-published authors benefit from all the various stages of editing, including the big content edit. I've realized my editors always have excellent feedback for taking my story, characters, theme, etc. to the next level.

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  3. I'm on my fourth round of revisional edits and can relate with the sentiment of wanting to toss the whole thing in the trash. I thought it might be my self-doubt rearing it's ugly head. It's reassuring to hear a published author has similar feelings about their own books.

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    1. Sharon, I always feel self-doubt about each of my books, especially as the time draws nearer to the actual publication date. But I've learned, that I'm my worst critic. Even though by the time I'm done editing, I think the book is junk, all that editing usually pays off. Readers end up enjoying the books! :-)

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  4. I love seeing the inside workings of publishing a novel. I believe every single stage of editing is important. I'm amazed at what my own eyes miss when I send out my manuscripts to critique partners. When they send me back their notes I usually slap my forehead and think: "How did I miss that!" And then I'll get notes back from a different CP who notices other things that the first didn't. I imagine it's the same way with every stage in the editing process. Different editors are trained to work on different aspects of the MS. Thank you for another great post, Jody!

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    1. Hi Gabrielle, It is very similar to the critique process! We as writers are usually too invested and too enmeshed in our own work to be able to spot the things that need changing. We have to get that objective feedback in one form or another!

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  5. This explanation makes me, now, understand why there's time lapse between series books. Who knew?! Well, obviously you did. :) Thanks for the explanation.

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    1. Hi Deanna,
      Yes, In traditional publication, we work about a year ahead of publication. For example, I'm currently working with my editor on cover and title suggestions for my book that's releasing NEXT summer. The book has been written and turned in for a while, and my editor is in the process of editing it. So soon I'll be doing rewrites. We work very far in advance! :-) But now you can get a little idea of why.

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  6. Thanks for that enlightening post. As a new author, I'm still learning all the jargon. Now I feel ahead, rather than behind in the game. :)

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    1. Hi Laura,
      Glad the post was enlightening! There are so many terms floating around the publishing industry that it does get confusing at times! :-)

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  7. As an editor, I can assure you I do not read the book once it is on the market. By then I'm sick of reading it and also afraid I'll see something that I didn't catch. It's more enjoyable to imagine that I did a perfect job! :-)

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    1. Hi Grace,

      Thank you for chiming in from an editor's perspective! I think your comment also sums up the author's perspective. I'm also very afraid I'll see something that I missed or something I wish I could change. I don't want to torture myself! So I've simply decided that I won't read my books once they're in print! :-)

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  8. It is cruelling and my publisher sends it back to me many times before we finally send it to be printed. Then I go through the galley a number of times. After reviewing my last book for the umpteenth time I said to my husband, "It's a good thing I like this story." But it has to be done.

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    1. Hi Darlene,

      I can totally relate to where you're coming from! I always tell myself, it's a good thing I like writing! The second Galleys is torture for me, because I'm so hard on myself and ripping apart the story. But I can't make many changes at that point. As you said, we finally just have to tell ourselves we did our best, release the book, and be done with it. :-)

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  9. I can't wait to read "Love Unexpected". Thank you for continuing to give us such inspiring and moving tales!

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  10. I saw your blog post in Ken Rawhmoeller's reading list and had to come over. As a reviewer, I routinely send in error lists so ARCs can be corrected before publishing. As a freelance editor, I do the same for indie books, usually after publishing. Yes, it's great to have control and not wait so long to market, but few indies realize how waiting can benefit them. At least long enough to get responses in from beta readers and reviewers. Most of my work comes from sending those error lists--very long lists--to indies who jumped the gun. After they get too many bad reviews, they remember and hire me. Perfect job for a reading addict!

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  11. Rachel ThompsonMay 27, 2014 6:30 AM

    Your editor has a good eye-- that was a really bad sentence. It could be further improved, however.

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