Hello everyone!
My apologies for not providing an update sooner. I received the structural edit of be guid tae yer mammy at the beginning of February from my wonderful editor Sam Boyce, and I've been incredibly busy!
She was full of brilliant suggestions for the manuscript, one of which was to go all out with my use of Scots and vary it across each of the novel's three generations. This means that 80% of the novel is now written in the language, and it's all the better for it!
However, it has been a slow process, and I've had to make charts like the one below to make my copy editor's life easier as well as some complex linguistic decisions. Now, I'm working on tightening up a few aspects of the novel's plot before it goes to Sam a final time, then onto the copyeditor and proofreader.
Hopefully, the book will be signed off for print and ready for its cover designer to begin work around June! Unbound has given me a provisional publication date of January 21, 2021, but if possible, I'm going to ask for its supporters to get their copies before then (however, it's ultimately out of my hands).
In the meantime, I'd love to recommend some brilliant Scots books I've read recently. The first is Chris McQueer's short story collection HWFG and the second is Ross Sayer's Mary's the Name. Both of which are definitely worth a read if you want a real flavor of what be guid tae yer mammy is going to be like!
I'm currently working on a Scots short story for you lovely people, and it will likely be included in my next update. But for now, the novel is my priority!
Best wishes and, as ever, thank you for your patience,
Emma