Earlier this month I received the completed first proofs for Shareware Heroes. This is the name used for the first full draft of a book's layout and design, with placeholders for things that will be dropped in later (like acknowledgements and index and, in our case, supporter lists).

It's an exciting moment in the publishing process, as this is when everyone involved gets a first look at the book as a tangible thing. We can see how it reads with the chosen typeface and spacing and margins, and with images in place. And we can see what's right and not right — what works beautifully and what needs changing. (Related to that, are you interested in seeing a few screenshots of this first proof PDF? Or would you prefer to wait for the final version to be done or in your hands?)

That's what I'm doing now. I am re-reading the book to check for errors that slipped through editing or that were made in the typesetting process, and as I go I'm considering whether the images currently present are suitable or if they need to be swapped out for something else. I'm also keeping in mind the colour plate section we are still to add in the middle of the book, which is the only place where there'll be colour images. As I do that, I'm thinking about both what should go in there from my collection of photos and other visuals as well as whether anything currently mixed in with the main text would be better placed in the colour section.

This will take the rest of the month. When I'm done, my editor will do another check of her own and instruct the designer on changes and additions, then a professional proofreader will check if we missed anything before the book goes to the printers.

So we're nearly there now! Publication date, as noted before, is August 18th, but all the backer copies will go out 2-4 weeks before then. I can't wait to share the finished thing with you.