That’s the filename for the current revision, and it feels like it. I thought all along I’d get to five drafts, but I was fairly happy with where version four had got me. Feedback from my beta readers, however, has nailed a few things, particularly about Andrew’s character, which make a lot of sense, so I’ve spent the last week working through it all again. A couple of key scenes are now quite different, but it does all hang together again. I know I need to read it all again, just to be sure, but there won’t be another full draft – any more suggested changes will be made to this draft; it should all be mainly cosmetic now, I hope.
In other news, I think I’m about to get myself a professionally designed cover. I read somewhere that if you want people to invest in your book, you should be prepared to invest in it yourself, which makes sense. The cost of a cover is less than I spend on groceries every week, and if it makes the finished product stand out on the electronic shelves, then it will be worth the investment, I’m sure.
Anyone know the rules on quoting copyrighted lyrics? It’s been suggested to me that a couplet or two might illustrate the point I’m making towards the end, but I fear that might prove ruinously expensive. I’ll ask around…