Book Page Proof Review

I’m now at the publishing stage with my novel where the first-pass page proofs are ready. At this point, the copy has been (mostly) finalized, and the book is formatted. It’s now my job to go through the entire thing and pick out any last-minute issues.

What Does a Formatted Book Look Like?

The style varies depending on the book, but in general, a formatted book will have the front matter pages (that includes information on the publisher, ISBN, and copywrite), the dedication, and a space for the map (where relevant). In the back matter, my acknowledgements.

My name, the book name, and page numbers have also been added to each page, and the chapter headings designed.

The text is also now fitted to novel-sized pages, with justified paragraphs and hyphens. One of my jobs in reviewing the proof is to make sure none of the hyphenated words look strange or create an accidental bad word! (I’ve been told that has happened before).

How Long Does it Take?

I was given three weeks (flexibly) to work on these. Of course, as it always happens with my publishing experience, I’ll be away traveling for half that time, so I’ve had to adjust my timeline.

What Happens Next?

This is really getting to the end-point now. The proof that I’m reviewing has already gone out for Galleys/ARCS (Advanced Reader Copies) on NetGalley and Edelweiss, where reviewers and content creators can request to read and review it.

Keep up with my publishing journey and the release of HERO ADJACENT by following me on Substack and checking out my website.