The second book in The Bounty series is available for purchase as of today. You can get your copy here: https://linktr.ee/Zero0Eight#collection-3b7f4fac-1f29-436c-994d-b365221fced8.

Did you read the first book, The Bounty: Jones? This story follows bounty hunter Emmet Hallelujah Jones on a quest for vengeance. Along the way, he’s detoured by a competition of gunslingers and distracted by a pretty girl who needs saving. He combines forces with two colleagues, Lord Bowler and Mad Harry Gerlaugh.

The second book in the series focuses on Harry.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

Mad Harry Gerlaugh, a woman feared by name alone, sets off to ride the fine line between justice and vengeance once more.

Haunted by memories of her traumatic past, Harry keeps her emotions buried deep beneath steely resolve, focusing on her next target and the weight of her gun. When someone from her past resurfaces, Harry faces a fateful choice: to retire from bounty hunting and pursue a less violent career or to confront the demons that have haunted her for so long.

With each step, she grapples with the consequences of her thirst for vengeance and the toll it has taken on her soul. Will this showdown be her ultimate test, or will the shadows of sin consume her once and for all?

Michael Lopez, owner of the 0-0-8 Studios, who hired me to write the first book and this one, had this to say:

“[The proofreader] was a big fan of book #1. He also spotted Mad Harry from a distance – I didn’t tell him anything but he had a feeling from the beginning book #2 was going to belong to her. He thoroughly enjoyed peeling the layers back and getting to the bottom of what made her tick. ‘It was a nice breath of fresh air watching her character develop. Under all that stank of a cold-blooded gunslinger, there was still a flower.’

“Many kudos. … Only down vote was that he wished it was longer.”

The proofreader was, of course, correct: book #2 is Harry’s story.

While Emmet’s story technically fits into the category of romance with a “happily ever after,” Harry’s story is not a romance. She’s too damaged for that.

We learn more about Lord Bowler in this book. And as for Naomi Mason, well … I see good things in her future.

We’ve got the third book in the series on the back burner. I hope we’ll get started soon.

In the meantime, pick up a copy of The Bounty: Gerlaugh. It may be read as a standalone, but I recommend you pick up The Bounty: Jones and read that first.

Enjoy!

I responded to a request for proposals a few months ago and, to my surprise, received a message from the potential client last week. I’d forgotten about my proposal, but he expressed interest in having me design his book. He explained that he’d written and edited and revised his manuscript several times. The layout he wanted would deviate from the standard. He offered to send me his front cover and manuscript to look at, so I could let him know what I thought and provide him with an estimate for designing his book.

As promised, he sent the manuscript. I opened the file and began skimming the content. Within a moment I realized that his manuscript is not ready for page design. It needs editing.

No, page design does not entail editing.

In my response, I suggested he hire a copy editor. That editor could be me or someone else. I would be happy to refer him to a competent professional.

Yes, I’d love to be hired to edit his manuscript. More importantly, I want his manuscript to be edited. I want this author to be proud of his book, not to regret publishing something littered with copy errors.

Yes, I’d also love to be hired to design his book. I suggested that he have the book proofread after book design because page layout always reveals errors not caught during the editing phases. I have not found one single exception to that, regardless of whether it’s one of my books or someone else’s.

I also suggested that, if he hired me to copy edit his manuscript, that he hire someone else to proofread the book. If he decides to wait until after the book is designed to combine proofreading and copy editing—not necessarily a good idea but a decision an author might make in the effort to save money—I’d be glad to that instead. I quoted him a different fee for the combined service.

Again, the ultimate goal is to the author to publish a book that makes him proud, not one that embarrasses him.

To show him what I meant, I performed a sample edit and returned that to him. The sample edit shows:

• Places where the narrative changes tense
• Punctuation errors
• Inconsistencies in style
• Where the author’s style deviates from the Chicago Manual of Style (the style guide most commonly applied to fiction)
• Phrases and sentences that require clarification due to ambiguity.
• Where words are used incorrectly and what the correct words are.

I did not find any spelling errors in that sample.

The sample edit illustrates the value of editing. Beyond correcting simple errors, it helps clear the confusion caused by ambiguity and makes the reading experience smoother for the reader.

I come across a lot of new authors who don’t understand the process of producing a book. There’s a common misconception that one writes the story and that’s it. They don’t understand what tasks needed in which order to produce a book that rivals the quality of what a traditional publisher produces. The different tasks, especially during the editing phase, may overlap, but each has its place in the production of a quality book.

As my knowledge and experience in the industry evolves, I try to educate authors and potential clients. Sometimes my attempts at educating others results in a paid gig, but most often not. Not being hired doesn’t defeat the purpose. If the author knows what work is needed and gets that work done with the result of producing a quality book, then I will take satisfaction from that.

Unfortunately, self-publishing has earned a well-deserved reputation for shoddy work. I and a league of other freelance professionals are trying to change that reputation through honest recommendations and skilled work. We want authors to be proud of their books, not embarrassed.