the saga of the copy edits

[mizkit]

Did I actually post about my wibbling over whether I was going to photocopy the copy edited manuscript of THE PRETENDER’S CROWN? I ended up not doing it, because it was going to cost €92, which is about $116, and frankly that’s a third the cost of a document scanner and I simply do not have a hundred euro to drop on *photocopies*.

You can all

Comments

[mizkit]

It's because I'm living in a small town and have not yet found, if there is such a thing here, a dedicated photocopy shop. In Cork I'd have been able to get it copied for about thirty euro, which is perfectly reasonable. And, in fact, because I'd /been/ living in Cork, I had decided twenty or thirty euro per manuscript came out to a lot of manuscripts photocopied before I'd come near the cost of a document scanner, and so hadn't pursued one. More fool I, it seems.

[desperance]

Aaargh!

Every time I post a corrected CEM, I worry about this: because of course I've never photocopied or scanned them, I only ever worry. And like you I have to send them transAtlantic, which does not inspire confidence at either end.

Never actually lost one so far, but that only increases the likelihood next time; except that I am going to cling to you and your experience for reassurance, on the dubious statistical grounds that they can only lose so many, and if they've lost yours that makes it less likely that they will lose mine when next I send one. So thank you, Catie: you have done other writers a service, by increasing the odds in their favour...

And I will buy you a drink on the strength of that, soon as we're in the same bar-space.

[jaylake]

:: always photocopies ::
:: without exception ::
:: pain of loss >>> financial pain ::

[mizkit]

Given the level of these copy edits, I actually think the financial pain would be greater than the pain of loss. I've had CEs where I'd rather put my eyes out with a shrimp fork than lose them, but this was definitely not one of them.

[crazyrennie]

As someone who works in the shipping industry you could go to where you shipped it and ask them if they can pull an "end of day"report for the carrier used.

thats if you want to do that---

[mizkit]

I will attempt that. They might do it differently here, but it can't hurt to try! Thanks!

[crazyrennie]

never a problem-

[icedrake]

If it was UPSed or FedExed, they have to generate that report for the carrier to pick up the shipment. They might not *print* it, but they'll definitely have it in electronic form.

Incidentally, if you have the option of using DHL, be warned: They're about to go under.

[wedschilde]

ah, the stealthy em-dash....