Second proof

Here's what happened this week:

1) On Monday, I checked over my file for widows and orphans again, made a PDF/X from the interior file, and uploaded it. I was notified right away by CreateSpace that there was one mistake found. I couldn't find out what the mistake was because of my computer's age and inability to run current Adobe software.

2) On Tuesday, I checked my file at the library. The mistake was just a margin error on the title page, easily fixed. However, after I fixed that and made a new PDF, I realized that I had, with editing, added two new pages to the file and my chapter numbers were wrong on the Contents page again. Sigh. I fixed that, but decided to scan the PDF page by page for more errors, which was a good idea, because I found some spacing problems which I then had to fix. (On one page, there was a totally random blank line added for no particular reason. It had showed up on the first proof, but I thought I'd fixed it. Apparently not. I had to delete not only that line but the paragraphs above and below and then retype them to get rid of that stupid blank space.) Yipes. I thought I'd gotten all that before.

3) On Wednesday, I uploaded the PDF of the finally-all-correct-I-really-really-hope interior file. CreateSpace didn't find any problems. Hooray! In the evening, I tried to make my cover file into a PDF (after revising the back cover blurb). It didn't work! Frustration ensued, and I decided to leave it for the next day.

4) On Thursday morning, I did some research and found that the cover file wasn't supposed to be a PDF! It only needed to be a JPEG. Well, whadda ya know. Hey, it was three months ago that I did this conversion before, and I'd forgotten. Anyway, the JPEG was easy to create. That evening, I submitted the new cover file (no problems found) and submitted both files for review. CreateSpace said they'd get back to me within 48 hours.

5) On Friday morning (5:45 am!) I checked my email and wow--my files are approved! I ordered a proof copy. Why? Because even though I don't want to do any more checking, I'd feel pretty stupid if I didn't and some gross error went through. While I was in an ordering mood, I signed up for CreateSpace's Expanded Distribution plan, which includes the "Bookstores and Online Retailers" channel and the "Libraries & Academic Institutions" channel. (In other words, the Ingram and the Baker & Taylor catalogs.) And -- I got notice on Friday night that the proof is in the mail. If it comes as soon as the first proof did, it could arrive tomorrow.

This week: stalking the condo office for possible proof delivery, seeing what else I can do on the CreateSpace website to prepare for publication (though I think I've done most of it), and praying that the proof looks good enough to publish. Keep your fingers crossed, okay?