LINE EDITING, PROOFREADING, AND COVER DESIGN

The Conductor’s Game has been through developmental editing, and while that process was incredibly valuable, I’m now staring at the next mountain of tasks: finding a line editor, finding a proofreader, and designing a cover for my book.

The Editor Hunt Continues

Finding my developmental editor was hard enough—lots of back-and-forth, sample edits, trying to find the right fit. Now I need to do it all over again for line editing and proofreading.

Everyone has different approaches, different rates, different timelines. Some specialize in fantasy, others don’t.

It’s been a long, exhausting journey trying to evaluate people’s work when I’m still figuring out what I actually need.

The Cover Design

Then there’s the cover. I know it needs to be done, and I know it’s important—readers absolutely judge books by their covers, especially in fantasy. But I get overwhelmed.

Should I hire a designer? Try to do it myself? What makes a good fantasy cover anyway? I’ve been staring at bestseller lists and bookstore displays, trying to decode what works and why.

There are so many decisions to make before I even start designing: character-focused or atmospheric? Dark and brooding or bright and adventurous? How much should the title dominate the cover?

I can write a story, apparently. I can work with an editor to make it better. But navigating the business side—finding the right professionals, making design decisions, understanding market positioning—feels like learning a completely different skill set.

One Step at a Time

But here’s what I’m trying to remember: I spent eight years writing this book, often feeling like I had no idea what I was doing. Somehow, I figured it out. The story got written. The developmental edits got done.

I have to trust that I’ll figure out the rest too, even if it doesn’t happen as quickly or smoothly as I hoped.

Right now, I’m focusing on finding a line editor. That’s the next concrete step. After that, proofreading. Then the cover design. Then whatever comes after that.

One decision at a time, one professional at a time, one step closer to having an actual book people can buy and read.

Getting there!