Got the proofs back for Under the Western Sky. Why do you always catch those repeated words and phrases when you get those back, instead of when you do your final edits before sending the story in the first time?
I didn’t find any actual typos in the story — they did a good job setting it up. I do wish I could change a couple of lines though!
The best way to edit your story or proof is to print the thing out. This is the step I skipped because my printer was acting up that week. Somehow, printing the story makes it easier to find typos and wrong word choices. Start at the end of the story and read backwards, looking at every word until you get to the beginning. Misspellings leap out this way, as do grammatical errors of most kinds and repeated words.
I’ll get you a link to the finished book once it’s out on the market. We’re hoping for a November release. I’ll be entering the story in the Peacemaker and Spur awards, too. Probably never going to win since it’s not a “traditional” Western (my protagonists are unrepentant outlaws), but …