QUICK REFRESHER OF WHAT I DID IN LAYER 7:
Just as a refresher, in Layer 7, this was a long and tedious proofread. Using my list of troublesome words, I searched out all of them all throughout the manuscript and made corrections, deletions or additions.
This technique breaks up the proofread into different formats. By doing this, it prevents me from just "reading over" all of my mistakes, which is too easy to do as the author.
WHAT HAPPENS IN LAYER 8:
In Layer 8, I do a read-back. In Microsoft Word, I use the Read-Aloud feature that is contained on the Review Tab. By listening to the book read aloud by someone else, it doesn't skip over mistakes like I do as the author. By the time I'm finished with Layer 7, I've read and reread this book too many times to trust my eyes to spot every error.
The Readback:
I listen to every word during the readback. In this layer, I not only catch whatever misuse of words escaped my view in the last layers, but I also choose to change a sentence or two based on how it sounds. Many readers repeat every word in their heads, so if a sentence is back-to-back with one that makes it hard to say or understand, I rewrite it to correct that problem.
After Layer 7, I always feel that the book is picture perfect -- but I find at least several words or areas that I choose to change. I read-aloud the entire book.
SCREEN SHOTS ARE FROM MICROSOFT WORD
CREATING THE TABLE OF CONTENTS
The last thing I do is create the Table of Contents which I will explain here, but you can see done live in the video below.
While the manuscript is open in Microsoft Word, click on the References Tab. Select Table of Contents. Choose Custom Table of Contents. (Picture on left above)
Once the next dialogue box opens (Picture on right above), uncheck both boxes under show page numbers. I reduce the headings number from the default of 3 to 1. This is because I only use Heading 1 for my Chapter Headings.
This is all you need to do before clicking OK, which will produce the Table of Contents for an eBook.
IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE OR MODIFY THE FONTS OR SPACING, ETC:
The picture above is where you change any or all of the settings. The dialogue box in the middle comes up when you click on modify in the first dialogue box. This is where you can change the font family and/or the font size.
This would be useful if you have a short TOC and want to fill the page; you can increase the font. Likewise, if you have only one or two lines of the TOC that spill over to the next page and you want to fit it onto one page, you can reduce the font size or change the spacing on the third dialogue box (that opens if you click on modify in the second dialogue box). You can alter the spaces before and after the paragraphs and this will help you add or subtract space.
IMPORTANT: Be aware, that once you click on the first modify choice in the first dialogue box (on the left), when you click out of this, Microsoft word will -- on its own -- recheck the boxes asking for page numbers. So if you modify anything, you will need to uncheck the page number boxes again! This can reek havoc with beginners! I'm talking from experience.
Once you "Okay" to close all of the dialogue boxes, the last okay will set off Word to create your Table of Contents.
THE EBOOK IS OFF TO THE EDITOR:
At this point, the eBook is now ready to go off to the line-editor. Because I have taken the time and made the effort to give my book a thorough proofreading, the editor won't be spending time on correcting silly mistakes I should have found on my own. She will be focused on my prose and how things look and sound. That's what I want her focused on.
If you take the attitude that "why bother with all the proofreading, it's going off to the editor?" -- you may wind up with a book that comes back merely proofread with very little line editing. At the end of the day, you are paying for an editor's time as well as their expertise. So my advice to beginners is to do all of the proofreading so you get more line-editing, which is what you want.
HERE'S A VIDEO ON THIS SAME MATERIAL:
I start by writing a rather long (350 to 450 word) description. This is good for Amazon and the paperback cover. To be honest, I’m not that great at blurbs and descriptions, so I find someone on Fiverr and have them write a blurb and description. I paid about $25.00 a piece for two blurbs.
In my humble opinion, writing mysteries requires a bit more planning than a novel about other subjects. You have to manage character arcs, crime arcs, clue dropping, red herrings, passage of time, as well as add pressure and suspense into the mix. This is a lot for a new writer.
In my first few novels, I would start off with a loosely-planned outline in order to give the characters space to organically develop. I had noticed within the first novel that the characters did develop their own voice and personalities. I thought this open template would give me the leeway to let the novel sort of write itself. It didn't.
There have been times when a better story did strike me during the writing process. I can go with the new direction, but I must alter my outline so that the new ending is the new destination. I rewrite my outline of how it will end so I will have the self-confidence that I still know where I'm going.
There are probably hundreds of templates out there for you to choose from. If you search "writing template" at images.google.com, you will find hundreds of them. I incorporated several of them into my own custom Mystery Template. You can 
My pen name is R Shannon and I started writing in late 2019. I self-published my first novel on KDP on 10/01/2020. The name of it is Groomed for Marriage.
For this novel series, I use the keywords to allow me to name every relationship in the chapter. Then at the end, I can select only one keyword and track the character arc and/or the action in that plot or subplot. I didn't use keywords as a brand new writer, but I wish I knew this was a tool I could use. It is so very helpful. #writingstrategies