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Author submits complete manuscript.
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Manuscript is accepted for publication.
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Editor checks that the text and references are complete, logs incoming permissions releases, and contacts the author with questions.
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A ‘cast-off’ is also performed whereby a chapter-by-chapter tally of the manuscript estimates the length and complexity of each of the components (eg. text, lists, figures, tables, photos, references) that make up the book’s interior.
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Launch meeting: All who will be involved in editing, producing, and marketing the book meet to discuss the manuscript, set a schedule for its production, and make formatting and pricing decisions. This meeting gives members of each department the opportunity to learn about the book, ask questions, and outline how production and marketing efforts will proceed.
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Acquisitions Editor formally passes the manuscript to a Book Production Editor who works closely with the author during the next several months.
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Book Production Editor oversees the book’s copy editing and production and keeping Author apprised of deadlines to ensure adherence to the projected publication date.
Copy Editing
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Book Production Editor thoroughly reviews the hard copy. The hard copy and the digital copy must match.
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Book Production Editor edits the manuscript online for spelling, punctuation, grammar, clarity, consistency, etc and collaborates with the Author as questions arise.
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After the Book Production Editor has finished copy editing, he or she sends the Author a hard copy of the manuscript for them to closely review. (Additions will be in boldface, and deletions struck through.)
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Author must carefully respond to all queries and suggestions. (Because making substantial changes to the text after typesetting is costly, authors and editors should take this opportunity to make all necessary changes.)
Co-authored Volumes
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If more than one Author wishes to review the copy edited manuscript, they must coordinate their changes and responses to queries so that all are marked in ink and only one hard copy is returned.
Edited Volumes
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Each Lead Chapter Author receives a hard copy of his or her chapter to review; occasionally the Lead Volume Editor simultaneously reviews the chapters.
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Chapter Authors and Editors should coordinate their changes and answers to queries so that they appear together in ink on one hard copy.
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Author(s) review the copy edited manuscript.
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Book Production Editor incorporates the changes and prepares the electronic files for the typesetter.
Interior Book Design
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While the Author reviews the copy edited manuscript,
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Graphic Designer oversees the design of the book’s interior pages. During the design process, the content, audience, and reading level of the book as well as its trim size, binding, and the complexity of its elements (eg. sidebars, wrapped text, figures, tables, photographs) are all carefully considered.
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Once a design is created that maximises the readability and sales potential of the book, the Typesetter creates sample ‘dummy’ pages of the design.
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Author has an opportunity to review these samples before the complete manuscript is sent to the typesetter. (Often the text used in the sample pages is not from the book — they are merely samples for design purposes only!)
Book Cover
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Early in the production process;
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Publishing Team begins the collaborative task of designing the book’s cover. Covers should be both visually enticing and appropriate for a book’s content and audience.
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Author has the opportunity to provide input on the design and to review a cover sample and back cover copy.
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Once the design has been finalised, the cover files are prepared for the printer.
*Often the approved cover design is used for marketing purposes even before the book has been published.
Proof Review
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Page proofs are the unbound printouts of the book as laid out by a professional Typesetter. Depending on a book’s schedule, the Editor and Author carefully review one or more sets of page proofs before the book is printed.
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Essentially, the final review of page proofs is what will become the printed book. At this stage, all major changes have already been incorporated into the text, and new changes are kept to a minimum.
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Author double-checks the following during the Editor’s review
running heads
tables and figures
references
misspellings
final queries
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Professional Proof Reader simultaneously reviews the proofs.
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Book Production Editor receives changes from the Author and the Proof Reader and reviews the proofs again.
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Typesetter incorporates all of the changes into the text and rushes final “confirming” proofs to the Book Production Editor.
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Book Production Editor confirms that every change has indeed been incorporated, and sends the book’s files to the printer.
Careful and extensive proof review processes ensures that each book is of excellent quality before it is printed and bound.
Front Matter
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Book Production Editor checks the front matter- copyright page, the title pages, and the table of contents, plus optional items such as acknowledgements and dedication pages, author bios and affiliations, a preface, and a foreword. An accurate copyright page is critical because it must contain all required disclaimers and credit lines for photographs and other copyrighted material. All Author names, addresses, and affiliations should be carefully checked for accuracy and spelling as well.
Index
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While Author is reviewing proofs, the Book Production Editor provides another set of proofs to a professional Indexer.
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Indexer completes the index.
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Book Production Editor reviews the index.
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Author reviews the index and checks the index for clarity and accuracy (though not whether each entry matches up with its page number references). It is important that every necessary change is made at this stage to avoid costly changes once the index has been typeset.
Printing and Binding
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Book Production Editor confirms that all changes have been incorporated into the text.
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Typesetter finalises the book’s electronic files.
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Typesetter sends the files to the Printer.
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Printer makes the film from which a book will be printed directly from these electronic files.
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Printer sends a full set of blueline proofs to the Book Production Editor. (Bluelines are proofs of the page negatives -actual representations of each printed page of the book created by holding special light-sensitive paper up to the film. Everything that will print turns blue, hence the term ‘bluelines’.)
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Book Production Editor reviews the bluelines to ensure that no errors have been introduced during the printing process.
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Book Production Editor also checks imposition at this stage, as this is the first time the publishing team will see the book’s full interior spreads.
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Book Production Editor returns the bluelines to the Printer (typically within 48 hours).
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Printer commences the actual printing and binding process.
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Bound copies of the book are shipped to the warehouse.
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The Book Production Editor sends the Author advance copies as soon as they arrive.
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