Getting the Best-Looking Book: Best Production Practices for Authors

Members (Free)

Non-Member Cost $25 (Upon payment, click "Return to Text and Academic Authors Association" and you will be able to download teleconference)

Presented by Cynthia Miller, Vice President of Higher Education Services at Element, LLC.

In this session, you’ll learn how to achieve desired results when working with a full-service agency. We’ll discuss the textbook workflow from start to finish, including:

1. Text and art manuscript preparation
   
   • How to prepare your text and art manuscript electronically.
     
   • Incopy and MS Word templates for ms creation.
     
   • How to ensure the files you submit to your publisher are successfully transmitted to the full service agency.
     
   • What happens to your text and art manuscript files at the full-service agency prior to copyediting.
     
     
2. Copyediting and author review of copyedited manuscript
   
   • Working with the copyeditor to get the best results.
     
   • Reviewing electronic copyediting.
     
     
3. Permissions
   
   • What material requires permission.
     
   • Best process for obtaining permissions from copyright holders.
     
     
4. Design review
   
   • Design process at the full service agency.
     
   • What to look for when reviewing design.
     
   • Problems that could occur on press and how to adjust the design to avoid issues.
     
     
5. Art logging and text manuscript tagging.
   
   • Purpose of the art log.
     
   • Process of text manuscript tagging and examples.
     
     
6. Art creation process
   
   • Full service agency process for creating art.
     
   • Sample art approval.
     
   • Timing of art preparation and how this fits into the overall schedule.
     
     
7. Paging process
   
   • Full service agency process for paging.
     
   • Quark Xpress versus InDesign.
     
     
8. Page proof review
   
   • What to look for when reviewing pages.
     
     
9. Final product stages and prep of files for the printer
   
   • Full service agency process for preparing files for the printer.
     
   • Issues that can occur if files are not set up properly.
     
     
10. Supplements preparation.
    
    • Timing of supplements preparation.
      
    • How to best utilize materials from the book for supplements.
      
      
11. Technology solutions that aid in all stages listed above.
    
    • MS word tools.
      
    • Adobe Acrobat tools.
      
    • FTP file transfer.
      
      
12. Working with an off-shore full service agency for all or part of the production process.
    
    • How to interact with the full service agency when it is offshore.
      
    • How production steps discussed above are affected when a project is produced offshore.
      
    • Additional steps needed for offshore production.
      
      

Cynthia Miller

Cynthia started her career working for Mosby Yearbook as a medical production editor in 1987. Since then, she has worked in both production and development for various publishing companies; and in 1995 started working as a vendor, establishing the full-service production group for The Clarinda Company.

As a vendor to many of the top-rated publishers in the U.S., Cynthia has directed and facilitated the development and growth of domestic and offshore project management teams, developed and directed efficient, innovative workflows, provided key account management, and built sound, long-standing customer and author relationships with many of the industry’s most respected and successful publishers and authors of higher education products over the years.

Please note: Recordings may not be copied, shared, or distributed.