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The Publishing ProcessThis is part of the online guide The Basics of Writing for Children, by Aaron Shepard, found on Aaron Shepard's Kidwriter Page. Excerpted and adapted from the booklet The Business of Writing for Children, Second Edition, by Aaron Shepard, Shepard Publications, 1997. Copyright (c) 1991-1999 by Aaron Shepard. May be freely copied and shared for any educational, noncommercial purpose.
From Manuscript to Book From Manuscript to BookEditing. Your editor will send you a copy of your manuscript marked with requested changes and suggestions for revision. If your editor does her job well, this can be a great benefit to you and your book. But if there are things you can't accept, inform your editor respectfully and give reasons. In most cases, your wishes will be honored.Copyediting. After you've revised the manuscript, it is copyedited -- most often by a different editor -- focussing on details like spelling, grammar, word usage, and punctuation. The marked manuscript will be sent to you for review and approval. THIS IS YOUR LAST GOOD CHANCE TO MAKE CHANGES IN THE MANUSCRIPT. Design. The art director or another book designer will decide on book size, type size and style, paper, cover materials, and so on. Typesetting. Your manuscript will be set in the type chosen for the book, probably electronically from a computer file. You will be sent a copy of the "galleys" to check for errors. At this point, you can still make minor changes -- but don't start rewriting! If your book is not a picture book, this step may be skipped in favor of sending "page proofs" (see below). Illustrating. If your book is to be illustrated, the edited manuscript or the galleys will be sent to the artist, who is chosen by the editor. In most cases, you have little or no say on the art, even if you are shown samples as a courtesy. In general, this makes good sense, since most authors think they know more about art than they do. Picture book writers must keep in mind that a picture book is a collaboration between writer and illustrator. However, you might ask to check the artist's preliminary sketches for consistency with your text. Layout. The type and any illustrations are arranged in page form, probably using a computer page layout program. Possibly you will be sent "page proofs" for checking, and certainly, if there were no galleys. Printing and binding. Most book printing presses use metal printing plates made either from a photo negative of the pages or directly from a computer file. Full-color books require separate plates for each of three colors plus black, for printing over the same sheet to produce specific shades. Newer presses may print directly from computer files, without plates. The book is printed on both sides of large sheets, generally with 16 to 32 pages on each sheet, front and back. For hardcover, these "signatures" are folded, sewn, trimmed, and glued into a cover. For paperback, they are folded, glued into a cover, and trimmed. Recommended reading: Webster's Standard American Style Manual, Merriam-Webster, 1985; How a Book is Made, Aliki, Crowell, 1986.
From Book to ReaderPublication date. The marketing of your book revolves around this date, which is the month your book is "officially" published. It normally falls two to three months after the book is actually available, so copies can be sent ahead to reviewers and bookstores. Publication dates are grouped mostly into two "seasons," spring and fall -- though some large publishers add winter and/or summer. The publisher's books for each season are called the publisher's "list," and are generally featured in a seasonal catalog.Publicity. Long before publication, the publicity department will ask you for information about yourself and your book, and for a personal photo. This is important! -- it will be used in preparing and sending publicity materials, and probably also on the book itself. (But some information, such as mailing lists, may be best delayed till closer to the publication date.) When your book is ready, several hundred review copies will typically be sent out. But the reviews -- or lack of them -- from just a few big library and trade journals will most affect your book's chances of success. Sales. Months before your book's season, your editor will present the book (or whatever is ready of it) at a national conference for the publisher's sales force. The salespeople, or "publisher reps," will then visit the stores and other accounts in their "territories," presenting books on the publisher's list and taking orders. (Smaller publishers may sell instead through independent, contracted sales forces, through one or more distributor, and/or through mail order.) The reps will focus on books they judge most likely to sell -- so they have great power over what shows up in stores! Advertising. In most cases, advertising does not sell children's books. So your first book will probably not be advertised, except in general ads for the season's list. Promotion. Promoting new authors seldom pays off in the short run, so the promotion department saves its major efforts and dollars for prominent authors. Still, the people in this department will usually help with arrangements for individual events like school visits and local bookstore signings. Keep them informed of your own efforts -- it may inspire them. If you stick with the publisher, your turn may come for big-time promotion. Recommended reading: An Author's Guide to Childen's Book Promotion, Susan Raab, Raab Associates, 19 Prices Lane, Rose Valley, PA 19065, 1989. |
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