Manuscript to Publishing – a simple guide to publishing a book (lifecycle - cover design, manuscript editing, typesetting, print)

Christian literature has been an influential resource tool in the Christian world that has helped people to understand Scripture better, apply Scripture to daily living, and so on. A well-written book can have a lasting impact on a person’s life. Hence, the ministry of Christian Publishing is invaluable and essential. A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. (Proverbs 25:11, KJV)

When an author writes a book, we call the author draft or the raw draft as a manuscript (MSS). The MSS goes through a process of editing, typesetting, etc. to finally reach the hands of the target audience in the form of a book. A good project plan with a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities of each resource person can ensure a well-written Christian book is published smoothly and efficiently.

MANUSCRIPT WORD DOCUMENT EDITING

When the final draft of the manuscript (MSS) is submitted by the author and it reaches the editor’s desk, the MSS is edited for different key aspects such as language, grammar, consistency in terminologies, typographical errors, etc. Another key aspect in editing the MSS is style. Every Publishing brand or house has its own stylesheet. A stylesheet is a key or a set of rules that dictate the standardized formatting styles such as fonts, font sizes, Table of Contents style, page layout, line spacing, etc. The set of rules must be strictly adhered to for the content to have the visual presentation desired by the author or the Publishing house.

Language: In order to edit correctly, it is essential to know the language style decided by the author and the target audience. If a newspaper language style is selected, it means that the target audience must receive crisp, clear and concise information without the use of high-flown language. Select the correct language style as per the audience targeted by the author.

Author queries: While editing the MSS, the author’s core idea must not be tampered with. If any content or idea is unclear, author queries are to be raised as comments in the MSS and the document with the author queries is sent back to the author who may reword sentences or phrases for clarity.

Bible references: The author must share the standard Bible version used in their content. Verse references and Scripture quotations are crosschecked to ensure all Bible references are accurate. The copyright page must include copyright permission text for all the Bible versions used in the content.

Visual representation of data: Bullets and numbering, text boxes, tabular data, charts / graphs, images, etc. are some of the key features that help enhance the visual presentation of the content. Make the best use of these features to ensure key ideas are efficiently conveyed to the reader.

Once the MSS is formatted, edited, and author has given the final approval, it is sent to the typesetter for typesetting in InDesign software which is typically used for offset printing projects.

COVER DESIGN

Along with book content, the author will also submit the blurb content which appears on the back cover of a book. A blurb is a concise text that gives the reader a bird’s eye view of the main content of the book. A good blurb can convey the essence of the book correctly and intrigue the target audience enough to pick up a copy. The Graphic Designer designs the front cover (has the book title and the author’s name) and back cover (has the blurb). The author must approve the cover designs. For offset printing projects, ensure the Graphic Designer submits the source package for the covers so the printer can fix any issues at the printing stage.

TYPESETTING

Typesetting is the main part of the project that determines the final look of the book. Typesetting is usually done in Adobe InDesign software for offset printing projects. The typesetter works with the stylesheet to reflect the Publishing house style. The typeset draft of the book is given in the PDF format which is edited and proofread for errors. It is important to generate an error-free PDF file ready for printing. Typesetters and editors work multiple rounds on the file to ensure this.

Page extent: Page extents are important to keep in mind while editing. The project coordinator or team lead will decide the target page extent for a book with fixed rate per page at the beginning of the project. This helps with project budgeting. While formatting, make sure to keep within the targeted page extent and if not, aim to not exceed too much. Remember that every rate per page is multiplied by the number of copies of the book printed in the final bulk order.

Proofreading: A stylesheet is a detailed document that usually runs to several pages. To ensure efficient proofreading is done, a checklist can be created based on the stylesheet. This checklist can be used to proofread the typeset book PDF and help generate an error-free PDF ready for printing. One more additional step to avoid any errors in the book is swap checking. Two editors can swap their files at any stage to catch any errors overlooked. A fresh pair of eyes is always useful to catch errors in files.

ADVANCE COPY – HARDCOPY

The penultimate stage to printing a book is checking the advance copy. This is a hardcopy of the finalized typeset PDF which is sent by the printer to the editor and author. The printer can send multiple hard copies for the Editorial team, and the author to check and give their final approval. Ensure there are no printing errors such as incorrect order of pages, black patches, blurry prints, etc. Advance copies can be color copies if the final book is a color copy as well.

InDesign package: The typesetter releases the InDesign package once the book PDF file is approved at the advance copy stage which is backed up in a cloud storage. When the author wishes to release a revised version of the book, the InDesign package is required to restart the project.

CRC COPY TO PRINTER

The InDesign package, final book PDF, book cover source package are all sent to the printer for offset printing of the book. Any technical errors at this stage can be fixed hassle-free if the source packages of the book and the cover are readily accessible by the printer.

CONCLUSION

In order to successfully bring a manuscript to the final stage of a printed copy, many resource persons must work together cohesively. Hence, clear and respectful communication between team members and vendors, strategic planning, and good coordination are essential to ensure everyone delivers as per the expectation of the author of his / her book.

The readers can benefit greatly from a spiritually-enriched content that is thoughtfully designed, carefully edited, and published into a book.