What does the process of publishing actually involve?

Publishing companies create books on a virtual production line. All the work they do is referred to as ‘pre-press’ because it’s everything that happens before the manuscript reaches the printing presses. Remember that publishers are not printers. You won’t find a printing press in any book publisher’s office: they always outsource the printing to specialist firms.

While some of these publishers will be carryin connected with the prep They will be trying to publicise it. This isn't publisher can easily do detail of editing and de don't wait for the finishe giving sales and public moment your PDF is wit start trying to generate i Ideally, make a start on side several months ah date. Techniques for adv covered later in this boo

stages are underway, g out tasks not directly aration of printing files. sell the book and to something that a self-whilst immersed in the signing their book, but d book to arrive before ty any attention. The h the printer you should demand for your book. the sales and publicity ead of the publication ance marketing will be k.

The pre-press process involves a number of steps, not all of which are applicable to every book project:

1.    Structuring the manuscript

2.    Editing the manuscript

3.    Scanning and altering drawings, photographs or diagrams

4.    Typesetting the manuscript

5.    Adding footnotes and captions

6.    Creating the contents page, index and copyright page

7.    Proofreading the typeset pages for errors

8.    Designing the front cover, spine and back cover (and inside flaps if a jacketed hardback)

9.    Obtaining an ISBN and a bar code

10.    Setting the selling price

11.    Creating a PDF of the insides and the cover

The first two stages listed above are covered in detail in the sections on redrafting in another book in this series, Howto be a Writer. These stages are important for any writer, but as a self-publisher editing and proofreading are your responsibility, so the guidelines given here tackle the subject purely from that perspective.