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The
Editorial Staff
When
your book has been accepted for publication by Prentice Hall, many people
become involved in turning your original manuscript into the final bound
book. It may help to familiarize yourself with how some of these people
contribute to making your book a success.
Acquisitions Editor
The first person you will normally come in contact
with at Prentice Hall is the editor who originally approached you about
your manuscript, signed your contract, and followed the course of your manuscript's
development up to the time of its acceptance for publication. This person,
variously referred to as acquisitions editor, associate editor, subject
editor, or publisher, we call simply the editor throughout this Guide.
Production Editor
Once your manuscript has been accepted and put into production, a production
editor (also called a desktop editor) is assigned to supervise the transition
from manuscript to bound book. This person oversees the internal design
of your book, the copyediting and proofreading of your manuscript, the preparation
of artwork, and the composition of pages, among other things. Because the
production editor is in contact with artists, compositors, copy editors,
and others involved in producing your book, he or she should be your first
contact at every stage of production. He or she is the person most often
available should you need information on the status of your book, answers
to questions and solutions to problems, and advice on the best way to proceed.
Copy Editor
The copy editor reads your manuscript for errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation,
and sentence structure. He or she also checks organizational detail, consistency,
and redundancy. The production editor employs a professional copy editor
who has experience editing the type of manuscript you have written, and
works closely with him or her. Typically, the copy editor has no direct
contact with the author, so questions about the copyedited manuscript should
be directed to the production editor.
Marketing Manager
The marketing manager works closely with the acquisitions editor to decide
on the best marketing and sales strategy for your book. It is during this
process that the design of the cover (one of the most important advertising
pieces) is discussed.
Permissions Editor
The permissions editor grants authors of other publishers permission to
use matter from your book, not the converse. Getting permission to use copyrighted
material from other sources in your book remains your responsibility.
Reprint Editor
Everyone involved in producing your book works hard to make sure that the
final product contains no errors. However, if your book requires corrections,
the reprint editor sees that they are made before your book is reprinted.
A final word: We hope that this new edition of the Author's Guide will be
as useful as past editions have been. If you come across any errors or have
any observations on the content of the Guide, your editor or your production
editor will be happy to have your comments.
Content
Preparation
Creating
a Book
Creating
a book is a logical process of presenting a systemized body of knowledge
in a manner suitable to the audience for which the book is intended. This
Guide shows you how to construct each portion of your manuscript clearly
and concisely, and takes you through all of the steps involved in producing
a book. The final result-the bound book-will be an indispensable tool for
the reader and a proud and profitable achievement for both author and publisher.
In case we give the impression that all authors should be able to sit at
a computer, with some general rules in mind, and proceed to construct a
flawless manuscript, we want to add that the writing process usually involves
drafting the same material several times, until a satisfactory manuscript
or camera ready material has been completed, ready for the publisher. In
the following pages, we suggest guidelines to follow as you progress with
your writing.
Manuscript
Length
Two
factors come into play in deciding how long to make a manuscript. First,
consider the problem of reader resistance. Readers may be hesitant to
pick up a book that is extremely long (the classic protest is the eighteenth-century
Duke of Gloucester's "Another damned thick heavy book! Scribble, scribble,
scribble! Eh, Mr. Gibbon!"). Second, take into account the desire to cover
the subject completely. You can get a good sense of the general limits
for your manuscript length from your contract. We have found that these
limits are often overrun, with one of two results. The manuscript must
be cut, causing a delay in publication and difficulties for the author,
who often cannot simply cut out one complete section but must overhaul
the entire manuscript. Or the book is published in its expanded form,
creating additional costs for editing, composition, paper, printing, and
binding, thereby necessitating a higher selling price-perhaps enough higher
than the prices of competing books that its sale may be restricted.
Make
an Outline
Excessive
manuscript length often results from not sticking to the original plan
for the book. Often the original plan is a good one, but in the actual
writing the author strays from the main purpose; or, though generally
adhering to the plan, overwhelms it with detail. Either way, the manuscript
gets out of hand. The remedy is a detailed outline-for the book as a whole
and for each chapter-drawn up with the contract manuscript length in mind.
Refer to your outline frequently and revise it when necessary. And, as
you write, check each chapter against it to make sure that the manuscript
is growing according to your plan.
Avoid
Wordiness
Wordiness
also contributes to making a manuscript longer than planned. Certainly
it takes extra time to think through each sentence as you write it instead
of relying on ready-made expressions. Strip away all those words that
add nothing to the meaning of a sentence. Reject the several approximate
words that come easily to mind in favor of the one exact word it takes
time to discover. Shun circumlocution (a lengthy, roundabout way
of stating something) for direct statement. Avoid tautology (such expressions
as "audible to the ear"). Express simple ideas in simple language. Above
all, recognize fuzziness of expression as a corollary of fuzziness in
thinking and either clarify the thought or reject it as too vague for
expression. This method of writing is slow and exacting, but is a good
way to keep the manuscript within bounds and increase its utility and
readability. In your writing maintain a sharp lookout for symptoms of
wordiness:
- Awkward
phrasing that makes repetition necessary to keep the sentence on the
track
- Strings
of nouns depending on one another
- Prepositions,
conjunctions, and adverbial expressions made up of two or more words-with
reference to, in conjunction with, in the event that, in the nature
of, as to whether
- Indefinite
introductory words and phrases and constant "hedging"-furthermore,
moreover, notwithstanding, it is believed that, it is obvious that,
in general.
Of
course, there is such a thing as being too brief. For example, consider
this undigested sentence:
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Long
association with words in certain combinations always stirs up the
original source of that association."
|
Perhaps
the writer had wanted to say something like this:
|
(The
use of) words in certain combinations (that have old) associations
always stirs up (in the reader's mind a recollection of) the source
of those associations."
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Be clear in your own mind about what you want to say-and then say it in
the necessary number of words, no more and no less.
Write
Directly to Your Readers
Many
good writers address their readers in the second person (or second person
understood) throughout their books. In the same way you can invite the
cooperation of the reader by using "we" and "us" instead of the impersonal
"one"-as in this example from an accounting book:
| To
understand why this is so, let us put ourselves in the position of
a New York banker." |
Be careful not to switch from second to third person or from first person
singular to first person plural at random. (For instance, don't say "I"
in one paragraph and "we" in the next.) There is nothing condescending in
the direct approach. It is possible to write directly and informally without
being folksy or writing down.
In your own efforts to write simply and directly, don't go to the other
extreme and write as if all your readers were incapable of understanding
the basic language. Adapt your style to your audience. Remember to write
to your audience. This will require constant application of your imagination
not to omit any steps between what they already know and what you want to
tell them. Above all, don't try to write two books at once, addressing yourself
to lower level readers in one sentence and to higher level colleagues in
the next. Keep the level and tone of your book consistent from beginning
to end.
Provide
Learning Aids
A good reference or text book does more than provide material to be learned-it
helps readers to learn it. Use headings and subheadings intelligently
to organize your text for study and to break it up into readable units
(your outline will be helpful to you here). If readers glance through
the pages, reading nothing but the subheadings (as they often do), they
should get some idea of the structure of the chapter. It is important
to keep all headings and subheadings parallel in construction if possible.
Don't alternate phrases and complete sentences. Decide what style of heading
and subheading you are going to use, then follow that style throughout
your manuscript, or at least throughout any given chapter if you find
that the style cannot be made to work for the entire manuscript. But don't
overdo this business of organization and make your book look like an outline
or syllabus. One or two levels of headings within a chapter are usually
enough.
Don't
Date Your Book
Take
care not to "date" your book. When a book becomes quickly dated, its sales
drop off. Here are some danger signals to watch for.
- Tabular
matter based on years
Keep tabular and statistical material to a minimum. Often you can state
the conclusions derived from tabular matter without actually presenting
the tables. If you are giving statistics for the current year, you should
present them in the same way you would present statistics for the year
1918 or any other previous year. Use the past tense, for example, to
state the number of strikes or worker hours lost for the current year
to date.
- Use
of Names Coupled with Titles or Offices that are Likely to Change
For example, an author writing during the Clinton Administration should
say "Warren Christopher, Secretary of State during the Clinton Administration"
rather than "Warren Christopher, Secretary of State."
- Use
of Current Events with Only Passing Interest and Little Significance,
for Illustrative Purposes
For instance, to describe in the present tense a current event in a
political campaign will soon date the book. If you must describe such
an event, use the past tense. Never write, "During the current campaign"
or "In the present campaign. . . ."
- Injection
of the Time Element into Current History
Don't say, "Since the 1992 presidential election, consumer confidence
increased." Say instead, "After the 1992 presidential election, consumer
confidence has increased." Don't say, "Although the Gulf War ended several
years ago." Say instead, "After the end of the Gulf War. . . ." The
best way to tell whether you have included dated material is to assume
you are reading your manuscript five years from now. Then ask yourself
whether some parts of it might not be better omitted or at least written
in the past tense. Few books can be made good for all time, but a little
attention to "dating" will go a long way toward prolonging the life
of any book. One easy item to overlook is the date in your preface-don't
include it.
Text
Style
As
you work on your manuscript, you may find it necessary to consult grammar
and style guides. There are many reference guides available, but we recommend
using the following:
- The Chicago
Manual of Style,Thirteenth Edition,
Chicago: U. Chicago Press.
- Words
into Type, Third Edition,
Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall PTR, Inc.
- Mathematics
into Type, Swanson,
Ellen, Providence, R.I.: American Mathematical Society.
Term
of Copyright
With respect to works created on or after January 1, 1978, copyright protection
generally exists for a period consisting of the life of the author plus
a term of fifty years after the death of the author. In the case of works
of joint authorship, the fifty years is measured from the death of the
last surviving author.
No
application for copyright renewal need now be made for such works as was
required under the old copyright law. However, if the work was created
prior to January 1, 1978, and was subject to the Federal Copyright Law
then in effect, copyright will automatically be renewed in the twenty-eighth
year of the first copyright term and will continue for an additional period
of forty-seven years. The law encourages but does not require the filing
of renewal registration. If a work was already in its second term of copyright
on or before December 31, 1977, copyright protection will continue for
forty-seven years from the first day of the renewal term, i.e., 75 years
from publication.
The
present Copyright Law has, for the most part, replaced so called common-law
copyright, that is, copyright for works which had not been published or
had not been registered for copyright as unpublished. Such works created
before January 1, 1978, are now generally protected by copyright law or
the life of the author plus fifty years. However, even if the author has
been dead for more than fifty years, protection will continue at least
until December 31, 2002.
Public
Domain
Obviously,
works that are not subject to copyright protection (i.e., works in the
"public domain") may be copied. The copyright on all works published in
the United States before September, 1906, has expired. Also, works published
or registered for copyright as unpublished before January 1, 1964, and
for which copyright renewal was required but not obtained have gone into
the public domain. It should be noted that "revisions" or "adaptations"
of such works may still be subject to copyright protection, even if the
original public domain source is not.
Government
Publications
Generally
speaking, United States government publications and official state publications
are not subject to copyright protection. However, the mere inclusion of
material in a government publication, even one without a copyright notice,
does not necessarily mean that it is in the public domain. This is so
because a government agency may have used copyrighted material without
indicating its copyright status. In each case you should check very carefully
to determine the status of any material you wish to quote. If any question
exists about the copyright status of any material that is not original
with you, you should always consult the original publisher and/or an attorney
and discuss the matter with your editor.
Direct
Quotations
The
quotation does not have to be exact to require permission; even if the
material is paraphrased or adapted, get permission to use it in that form.
Illustrations,
Artwork and Tables
If these are subject to copyright protection (whether or not they
have previously appeared in a publication), you must get permission to
use them. This rule applies to all advertisements, whether written or
pictorial, and to photographs of any kind, even though the subject of
the photograph may itself be in the public domain. When you are obtaining
glossy prints from art galleries, museums, historical societies, industrial
firms, or commercial photographers, explain in writing how you intend
to use the prints.
Also
remember that if you want to use a photograph of a living person, you
must get written permission to use it from that person, whether it is
copyrighted or not. Even if it is a snapshot of a friend you took yourself,
don't use it without your friend's written permission to do so. If the
person is a minor, be sure to obtain written permission from the minor's
parent or guardian. If you buy photographs from commercial photographers,
explain in writing that you want to use them in a book (or in advertising)
and make certain that they have a release from the subject broad enough
to allow you to use the picture as intended and that no other release
is needed. Get the photographer or stock photo house to give you that
assurance in writing. Your editor can supply you with forms if necessary.
Photographs
of public personalities may freely be used (insofar as the subject of
the photo is concerned) in books or periodicals for their news or historical
value. For example, if you take a picture of a presidential nominee, you
may use it in your book on the presidency without asking the nominee's
permission. (If someone else took the picture, you will need the photographer's
permission.) But you must be very careful not to allow the picture to
be used for any advertising or trade purpose or in any way that might
be defamatory of the subject. To do so without the written permission
of the subject would make you liable to damages for violating his or her
right of privacy. Take care not to use any photograph to accompany text
material that could suggest defamation of the subject of the photograph.
Permission
Procedure
It
is the traditional and contractual responsibility of the author to obtain
the necessary permission to use any quoted material or photographs as
described above that are incorporated in the manuscript. Carefully follow
these instructions on permission procedure.
- Request
permissions well in advance of the completion of your manuscript. It
is advisable to ask for permission for each quotation as soon as the
decision to use it is made. You may find that you will have to write
more than one letter before you can locate the copyright holder, or
permission for some item may be refused, so that you will have to substitute
other material. Electronic sources, both broadcast and Internet, still
require permissions, as do screen shots of commercial software. In some
cases permissions may be obtained via e-mail. Early clearance of
permissions is critical so that publication of your book will not be
held up.
- With
your copy of this Guide, your editor will send you:
- a
supply of forms to be used for requesting permission. Retain the
second copy of each request form for your file. If you need more
forms, your editor will be glad to supply them on request.
- a
sample showing how the forms are to be completed.
- a
Permissions Checklist. You will find this form helpful in keeping
a record as you are acquiring permissions, and it will be useful
to us as a reference list.
- Address
your letters to the attention of the Permissions Editor. (If you want
to use material from a Prentice Hall book, please write us for permission
just as you would to any
- If
the material you want to quote comes from a periodical, you should ascertain
whether a separate copyright appears in the author's name; if so, the
request should be made directly to the author. Also, if you want to
use material that appears in an anthology, you must be sure to request
permission from the publisher who holds the copyright on the individual
selection rather than from the publisher of the anthology itself. Publishers'
addresses may be found in reference books such as Literary Market
Place and Books in Print.
- If
you want to adapt material from a work of another publisher,
be sure to indicate on your permission request in what form you plan
to reproduce the original. (In your manuscript you must insert ellipses
to show where paragraphs, sentences, or words have been deleted from
the original selection.)
- Always
put your return address on the form and enclose a self-addressed return
- If
you do not receive a reply to your request within two or three weeks,
send a follow-up letter or fax.
- It
is common for major publishers to send you their own form for completion
and signature rather than returning the request form you sent them.
Simply supply whatever information is called for on their form, sign
the form, and return it to the publisher. Keep a
- If
a publisher is able to grant U.S.-or U.S. and Canadian-rights only (sometimes
Canadian and/or world rights are controlled by a foreign publisher),
the publisher will advise you to whom you must write to obtain the additional
rights. Simply send another request form to the foreign publisher covering
the specific rights you want.
-
Do not overlook the necessity of obtaining "secondary permissions"-that
is, separate permission to use quoted matter appearing within quoted
matter.
- If
a publisher specifies a charge for granting permission to reproduce
certain material, payment is normally due on publication. Prentice Hall
will make any necessary payments in accordance with the terms of your
contract and allocate such charges against your royalty account. Usually,
a publisher requests a flat fee as payment for permission.
- As
you accumulate permission clearances, keep a running total of fees to
be paid. If you find that permission fees are significant consult your
editor.
- When
submitting your manuscript for publication, send us your completed file,
including the copies of your permissions requests and your Permissions
Checklist. If you have not yet received full clearance on some permissions
requests, include documentation of the status of those permissions.
Guard
Against Prejudice
- Sexism
In your writing, treat men and women impersonally in regard to occupation,
marital status, physical abilities, attitudes, interests, and so on.
Depending on the requirements of your subject, avoid attributing particular
characteristics to either sex; instead let your writing convey that
a person's abilities and achievements are not limited by gender. Your
book should support the fact that both sexes play equally important
roles in all facets of life and that activities on all levels are open
to both women and men alike.
Be careful to avoid sexist language that excludes men or women from
any activity or that implies that either sex is superior or dominant
in a particular role. Where possible, refer to people using words that
are gender neutral. For example, use person or people instead of man
or men when discussing human beings in general, use firefighter rather
than fireman or salesperson instead of salesman, and utilize inclusive
language, such as he or she instead of exclusively using he. For more
information on ways to avoid sexism in writing, ask your editor to send
you a copy of Prentice Halls' Guidelines on Sexism.
- Unintentional
Slurs on Race, Religion, or Sexual Orientation
The general rules that apply to the treatment of women also apply to
the treatment of all minority groups. Avoid making blanket statements
that stereotype or criticize a group of people because of their race,
religion, or sexual orientation. Conform to contemporary ways of referring
to racial and ethnic groups. Even though many slurs are unintentional,
they are still very offensive. Avoid using color references that could
be read as derogatory references to racial groups.
- Broad
Accusations Against Professional Groups
Be careful, too, about making broad general accusations and blanket
attacks on professional groups, associations, and businesses and industries
as a whole.
Elements
of the Manuscript
All
authors want the books they have labored over so long to be produced handsomely,
in the shortest possible time, and with the minimum number of alterations
in proof. But they do not always realize the contribution they themselves
can make through careful preparation of the manuscript. A manuscript in
poor physical condition may require more than normal time for resetting
type, resulting in a long production schedule; also, it may increase the
number of changes the author must make in proof, with a corresponding
increase in charges for author's alterations.
Preparing your manuscript electronically with word-processing or page-layout
software saves the time and cost of having your manuscript reset, and
greatly reduces the possibility of errors being introduced during typesetting.
It also gives you greater control over your work. It is our preference
to receive electronic files from you.
Submitting
Sample Electronic Files
When preparing your manuscript electronically, you must send sample files
for us to evaluate so we can determine the best means of composition for
your book, give you feedback, and flag possible problems. Therefore, it
is important for us to review your samples before you keyboard your entire
manuscript or draft all art (if you plan to draft the art for your book
yourself). It is much better to know in advance what you should be doing
differently than to revise your entire manuscript later. For the evaluation,
we will need the following materials and information:
- A
disk or tape containing a representative chapter (other than Chapter
1) from your book. The sample should contain all of the various elements
you will be using, such as text, tables, equations, art, footnotes,
lists, and so forth. WE WILL NOT READ FOR SENSE. You may make a composite
chapter, if you wish. If you want to create art or tables in a program
other than your word-processing program, send several representative
samples of the art or table files with matching printouts in addition
to your chapter file. The files will be evaluated by the art and production
directors who will give you feedback and additional guidance, if necessary.
For a book by several authors, be sure to let us know if and what different
software or hardware will be used. It is best if ALL authors use the
same hardware and software. Also, advise us if any part of the manuscript
will not be submitted in electronic form and will need to be keyboarded.
- A
printout of the chapter that exactly matches the content of the electronic
file(s). THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Otherwise, there is no way to
verify the accuracy of the test results.
- Electronic
Sample Checklist. Send it along with your sample chapter to provide
information about the hardware and software being used to produce your
manuscript. Be sure to include any special instructions we need to follow
to access your files from the disk or tape.
Preparing
an Electronic Manuscript
As you begin preparing your electronic manuscript, keep these general
rules in mind:
- Early
communication with your editor or production manager regarding the type
of software and hardware you are using, as well as the testing of your
sample chapter, gives us the chance to alert you to any problems that
come up before you have prepared your entire manuscript. Alert the editor
and the production manager immediately if you plan to change or upgrade
the software or hardware you are using at any stage of production. Changes
of this nature must be planned for to avoid delays in production and
additional charges.
- If
your hardware and software supports it, make use of one of the templates
included with this Guide for setting your manuscript and/or preparing
your book in a page-layout program. If you cannot use our templates,
and want to use another page-layout program, ask your editor for the
specifications you will need.
- Do
not be too concerned with presenting a fully-designed book to us, even
if you use one of the templates provided with this book, or if you use
a page-layout program of your own. Focus on submitting consistent, neatly-prepared
electronic files and hard copy.
- Be
consistent. Confirm that all of the elements of your book are keyboarded
in the same way, especially if there is more than one person keyboarding
the manuscript. For example, if you decide to type first-level heads
in uppercase, make sure it is done throughout all of the chapter files
that contain that type of head. Or, if you are using word-processing
style formats (such as those found in Microsoft Word), be sure to use
the same styles for the same elements from chapter to chapter. Inconsistencies
lead to unnecessary changes of text, which increases the possibility
of errors being introduced.
- Even
though the chance for error is greatly reduced by your having supplied
an electronic manuscript, there always remains the possibility of errors
being introduced later. Therefore, you must proofread and spellcheck
your manuscript at all stages of production to make sure it is error-free.
Setting
the Manuscript
- Keyboard
your manuscript with a commonly used word-processing program, such
as Microsoftš Word. Take advantage of your word processor's ability
to apply type style, size, and attributes. If you use paragraph style
formatting, such as that found in Microsoft Word, keep the number of
formats to a minimum. Also, send a list indicating which formats are
used for which elements. Some word-processing programs allow you to
print out your style sheet directly from the program.
- We
suggest setting your text in Times, 10 point, applying attributes as
needed. For example, apply italic to identify book or periodical titles
and to emphasize words or phrases. Or boldface heads to make them stand
out. Applying these simple attributes is probably all you want or need
to do as far as designing your text goes. Whatever you do, be consistent.
- Because
most word processors allow for powerful text setting and can filter/convert
text created in other software, avoid submitting ASCII files, which
are not as easy to work with and which drop out bold and italics.
- Use
an equation editor, such as MathType, MicrosoftWord or FrameMaker's
resident equation editors, or LaTeX's Scientific Word if you have access
to one, especially if your manuscript contains a large number of equations.
Equation editors are usually easy to use and produce very good final
output. Note, however, that many equation editors store equations as
graphics in the word processing file, and are uneditable once they have
been imported into a page-makeup program. FrameMaker's resident equation
editor does not have this feature. If you work with a page-makeup program
that does not have a resident editor, use an equation editor extension
that will let you edit the equations in the page files. Do not set equations
with a word-processor's formula typesetting codes (such as those found
in MicrosoftWord ). This coding may be sufficient to express the elements
of an equation in a word-processing file or on a printout, but is generally
incompatible with most composition systems.
- In
all cases, the output of equations will be evaluated, and if necessary,
equations will be reset to assure the highest possible quality for your
book. Do not mix equation editors in one manuscript, or mix word-processor
codes with a separate equation editor.
- Try
a Page-Layout Program for keyboarding and bringing together all of the
elements of your book. There are many page-layout programs on the market
to choose from, with Quark XPress, FrameMaker, Tex and LaTeX being among
the more popular. If your hardware and software supports it, use one
of the templates provided with this Guide to make up pages for your
book. We may be able to work with files created with other page-layout
programs as well, so do not make the mistake of converting your pages
into text files. Note that although you may use a page-layout program
to submit your manuscript to us, the book's final design will be evaluated
and, if necessary, changed to be competitive and meet market demands.
Please remember to submit samples early on so that any changes that
must be made can be made as soon as possible.
Other
considerations:
- Use
black as the color for your text. Apply colors or tints only if prior
arrangements have been made with your editor and the production department.
If color will be used in your book, it will be selected by the art director
and applied to the text during composition.
- Set
the manuscript line spacing to double. Set margins to 1-inch on all
four sides for easy typemarking and copyediting. Avoid using special
tabs and hard returns to make the pages "pretty." This can cause problems
in the final formatting. If style tags are applied consistently, don't
worry about the way it appears at this stage.
- Type
all copy (including subheads) flush with the left margin.
- Include
all text elements for each chapter in the same electronic file. For
example, if a chapter contains tables, position them at the end of the
paragraph immediately following their first reference. Boxed text and
equations should also be positioned in their appropriate places in the
text files. If tables are created using a program other than your word
processor-for example, with a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft
Excel-file each table or figure as a separate document. Type a reference
on a separate line after the paragraph containing the table's first
reference. Use a series of asterisks so that table references can be
located easily:
*****Table
1-1 goes here*****
Use
the same referencing convention for figures, but use a series of parentheses
instead to call out the reference:
(((Fig. 2-1 goes here)))
- Avoid
setting vertical rules in tables. These rules are incompatible with
some composition systems.
- Type
footnotes, references, and captions at the end of each chapter-not at
the bottom of each page (unless you are typing directly into FrameMaker).
Some word-processing programs support automatic footnote-numbering features
that may create problems during page makeup, so speak to your editor
about the most suitable way for you to prepare footnotes.
- Center
equations on a separate line, with one line space above and below. Equation
references should be in parentheses, flush with the right margin:
- Indent
using the indent feature in your software. Avoid indenting with the
space bar or with tabs. Other indented elements, such as extracts, can
also be set using paragraph formatting. Do not set vertical rules next
to extracts. Do not add double spacing after end punctuation. Also,
do not add extra returns between paragraph elements. Extra tabs, spaces,
and returns must be removed manually when files are brought into page
layout programs.
- Set
all mathematical symbols (including Greek characters, superiors, and
inferiors) in your electronic files. Do not write symbols on the printout
of your manuscript. Type fractions using full size characters separated
by a slash mark, e.g., 1/2, 3/4, and so forth. Set em dashes as double
hyphens or use the em dash character in your text typeface. Allow no
space on either side of em dashes.
- Spell-check
all files for errors that may have been missed.
- Make
all last minute changes to the electronic manuscript before submission,
and provide a clean printout. Do not write additional changes on the
printout. The electronic file is now the "real" manuscript.
Preparing
Electronic Manuscript Disks
- Submit
the most updated version of each chapter (as well as front matter and
appendices) as a separate file on disk or tape. Use a consistent naming
convention that clearly indicates the content of your files, such as
"Chap. 1," "Chap. 2," "Front matter," "Append. A." Avoid using file-compressing
software, unless you can also provide us with the means to decompress
your files.
- Label
each disk with the date, author's name, title of the book, summary of
the disk's contents (e.g., Chapters 1-4), hardware and software (including
version) used.
- Supply
a double-spaced printout of your manuscript that includes any last minute
changes you made. This printout will be used for copy editing and page
makeup, so it is important that it matches the contents of the corresponding
electronic files exactly. Make sure that the type on the printout is
dark and easy to read, since the manuscript passes through many hands
during production. If you can, use a letter-quality or laser printer,
rather than a dot matrix printer which may not be as easy to read.
- Keep
backup copies of all files, and a copy of the printout.
Front
Matter
When you open a book-if you open books in the orthodox way-the first thing
you see is the "front matter," a publisher's term for everything preceding
the text proper. Front matter may include the following:
- Book
half title Series page (if book is in a series)
- Title
page
- Copyright
page
- Dedication
(optional)
- Table
of Contents
- List
of illustrations (optional)
- List
of tables (optional)
- Foreword
(optional)
- Preface
(including acknowledgements)
- Introduction
(if not part of text)
You
supply the title page, dedication, table of contents, lists of illustrations
and tables, foreword, and preface. Naturally you won't be able to prepare
all this material in final form until you have completed your manuscript
but prepare it then and include it when you send us your manuscript. A
manuscript with title page, detailed table of contents, and preface, all
in good order, gets off to a much better and faster start in our editorial
offices. Send us two copies of the front matter-one for the page-makeup
operator and one for editorial and production purposes.
Include
a list of illustrations and a list of tables with your manuscript to serve
as checklists for editorial purposes. Generally it is unnecessary to include
these in the book-the test is whether a reader would be likely to refer
to a table or illustration independently of its context. If the lists
are not to appear in the book, mark them "Do not set in type."
Title
Page
Include on the manuscript title page: (1) the title of the book and subtitle,
if any; (2) your name, exactly as you want it to appear in print; and
(3) your academic or business affiliations.
Copyright
Page
We prepare the copyright page for your book. This page contains, in addition
to the year of publication and other pertinent information, "cataloging
in publication" data. These data are supplied by the Library of Congress
under its Cataloging in Publication procedure and are based on information
about your book sent to them by Prentice Hall. By having these data printed
on the copyright page, it is possible for librarians to catalog your book
immediately without having to wait for a catalog card from the Library
of Congress.
Table
of Contents
Be sure to include a detailed table of contents with your manuscript.
Its organization should correspond with the system of headings used throughout
the text. Our Book Editorial-Production Department will decide on the
coverage and typographical arrangement of the table of contents as it
is to appear in the book. Do not provide page numbers as they are not
yet final, unless you are providing us with camera copy.
Foreword
A foreword, when used, is usually written by someone other than the author.
If the author writes the foreword, it is used in place of a preface.
Preface
The effective preface is clear, crisp, and direct. Every word is packed
with meaning. It is true that some readers skip the preface; it is also
true that others, particularly teachers, reviewers, and buyers for bookstores,
read it carefully and take from it their first impressions of the interest
and usefulness of the book. First impressions are important, as every
salesperson knows; the "sales appeal" of the preface can have a real effect
on the promotion of your book. The preface may also form the bases for
other publicity materials.
Don't
begin your preface with the statement that the book "fills a long-felt
need." Thousands of other books have said that. And don't start out with
a long account of why the book was written; get down to facts. Tell your
readers what the book is about and point out the features that will make
them want to read it. Explain the purpose of the book, its scope, and
the plan on which it has been written.
Sometimes
a book written as a text has a wider appeal than the author may realize.
Don't only address readers as students. If professionals would find the
book useful, state why. Also, include information on ancillaries or web
sites, if appropriate. Keep your preface short-three to five manuscript
pages at most. Remember that a short preface stands a better chance of
being read than a long one.
Acknowledgments
are usually made at the end of the preface, but if there are a great many
of them, list them in a separate section.
Cross-References
Electronic manuscript preparation often allows you to create cross-references
within the computer files. This can save time and increase accuracy, but
it must be done carefully to avoid creating "short circuits" in the reference
system.
First
of all, make sure that you have settled on a firm file-naming convention.
If you change the file names, you may make it impossible for the computer
to locate references to material in other chapters. If you are "recycling"
material that has been used in other computer documents, check all cross-references
to make sure they are still needed and accurate.
Try
to be conservative in your use of electronic cross-references. Although
they can be an extremely useful way of fine-tuning a document, they introduce
numerous opportunities for error, and can swell the size of electronic
files, making their manipulation unwieldy. Before making a specific page
reference, ask yourself whether it would serve just as well to say something
like "see Chapter 7 for more information."
Be
especially careful to verify all electronic cross-references when you
are making revisions to an existing manuscript. Don't leave dangling references
to items that are no longer part of the text.
Extract
Material
For an electronic manuscript, double space and indent extracts to set
them off from the rest of the text. In addition to lists, examples, problems,
and other material subordinate to the text, quotations of over five lines
should be marked for smaller type. Omit the outside quotation marks and
change inside quotes, if any, from single to double.
Footnotes
The main purpose of footnoting is to provide complete data in consistent
form. There are many systems; the one we recommend for clarity and completeness
is illustrated here. Follow this order of items in a reference to a book:
(a) name of author (or translator, editor, compiler) as it appears on
the title page, with first name first; (b) chapter title, if needed; (c)
title of book and subtitle, if any; (d) edition, if other than the first;
(e) city of publication; (f) name of publisher, exactly as it appears
on the title page of the book; (g) date of publication; (h) chapter or
page of book referred to.
Bibliography
If a bibliography is necessary, it should be highly selective, and possibly
broken down by subject. An exhaustive bibliography often only confuses
the reader; a carefully selected list of books, with brief notes on content
or level of treatment, is much more likely to encourage outside reading.
It should not include out-of-print or out-of-date titles that have been
superseded unless they are indispensable.
A
short bibliography may follow each chapter, or a complete one may appear
at the end of the book. The references may be listed in straight alphabetical
order or, in a long bibliography, first grouped by subject and then alphabetized.
The order of items within a bibliographical reference is the same as in
a footnote, with two exceptions: (1) the name of the author is given with
last name first (if there are two or more authors, only the first author's
name is inverted); (2) when book volume or chapter or page references
are given, these follow the title (and edition, when given), instead of
appearing at the end of the reference.
Tables
Each time you insert a table in your manuscript, ask yourself first whether
it is really necessary. Often, of course, it is. A table may be the only
way to present certain information essential to the text. One drawback
of tabular material is that readers tend to skip it because it is an interruption.
If you can summarize the content of a table in the text or show it in
a graph in such a way that it can be grasped at a glance, the reader is
more likely to absorb it. Furthermore, you will have saved valuable space
in your book. Plan each table carefully for maximum effectiveness and
clarity. Keep it simple by arranging the stub and the column headings
so that there is no duplication of entries and so that all entries in
a row or column are presented in comparable form.
When
using a word-processing program to keyboard your manuscript, position
tables in the appropriate place in the chapter file. Check with your editor
to see if your word processor's table editor will be compatible with the
layout software. Try to keep table styles simple (minimal ruling, avoid
shading) and use a uniform style for all tables in the book.
Use
symbols (*, , à, €, ||, Š) or superior letters (a, b, c), to mark footnotes
to a table and place these notes directly under the table. In the text
refer to the table by number. Don't say, for example, "see the table above,"
because the compositor, when making up the book pages, may have to place
the table below the reference or on nearby page. Number tables with Arabic
figures, using the compound system-that is, using two numbers, the first
representing the chapter number. (Thus the first table in Chapter 3 would
be Table 3-1.) Every table should be numbered and the use of table title
should be consistent throughout the book.
Questions
and Problems
Questions or problems are usually grouped after each chapter. These should
never be a postscript, a hurried addition on which little time or thought
is spent. They should be planned as carefully as the text itself. Questions
should not be too obvious, a mere rephrasing of the text in the interrogative.
The best ones are those requiring readers to apply what they have learned.
Make sure problems are graded in difficulty, proceeding from the easy
to the more difficult. Check them as carefully as a good mystery writer
checks the solution to a crime to be sure they do not call for data the
reader has not been given. If answers or solutions are to be provided,
please consult us about whether it would be better to put them in an appendix
or to publish them separately. This decision should be made before your
manuscript is submitted. When answers are supplied, check them with the
greatest of care. Errors, even trivial ones, undermine the reader's confidence
in the book and are a source of embarrassment both to you and to us.
Appendix
An appendix is the customary place for important supplementary material-tables,
charts, documents, forms-that would interrupt the text or that is referred
to at widely separated points. But it should pull its weight in the book;
it should not be a collection of afterthoughts, and it should not contain
material that is easily available elsewhere. Keyboard the appendix double-spaced,
full-measure.
Glossary
A glossary is sometimes the best solution to the problem of specialized
terms. Brief, precise definitions arranged in alphabetical order allow
the author to use exact language in discussing a specialized subject without
stopping to define each term. The glossary enables the reader to refer
to a definition easily and quickly without having to turn back through
the text.
Index
Indexing is covered in detail in the next section, "Workflow Once
You Submit Your Final Manuscript: The Index".
Page
Numbering
Number the pages of manuscript consecutively, beginning with the first
page of text and continuing through the last page of the appendix, including
all table pages. Number separately the front matter pages in small roman
numerals (i, ii, and so forth). Be sure to reset to page 1 after the front
matter. If the book is to be divided into parts, be sure that part-title
pages are included in the manuscript proper and numbered along with it.
Also, be sure that the titles of the parts are indicated in the table
of contents. Costly repaging may be necessary if you discover, after your
book has been paged, that part titles have been omitted. If in doubt about
the numbering schemes, consult The Chicago Manual of Style.
Multiple
Authorship
Many of the problems of co-authorship are the same ones that you have
to face and solve when you have written a book by yourself. But multiple
authorship presents the additional problem of reaching solutions that
are acceptable to all the co-authors without time-consuming debate. Communication
and agreement, then, become paramount. Ideally, the lead author (or editor,
or whoever is responsible for your project) will arrange a meeting of
all the contributors before work on individual sections is begun. If such
a meeting is impossible, the senior author will make other plans to see
that each contributor understands his or her role in the project. It is
always preferable, after work has begun on the book, for one author to
be generally vested with the authority to make decisions and resolve problems
about the entire book; the need for extended cross-communication is then
greatly reduced. (After your book has gone into production, this decision-making
power is even more urgent because schedules allow no time for controversy.
Agreement is essential.)
The
lead author should give particular attention at the inception of the book
to such matters as a detailed outline, the style of writing (a sample
chapter by the senior author will help establish the tone), the length
of individual contributions (a very important point and one in which the
contract should be kept firmly in mind), the writing time schedule, and
the need for and nature of illustrative materials.
Media
Oftentimes
we have media accompanying a book, or even a book accompanying the media.
While this is a very important feature in many of our titles (one that
you must discuss with your editor early in the process and certainly before
the manuscript is submitted to production), it is often one of the items
put off for last and given the least amount of attention. This is a serious
mistake, as a delay in a CD or disk can seriously affect the schedule
and marketability of a project. If you are in the process of creating
a mastered CD, you may find the following items useful.
Premastering
software to create cross-platform CD-ROMs is getting better every day.
Today there are just a few premastering software packages that can create
cross-platform CDs and preserve every feature of existing computing environments.
These CDs can be accessible in the native environment of Windows (3.1,
95, and NT), Macintosh, and Unix systems (many flavors). The formats we
use are:
-
PC: ISO 9660
- Mac:
HFS
- UNIX:
ISO 9660 with Rock Ridge Extensions
We
are in the process of evaluating new generations of premastering software
packages as an on-going R&D process, so we can continually be on top of
the technology and upgrade our systems, as well as making sure that our
vendors do the same.
You
may find these tips helpful in putting together your materials:
- Use
DOS-compatible 8.3 naming convention for all filenames regardless of
platform
- Use
only capital letters for file and directory names, including links inside
HTML documents
- Use
only these filename characters: 0-9, A-Z, _
- Directory
names cannot have extensions
- You
should have a maximum 8-level deep hierarchy
- Make
sure that the number of files within directories is no more than 50-100
files
- Set
up logical, easy to understand file and folder/directory names
- Use
proper file type extensions - ie, mov, avi, wav, pct, tif, bmp, eps,
jpg, gif, htm, etc.
- Supply
complete documentation of the files and their organization.
If
you have questions while you are getting the materials together be sure
to contact your editor or production manager.
Checking
the Manuscript
Just
before you send us the manuscript, check it against this list. It will
save you time, correspondence, and probably money later on.
- Read
the final printout carefully to check on organization and to catch any
typing errors or omissions. Using a spell checker can greatly reduce
the possibility of typographical errors getting into print. Even when
you have used electronic controls, it is still advisable to read over
a hard copy. Some problems are less noticeable on the screen and spell
check options do not pick up all instances of incorrect spelling; i.e.,
a spell checker would not pick up "fro" if you really want "for" because
both words exist.
- Be
sure that all pages are accounted for and are in proper sequence and
that all inserts have been numbered and their position noted in the
text.
- Check
the presence and numbering of all tables, illustrations, footnotes,
and so on, with great care. A mistake here or insertions and deletions
after the manuscript is in pages may involve considerable time and money.
- Check
the correctness of all cross references. Numbered sequences like tables
and illustrations should be referred to by number, but a cross reference
to another page of the manuscript should read "see page 000." The ciphers
will call attention to the fact that the correct book page number must
be inserted after the book has been made up into pages. If a manuscript
page number is used, the fact that it must later be changed to a book
page may escape everyone's notice. Note that a cross reference to a
chapter and section or topic will frequently suffice. If your cross
references are tagged, verify them on-line. Be sure they have been generated
from the most up to date version of the manuscript. Remember that changes
to one chapter may affect cross references in another chapter.
- Make
sure that all necessary permissions for quoted matter or for illustrations
have been secured and send the letters of permission to us in a separate
package at the time you send us the manuscript. If the permissions have
not been completed, send in the unsigned copies (pink copies) until
the final completed permissions are on hand.
- Be
sure to retain copies of all materials.
Shipping
the Manuscript and lllustrations
Wrap
your manuscript carefully. Put disks in disk mailers, and secure them
so that they do not move around during shipping. Include your return address
on the label. Mail your original manuscript to us via registered first
class, Federal Express, or UPS-some way that is traceable. As a precaution
against loss of both manuscripts in transit, send one of your two copies
in a separate package. Send your permissions file with the original manuscript.
The packages should be addressed to the attention of the editor with whom
you negotiated when you contracted to write the book.
If
you submit art conventionally, keep illustrations flat-except for very
large drawings, which may be rolled and slipped in a cardboard tube-and
protect them with heavy cardboard.
Meeting
the Deadline
The
contract for a book always contains a deadline-the date on which author
and publisher agree that the manuscript is to be delivered in final form.
Meeting the deadline is VERY important to the success of a book. It is
set to enable a book to be published at the most favorable time. No matter
how good a book is, if it appears at an unfavorable time, the greater
part of its first year's sale may be lost. If delivery of a manuscript
is delayed significantly, the market may begin to shift before the book
can be published; if it is very late, it is possible for its sales potential
to be seriously affected. Please do your very best to meet the contract
deadline. As always, communicate any delays to your editor.
Workflow
Once You Submit Your Final Manuscript
When
your manuscript arrives at our offices, the job of editing and producing
the book begins. Authors often wonder, and understandably so, why this process
appears to take so long. To answer this question, we will trace the progress
of a manuscript through the many stages of production. If you are providing
us with manuscript that we are to make into pages, then this section is
for you.
The
Editor and the Reviewer
When
the editor who specializes in your subject receives your manuscript, it
may be submitted to one or more experts in your field of study, who will
read and evaluate it with care and send reviews to the editor. The editor
evaluates the reviews and may discuss them with you or will simply refer
these reviews to you for consideration and for any revisions you may wish
or need to make in view of the readers' comments and criticism. In the meantime,
the editor considers the manuscript in terms of its potential market: For
what level is it best suited? What is its competition? What is its trade
appeal? The editor has an intimate knowledge of these factors and will also
call upon the knowledge of fellow editors and marketing managers, whose
experience in related fields may prove invaluable in assessing the market.
Much of the information gathered will not only be helpful in editing the
manuscript but will also provide the basis for planning the book's physical
format.
After
all reviewers' reports are in and you have responded to them-and the editor
has made preliminary decisions on estimated sales, format, number of copies
to be printed, selling price, and so forth-the decision is made by the
publisher that the manuscript is ready for production. The manuscript
is then turned over to the Production Department. A production editor
examines the manuscript to become familiar with the entire project and
to determine whether any problems exist.
The
Launch Meeting
The
production editor then calls a meeting to set up an editorial and production
program for your book. The editor, the production editor, and the manufacturing
buyer attend this launch meeting. They discuss such matters as the nature
and extent of copy editing required, the number and types of illustrations,
what software was used to create the manuscript and art manuscript, the
physical format and the typography, the kind of paper on which the book
will be printed, the style of binding, and the type of composition and
printing equipment to be used.
Scheduling
At this meeting a production schedule is drawn up, establishing key dates
that must be met to ensure that the book will be published as close as
possible to the most advantageous time for maximum sales. This schedule
shows, among other production details, when copy editing and artwork must
be finished, when edited manuscript must be released for keyboarding,
if necessary, and makeup, the dates for receipt and return of proofs,
and the dates when printing and binding will be completed. At each stage
of production, your production editor will inform you of the dates you
must meet to help maintain this schedule. Because the publication date
is critical, you have a vital responsibility for adhering to the deadlines
that have been set. All parties at the launch meeting, each in a different
area of responsibility, air their views; each leaves the meeting with
an understanding of the approaches to be taken in progressing from the
manuscript to a bound book.
Cost
Estimates and Sample Pages
After
the launch meeting the production editor assembles all information regarding
manufacturing and design specifications and may send a duplicate manuscript
and files to a compositor for a determination of the cost of setting and
makeup and for a castoff (an estimate of the number of printed pages the
manuscript will make).
If
you have submitted your illustrations in rough form, our Art Department
estimates the cost of preparing finished drawings and selects an artist
for the work. The production editor will send you copies of the finished
drawings for checking before they are scanned, if necessary, and imported
into the book files.
A
number of weeks are required to prepare specifications and layouts, to
obtain compositor's, printer's, and binder's manufacturing prices, and
to work up the cost of producing the book. When all format details are
settled and a manufacturing budget has been approved, the manufacturing
buyer issues an order to the compositor for making pages and importing
the art or for setting, if this is the agreed upon method of production.
If
you have provided us with your electronic files (and we strongly advise
that you do so as soon as possible), a disk or tape with the electronic
files will be tested in house and/or sent to a compositor for testing.
At that time, the files will be evaluated for compatibility with composition
software and equipment, and conversion routines or macros to translate
files into an appropriate form may need to be created. Even if you have
laid out the book electronically using page-makeup software, such as FrameMaker,
there may still be a need to recalculate the castoff. Small changes in
the text or layout can cause the overall page count to change significantly,
so the final page count is not certain until all edits have been made.
Copyediting
While
manufacturing costs are being computed, the copy editor edits the manuscript
for spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, consistency, organization,
and like details. The copy editor queries you about changes in phrasing,
questions of fact, or suggested additions or deletions. The copy editor
checks the organization of tables, the consistency and completeness of
footnotes and bibliography, the sequence of all numbered parts of the
book and the accuracy of references to them in the text, and flags items
that may need permissions. If agreed upon in advance, depending on scheduling
and file format compatibilities, the copy editor will set all of his or
her changes directly into the electronic files, while also writing all
changes on the hard copy. For some software, redlining (a feature that
allows you to view what the copy editor has changed in your electronic
file) may be used. We normally return the manuscript to you for approval
of the editing and for action on queries and editorial suggestions. Consider
the editorial suggestions very carefully. Perhaps the copy editor has
misunderstood your meaning; but if so, a reader is even more likely to
misunderstand unless you make the meaning clearer. Make all changes directly
on the manuscript using colored pencil (use a color other than that used
by the copy editor); do not use proofreader's marks on the manuscript.
If you have submitted your manuscript in electronic form and the copy
editor has not made the changes in your files, please update them. Anything
that is not in the files that we provide to the compositor and is changed
later will be considered an Author's Alteration (AA), which is discussed
elsewhere in this document.
Typemarking
In addition to being copyedited, your manuscript may also be typemarked.
Either the copy editor or the production editor marks each element in
the manuscript with an identifying letter or number so that the compositor
will have explicit instructions on all typographical details. The manuscript
is then sent to the compositor, who verifies that the proof dates on the
production schedule previously drawn up will be met. If the book is to
be set in-house, the production editor will verify that the book is set
on time.
Proofreading
Proofreading
is an important skill. When it is done correctly, it not only makes a
better book, it also cuts down that distressing item in the compositor's
bill, "Author's Alterations."
One
thing to remember about proof is that it is not manuscript. In manuscript
you rightly make every correction within the line at the point of correction
so that the compositor can read along line by line and set the type while
reading. But once the type has been set and the proof marked for correction,
the compositor does not read each line to see where changes have been
made. Instead, the compositor looks in the margin to find the appropriate
proofreader's mark opposite the line in which the correction is to be
made.
Proofs
are normally output to a laser printer which cannot produce the high-resolution
for artwork and type that you will see in your final book. However, the
proof is accurate for size, placement, fonts and text.
When
the pages of your book reach you, check them with scrupulous care. It
is not enough to read only for sense and accuracy of facts, dates, and
statistics. Each word and each mark of punctuation should be examined.
The eye has a way of seeing what it wants and expects to see, and it is
very easy to skip over misspellings and even omissions. It is wise to
read the proof word for word against copy by yourself. Or have someone
else do it. Certainly all tables, equations, statistics, and the like
should be read against copy, and the position of every exponent, prime
mark, or decimal point should be verified. Many times, in order to meet
tight schedules, we ask our authors to read the proofs blind while our
proofreaders read the pages against the manuscript.
Occasionally
you may see other proofreaders' marks on the pages; they are not marks
you will use in your own proofreading, but their meaning will be readily
apparent. A set of proofreader's marks and sample corrected copy can be
obtained from your production editor or the Prentice Hall Web site. Study
the proofreaders' marks and the corrected page carefully before you read
proofs. There are a few general things to remember. Use pencil of a color
different from any marks already on the proof and take care to write legibly.
Put all marks in the margin, left or right, whichever is nearer the point
of correction, opposite the line in which the error occurs. Separate one
correction from another on the same line by a slanted line (for example,
lc/tr/cap) and arrange them in order so that they read consecutively from
left to right. If the same correction is to be made in two places in the
line, with no intervening correction, write the correction once and follow
it with two slant lines. When there are many corrections in one line,
begin in the left margin and continue in the right.
When
material is to be added to a line, put a caret (^) in the text at the
point of insertion and write the addition in the margin. Do not put a
caret in the margin-the compositor may think you want it set in type.
When material is to be deleted and nothing added in its place, just cross
out the unwanted characters and put a delete sign in the margin. Don't
put the characters to be deleted in the margin following the delete sign.
When material is to be substituted for a deletion, don't use the delete
sign; just cross out the unwanted material and write the substitution
in the margin. Circle any notes to the production editor or compositor
to indicate that they are not to be set in type.
Occasionally
you may change your mind about something you have crossed out. To restore
it, put a row of dots under the deletion; in the margin cross out the
delete sign and write "stet" (let it stand).
Be
sure to answer all queries on the proof. A query usually consists of a
suggested change followed by a slant line and a circled question mark.
To accept the change, cross out the question mark; to reject it, cross
out the entire query.
Never
make any change or answer any query on the dead manuscript rather than
on the page proof. Your notation will be overlooked.
If
you detect an error made by the compositor and not so indicated by our
proofreaders, please mark it with a circled "PE" (printer's error). Initial
each proof in the lower right-hand corner in pencil of the same color
you used to make corrections.
Reviewing
Page Proofs
When
you review page proofs, first make sure that all corrections indicated
on the manuscript have been made. Verify the position of all tables and
illustrations (but remember that the compositor cannot always put them
exactly where you have indicated and still produce a balanced page) and
read all captions and credit lines carefully. Check all text references
to tables and illustrations; don't overlook correcting a reference such
as to "the figure below" in a line that follows the figure referred to.
Finally, check the running head at the top of each page and the page number.
These
page proofs reflect the layout of the final book; do not overlook anything
that seems out of place with the idea that it will be "fixed up" in production.
The exception is the quality of artwork and shading. Page proofs from
an office laser printer are normally rendered at 600 dots per inch (dpi),
which gives a reasonable level of detail, but cannot produce fine lines
or delicate shading with great accuracy. The final output, at 1200 dpi
or above, gives much greater accuracy and detail. Also, if your book contains
halftone art or art that has been scanned from hard copy you have supplied,
only a low-resolution image will appear on the page proofs. This low-resolution
image will not show as much detail as the final, high-resolution output
the printer can get when film plays out.
When
you have done all this, give the proofs a final critical reading. Extensive
changes at this point are impossible, but you still have an opportunity
to correct misstatements of fact, to check the spelling of proper names
and the accuracy of dates, and to substitute vital last minute statistics.
Front
Matter Proofs
Before the last of the text pages come from the compositor, the production
editor will work out a front matter design that is in harmony with the
text design and prepare final front matter copy. The compositor sets this
copy into pages. We read the master set here and send you a duplicate
set for checking. Be sure that your name and affiliation, if necessary,
appear in correct form on the title page; check carefully the spelling
of all names of people to whom acknowledgment is made in the preface;
verify the accuracy of all other information. If you find any errors other
than obvious typographical ones, phone or e-mail your production editor
immediately and indicate what changes must be made. The front matter is
distributed widely throughout the marketing and editorial departments,
who use the information contained there for sales purposes (we use your
materials on our web site, possibly in print or e-mailed ads, on the back
cover copy, etc. to help sell your book). Please make sure that this material-the
preface and/or foreword-is as informative as possible.
Covers
Early
in the process the Art Department puts into motion the creation of the
design for the cover. This is done in conjunction with your editor and
marketing manager.
A
great amount of attention is paid to the cover because the reader gains
the first impression of the book through this element. The cover must
be aesthetically appealing, eye-catching, compatible with the interior
format and content, and correct for the audience the book is to reach.
Hard
cover books can be embellished in a variety of ways, through die-stamping,
offset printing, silk screen, or any combination of the three. Paper covers
are usually printed by offset.
Once
sketches of the cover have been approved, the designs are completed; back
cover copy (if being used) is written and approved; and mechanicals are
prepared and sent to the printer. The finished covers are now ready to
be bound to the printed book. The sketches are also used for sales purposes-they
are put into our catalogs, our sales reps may get copies of them to show
to their accounts, etc. This is considered to be one of the most important
elements of your book.
Author's
Alterations
Every
publisher's contract contains an "author's alteration" or "AA" clause.
It invariably gives the author an allowance for proof changes-for no one
is perfect-but provides that corrections in excess of a stated percentage
of the original cost of composition are to be charged against royalties.
In order to minimize the risk of unnecessary AA charges, we urge you to
read this section with care and to be guided accordingly in your proofreading.
Correction
costs mount up quickly because the compositor charges for changes at a
higher rate than for original composition, in compensation for the additional
time it takes to set the changes, remove the old material from the pages
and put in the new, possibly re-run the pages, and proofread the corrections.
For this reason, a change of 10 percent of the text in proof involves
a total cost far in excess of 10 percent of the original cost of composition.
The
best way to hold down corrections is to submit a manuscript as nearly
perfect as you can make it by following the instructions given in this
Guide. Especially important is the final check of the manuscript. To change
a word or delete a comma in manuscript takes only the stroke of your pen;
to make the same change in proof may involve the work of two or three
persons and considerable expense.
Sometimes
errors that have escaped everyone's notice in manuscript become glaringly
obvious in proof. Also, information that makes changes necessary sometimes
comes to light after the manuscript is in pages. The problem then is how
to make the changes as economically as possible.
To
make a correction in page proof, the compositor must disturb the carefully
balanced page makeup. Suppose you add three lines in the middle of a page.
The last three lines on that page must be transferred to the top of the
next, and so on to the end of the chapter. Often it is not even as simple
as that: tables, illustrations, or headings may intervene, making it impossible
to balance the pages merely by adding or subtracting lines of type. If
there is no room for additional material on the last page of a chapter,
the change will affect the next chapter, and so on. Thus a seemingly minor
change may alter the makeup of a substantial part of the book and result
in a heavy bill for alterations.
In
addition to the cost involved, heavy corrections in proof may seriously
affect the production schedule, resulting in a delay in the publication
date and, ultimately, in a loss of sales.
The
Index
The
key to your book is the index, and it is important that it be a good one.
Readers refer to it constantly, and reviewers often comment on its adequacy.
A book's usefulness-and consequently its sale-can be increased or diminished
by its index.
Who
Compiles the Index?
As the author, you are responsible for providing the index. But should
you compile it yourself? Certainly you are more familiar with the contents
of the book than anyone else could be. If you also have a firm grasp of
the principles of indexing and can work well under time pressure, you
are the best person to prepare it. If your book is technical or scientific
in nature, we urge you to prepare the index yourself or at least to have
a colleague do it for you. Most professional indexers will not have the
technical knowledge to do justice to such an index. If necessary, some
authors have the publisher charge for a professional indexer.
Many
word-processing systems allow you to create your own index as you prepare
the manuscript. This section's general guidelines for index preparation
still apply to electronically-prepared manuscripts, but there are a few
special considerations.
As
you go along placing index markers, you may wish to create a reference
file of your main headings and the style of your entries. This will help
you avoid going back to fix redundant headings in the index. If, for example,
you mark some entries under the heading "Networks" and others under "Networking,"
you will have to go back and change the reference at each insertion point.
It is important that you update the in-line references, and not just the
output index. This way, when the index needs to be regenerated to accommodate
editing changes, it will not need to be corrected again. It will also
save time and effort for revised editions of the book.
As
with any electronic file operation, check with your production editor
to make sure that the index created by your software will be compatible
with the software used for the final version of the book. Many times the
software is incompatible and the work that has been done by the author
has to be undone and redone. It may be easier to mark the hard copy manuscript
and have the items tagged during composition, if the composition program
will accommodate this. Otherwise, it will be easier to wait until pages
are set.
If
you prefer to have a professional indexer compile your index, we will
arrange to have it prepared here by one of a number of experienced freelance
indexers we have on call. We will pay the indexer directly, advancing
the cost against your royalties.
If
you compile the index, the following notes will help you:
When
to Index
Page proofs are usually sent to you in small batches. Because the index
is the last part of the book to be set in type and delay in preparing
it may delay publication of your book, begin indexing as soon as you have
read the first batch of page proofs and keep the index up to date as further
batches arrive. But don't try to combine indexing with proofreading; each
is an exacting job that requires your undivided attention.
You
may think you can save time by indexing from manuscript, rather than from
pages, but this is usually not the case. The attempt sometimes results
in confusion or in doing the same work twice. You may want to wait until
you receive page proofs. We sometimes encourage an author to start indexing
in manuscript if there is an indexing function in the software that is
used and if it is compatible with the page makeup software to be used.
Check with your production manager first, however, so that you do not
do the work only to find out it cannot be used and must be re-done.
What
to Index
The first thing to consider is what to index. Indexing requires imagination.
Put yourself in the reader's place; of every item ask yourself, "If I
were the user of the book and not the author, would I be likely to look
this up?" If the answer is "yes," include it; if the answer is "no," don't
let a false ideal of completeness tempt you into putting it in; you will
only overload your index. (If the answer is "maybe," put the item in.
In indexing, the worst sins are those of omission.) If your book is organized
with a system of headings and subheadings, they will provide the nucleus
for your index, though of course you cannot index the book from headings
alone but must read the page proofs through carefully to catch every topic
of importance. Break down every main idea into the individual details
readers are likely to look for; they will seldom look in the index for
the subject of an entire section or chapter, which appears conspicuously
in the table of contents. Moreover, an unqualified entry followed by a
long string of page numbers will only irritate them. Obvious items to
index are names of people, organizations, institutions, events, places,
and so on.
How
to Index
If you are tagging the entries into your word processor or page makeup
application, please see your documentation or on-line help files for specifics.
Your production editor may be able to help you with this if it is a program
that we are familiar with, but please do not assume that we would be able
to help you with this specific task. If you do not have the knowledge,
time or capability to do this in your electronic files for any reason,
but want to prepare the index yourself, here are some steps to guide you:
- Write
the entries on cards.
- Arrange
the cards in alphabetical order.
- Edit
the cards and indicate indents by means of dots.
- Keyboard
the index as a separate word-processing file.
- Edit
the index and provide the file and hard copy to your production editor.
Some
important rules to keep in mind are:
- Alphabetize
items beginning with Mc or St as though the full form-Mac or Saint-were
used.
- Alphabetize
entries beginning with figures as though the figures were spelled out-"400
Club" under the Fs.
- Alphabetize
abbreviations of government agencies, broadcasting companies, publications,
and so on, according to the order of letters in the abbreviation, not
as though the names were spelled out. AAA ABC Abilene AFL-CIO Agriculture.
- Alphabetize
subentries according to the first principal word, ignoring any preceding
prepositions and articles: Parallelism: for coordinate elements with
correlatives defined in outlines.
- Capitalize
the first word of each main entry; lower case all remaining words unless
they require capitalization for other reasons.
- Separate
each entry from its page number(s) by a comma; use a colon after an
entry.
- Combine
similar entries and provide cross references where necessary. For example,
you may have one set of cards for "National Humane Society" and another
for "Humane Society." Since these are different names for the same organization,
it is wrong to list some of the references under one name and some under
the other. List all the references under "National Humane Society";
for "Humane Society," provide a cross reference, "See National Humane
Society." A good index also directs the reader to pages where aspects
of the same subject are discussed under different key words. After listing
the page numbers for "National Humane Society," you might well add a
"see also" reference: "See also animals" or "See also shelters."
Finally,
after, you have edited all the cards, keyboard the index one column to
a page, double-spaced. Then check the accuracy of the index against the
cards. Send the index file with a hardcopy printout to the production
editor.
As
soon as the production editor receives the index (from you or from the
indexer who has been commissioned to prepare it for you), the copy is
sent to the compositor to be set into pages. There is seldom time, or
need, for you to check proofs of the index. Our proofreaders give it a
thorough reading. We do, however, send you a duplicate set of proofs for
your file.
Printing
and Binding
Page
proofs are the last proofs you will see; rarely are corrections so extensive
that it is necessary to send an author revised page proofs. However, the
production editor receives final proofs before the book is printed to
make certain that all corrections indicated on the page proofs have been
made.
With
the advent of desktop publishing, where postscript files can be provided
to the printer, the need for "camera copy" is unnecessary most of the
time. Using the old method, the compositor would pull a reproduction proof
of each page of type. This proof was of extremely fine quality, and was
pulled on a special paper designed to give optimum clarity and sharpness
to the type. Line illustrations and proofs of the halftone negatives would
be integrated with pages by pasting them in place. The resulting "camera
copy" then would be released to the printer, who would photograph the
camera copy and strip in the film negatives of the type with the film
negatives of the illustrations.
Electronic
publishing allows for an easier, more cost-efficient means of preparing
pages for the printer. Once the final proofs of a book are checked and
approved, a disk or tape containing all of the electronic files (which
include art) is sent to the printer. Because both art and text are electronic,
they have already been combined during composition. This makes the printer's
job easier, since the intermediate stages of turning repro proofs into
film and stripping in halftones are no longer necessary. The printer plays
out film directly from the electronic files. Sometimes, when halftone
or other art is scanned, a low-resolution marker will be put in place
in the electronic file. Because of space constraints, we will ask the
printer to swap high-resolution art files with the low-resolution files,
thus providing the best quality output when needed for the final book,
and acceptable quality for proofing during the production of the book.
The file sizes of high-resolution art can sometimes be astronomical, especially
if color is involved.
The
printer makes blueprints or "book blues" (proofs of the page negatives)
for our final check before plates are made and the book goes to press.
At this point, your production editor will be checking to make sure that
the pages are in order, the margins are correct, and other such quality
controls.
Offset
Printing
The principle involved in reproduction by offset is a chemical one: grease
and water repel each other. The type, art, and photographs on the printing
plate (a positive image) is grease-receptive, and the printing ink has
a greasy base. After the plate is fastened to the plate cylinder of the
press, it is dampened with a watery solution and inked simultaneously.
The grease-receptive image repels the water and accepts the ink. The blank
areas of the plate accept the water and therefore repel the ink. The inked
image is then transferred to a cylinder around which is wrapped a thin
sheet of rubber, called a "blanket," which is also continuously dampened
with water. The greasy ink adheres to the rubber blanket. The blank areas
on the blanket remain free of ink because they are coated with water.
The inked image on the blanket (a mirror image) is then transferred to
the paper, faithfully reproducing the image on the printing plate. Thus
the plate itself never touches the paper. Rather, the image is transferred-or
"offset"-from plate to blanket to paper.
Offset
presses are of the rotary type-that is, both the impression and printing
surfaces are cylindrical. These presses may be either sheetfed (flat sheets
of paper move into the press individually) or roll-fed (paper is fed to
the press from a continuous roll).
Binding
Binding is the final stage in the manufacture of a book. Various methods
are employed, depending on the kind of finished product we want.
Each
printed sheet that will make up the book is folded so that the pages on
the sheet appear in proper sequence. These folded sheets, consisting usually
of thirty-two pages, are called signatures. The signatures are then gathered
so that each collation contains all pages of the book in proper order.
The
term "paperbound" books encompasses a wide assortment of bindery styles.
The collated signatures are placed in a set of clamps, with the folded
or "spine" edges up. One-eighth of an inch is then trimmed from the folded
edges so that only single sheets remain. Glue is applied to this end surface;
then the paper cover is put in position and folded around the book. The
entire covered book is then trimmed at the top, bottom, and outside edges
to final size. This method, called "perfect binding," is also occasionally
used for case-bound books. Another method, "RepKover," is a process of
"Lay-Flat" binding which uses cloth as a reinforcement media. This is
a method of paper binding which improves functionality of manuals because
they "lay flat" easily for constant no-hands reference.
Copyrighting
the Book
The
books are now ready, and the production editor rushes an advance copy
from the bindery to you. (The "author's copies" called for in your contract
follow shortly, after the books have reached our warehouse.) We also send
two copies to the Register of Copyrights, Washington, D.C., together with
a copyright application and a fee, thus fulfilling the requirements of
copyright law.
Original
Manuscript and Files
Once
the book has been published, the production editor will return all the
original artwork, photos, and manuscript, if you would like, to you. You
may have to return some of this material to the sources from which it
was borrowed. Otherwise it should be safely filed away for possible use
should it ever be necessary to re-use for any purpose not yet known. We
will keep a set of files here for any possible reprint corrections or
perhaps for translations into other languages.
If
your book is eventually published in a new edition, some of this material
may be usable again, with a saving of time and expense on your part and
on ours.
Reprints
Your
production editor will ask you to keep our reprint editor up to date on
any misprints or other minor errors that you may discover or that may
be brought to your attention from time to time.
When
the stock of the first printing reaches a minimum and a second printing
is anticipated, the reprint editor may notify you and request additional
minor corrections, if any, by a certain date (usually by March of a given
copyright year). These changes will be included if they are minimal and
arrive on time. A warning is in order here. The reprint editor may not
have enough time to warn you of an impending reprint. Therefore, we
advise that you send in corrections as they are found. If possible,
we will make the corrections in the files ourselves. However, depending
on the number and type of corrections, we may need to go back to the compositor
for these changes. If you acted as your own compositor and wish to send
in corrected files, please send the files on a disk, along with a hard
copy showing your corrections and a clear guide to the file formats and
file names. Do not expect the reprint editor to know the history of your
book's production process; for timely reprints, try to make all materials
self-contained and self-explanatory.
All
corrections to be made MUST be made in the first two reprints.
After that, we will not incorporate any more changes. Extensive changes
should be saved for a possible revision (or new edition).
The
Technical Manuscript
A
manuscript is described as "technical" to a greater or lesser extent according
to the amount of material it contains that is other than straight prose.
Typesetting material in chemistry, engineering, mathematics, physics, or
computer science obviously differs from typesetting a book on English literature.
Whereas the latter is straight prose, an engineering book contains equations,
tables, and special symbols, all of which require precise arrangement on
the book page for clarity. The vertical and horizontal spacing of each character
in a complex equation must be precise; the position of superscripts and
subscripts must be accurate. Consequently, we must have a method of composing
this technical material that gives us the necessary control over each piece
of type. In this section of our Guide, we are making the assumption that
you will be providing us with electronic files of some sort, but not fully-composed
"camera ready" files.
The
Metric System
Before
we begin our survey of the preparation of the technical manuscript, we
would like to remind authors who are writing in scientific disciplines
of the possibility of international sales. They may wish to use metrics
(English units), as well so as to conform to usage elsewhere in the world.
Since
metric is a very general term, we recommend that authors adopt the International
System of Units (SI) as the accepted metric system and terminology to
be used. A basic reference for suggested usage is The International System
of Units (SI), July, 1974, National Bureau of Standards, Special Publication
330, available in PDF format from the National Institute of Standards
and Technology. See also Cassell's Dictionary of Weights and Measures.
Always
consult your editor about the use of metric units in your book before
you begin preparation of the manuscript.
Illustrations
The
information in this chapter will help you deal with the many editorial
problems presented by the technical manuscript. It is equally important
that you be knowledgeable about the preparation of artwork and discriminating
in the choice of photographs for your book. For this reason we urge you
to read the next section, Illustrations, with care.
Uniformity
in Numbering Various Elements
Use Arabic numerals for chapters and sections, tables, equations, figures,
and appendices. We recommend the compound system (using a hyphen, not
a decimal point) for numbering sections, equations, tables, and figures.
Begin numbering each element anew at the start of every chapter. In this
system the first number represents the chapter number; for example, the
first equation in Chapter 1 will be (1-1), the first equation in Chapter
2, (2-1), and so forth. Enclose equation numbers in parentheses throughout-the
only element so treated.
Capitalization,
Spelling, Hyphenation
Capitalize and abbreviate the following elements when they are accompanied
by numbers:
Fig.
5-2 Chap. 5 Eq. (5-1) Sec. 5-2 Prob. 6-8
Never
abbreviate these or any other terms at the beginning of a sentence; spell
out the word in such instances. Avoid using page numbers for references
to these elements; instead refer to a specific table, equation, or section.
Many word processors and page makeup programs can automate this numbering
process; take advantage of the feature if you can. The use of page numbers
delays return of page proofs to the compositor until missing references
can be supplied. Check all cross references carefully before submitting
your manuscript to be sure the numbering is correct.
Webster's
New World Dictionary is our authority for spelling, hyphenation, and capitalization.
Where two spellings are given for a word, use the first form shown.
Terms
consisting of a capital letter and a noun are hyphenated only when they
are used as attributive adjectives: for example, "I beam" but "I-beam
structure"; "X ray" but "X-ray tube." Fractions are hyphenated: "a two-thirds
balance," "two-thirds of those present." Do not use a hyphen in compounds
containing an adverb ending in ly, such as "evenly spaced intervals."
Preparing
and Marking Copy
Italics
Apply italics to text in electronic files for a term being defined, for
a term introduced by called or known (i.e., "is called the quotient,"
"is known as factoring"), or for emphasis of a word, a phrase, or a sentence.
To maintain emphasis, use italics sparingly.
All
letter symbols (with the exceptions noted here) used in mathematical equations
or used to designate angles, curves, coordinate points, and so forth,
are set in italics. Do not underscore letter symbols for italics. Our
copy editors will do this throughout your manuscript for any you have
missed.
Note
that in italic context, letter symbols are also set in italics, but all
numerals and all abbreviations are set in roman (ie, "Solve the equation
for 2x - 2y.").
All
abbreviations of chemical elements and compounds are set in roman.
Boldface
Each time they appear in your electronic files, apply bold to words, letter
symbols, or other characters such as Greek letters or script that must
be set in boldface. Do this with care; a copy editor cannot be expected
to differentiate between boldface and lightface instances of the same
character.
Do
not indiscriminately apply bold or use boldface underscoring for an entire
equation.
A
- B - cos C - X1-C-2X1-C
When
you are emphasizing the importance of an equation, bold only letter symbols,
numerals, words, and abbreviations. Set operation signs and superscripts
and subscripts lightface (unless the superscripts or subscripts contain
a character such as a vector letter that must be set boldface).
A
- B - cos C - X1-C-2X1/C
Where
vector dots or cross products appear, set bold "times" signs as well as
the vector letters.
Z
- Y dz - Y - Z x dy
If
boldface roman and boldface italic symbols must be used, set them in your
electronic file.
Boldface
roman: X, Y, z
Boldface
italic: X, Y, z
Wherever
a center dot is used to indicate multiplication, center it; do not put
it in the decimal-point position.
X
2X 3x not X
2X 3x
Monospace
Fonts
Monospace fonts, such as Courier, give each letter and space the same
width, just like a typewriter. Use a monospace font for setting computer
statements, where alignment of characters is essential.
Identification
of Symbols
Greek
Avoid hand writing Greek characters (or any other characters for that
matter) on printouts of electronic manuscripts. Instead, set them in your
electronic files. It is difficult to distinguish between many handwritten
Greek characters and similar English letter symbols. The list in the next
section identifies each of the Greek characters. Thus, the first time
a lower-case handwritten alpha appears in your manuscript you should identify
it in the margin as "lower-case Greek alpha." Note in the list of characters
that some Greek letters have two lower-case forms. Also note the similarity
between the capital psi, Y, and the lower-case form (unless you indicate
otherwise, we shall assume the lower-case form of psi is meant).
Boldface
Greek
Set boldface Greek characters as necessary in text files. A boldface Greek
alphabet is shown in the next section. Notice that the boldface form varies
from the lightface form.
Accented
Characters
Characters common to technical composition, such as overbarred characters,
are available as "one piece" in some typefaces; that is, the accent is
cast on the same type body as the letter itself. Less common accents must
be inserted over or under the letters. This involves tedious hand work.
If in your files you are using a combination of characters to simulate
an accented character not available in your font, you must provide a separate
key to those symbols so the correct characters can be substituted globally.
Special
Characters
If you must use a special character that has not appeared earlier in your
manuscript, identify it the first time you use it. If we cannot find just
what you want among the innumerable special characters that have already
been made, it may be necessary for us to have the matrix for the character
made to order, or we may ask for a substitute.
Spacing
Type operation signs, such as +, -, x, <, ³ with the equivalent of a single
space on each side. However, type or write negative or positive quantities
or terms "tight": ". . . as indicated by -x or +2." To indicate function
notation or coordinate points or to separate two or more characters by
punctuation, allow a single space after the punctuation:
the point (-4, 2)
or the case of f(x1, x2)
if we have D(a, b, c, ..., n)
Use
a single space before and after all abbreviations:
6
H2C, 9 ft 6 in., 16 amu
Use
a single space before and after integration and summation and capital
pi signs. Type limits tight at the immediate right of integration signs
and above and below summation and capital pi signs:
Use
a single space before and after all differential terms, whether they are
adjacent to other letter symbols or numerals, before or after parentheses
or other enclosing signs, or before or after fractions:
However,
when differentials appear as limits or as superscripts or subscripts,
type them tight.
Matrices
Type matrices with three spaces between columns. If the terms in any column
contain a varying number of characters, center the items in the column
on the widest member of the column. If operation signs appear with any
of the terms, use one space on each side of the signs unless negative
quantities are involved; in such cases type them tight. In an electronic
manuscript, use the table editor to create properly-aligned matrices.
When
we typemark columns of matrices, we normally use a space equal to the
width of the capital M in the type size being used (-em space) to separate
the columns. If any symbols precede or follow the matrix, center them
on the overall depth of the matrix. Include the punctuation that follows
the matrix if you have used punctuation for centered matter.
Short
Equations
If you consider two or more adjacent short equations important enough
to center, place them side by side and space them well apart. Set off
all but the last equation in each row with commas:
Whether
equations are short or long, if they must appear one below the other,
double-space them.
Superscripts
and Subscripts
Where both superscripts and subscripts appear next to the same symbol,
align them one above the other, unless you prefer that they be placed
out of alignment; in such a case the superscript always follows the subscript-except
prime marks, which precede the subscript.
Exponential
e and "exp"
The use of e is feasible if the argument of the exponential is short or
uncomplicated; if the argument is extensive or complex, the abbreviation
"exp" is the better choice. In particular, we suggest the use of "exp"
wherever more than one line appears in the argument, for example, where
a superscript to a superscript or a "built-up" fraction (a fraction other
than a simple numerical one) is used. Here are a few examples:
Punctuation
of Centered Equations and Formulas
We suggest that no punctuation be used after centered equations or formulas.
However, if you feel that such punctuation is necessary, use it consistently,
considering each equation or formula in its context, as illustrated in
the following examples:
The
following equation indicates that we have arrived at a solution:
X2-Y2+1=24c,
where
both X and Y are constant. We can find our solution by writing
X
- Y + 1 = 0.
Three
possibilities exist in this instance: X + 1 = c, X+ 2 = c, or X +
3 = c.
In
the last example note that short equations are placed side by side on
the same line to conserve space and that a comma is used after all but
the last equation. If you were omitting terminal punctuation, you would
still use the commas after all but the last in a series of short equations
on the same line.
Fractions:
Solidus vs. Built-up
Use the solidus (diagonal rule) fraction in text matter unless the fraction
is complex. Signs enclosing individual terms will prevent ambiguity in
many complex fractions and thus permit use of the solidus. Avoid built-up
fractions in the text, since they require the compositor's insertion of
spacing material above and below the line in which they appear in order
to support the built-up structure. Space between the lines detracts from
the readability and appearance of the material. By converting built-up
fractions to solidus fractions, we eliminate the problem. Note the ungainly
appearance of built-up fractions in running text:
. . . in Eq. (2-1) we indicated that was not part of the required
general solution,
which
would have to involve .
The
additional elimination of
,
is a consideration.
Solidus
fractions provide a more compact and attractive presentation:
. . . in Eq. (2-1) we indicated that x (dx/dy) was not part of the
required general solution, which would have to involve x - y (dx/dy)
- z1/2. The additional elimination of (dx/dy)(a2/b2) is a consideration.
In
centered expressions we recommend use of the built-up fraction throughout;
if you prefer the solidus fraction in centered matter, use enclosing signs
in the conventional order of { [ ( ) ] } where necessary.
Abbreviations
Be discreet in your use of abbreviations-use only those that are accepted
as standard in your field; even then, consider whether your reader will
be familiar with them. Define any abbreviation that might be confusing
if it were introduced without explanation. Here are a few specific rules
for the abbreviation of physical units:
- Abbreviate
when the unit is used with a number, except at the beginning of a sentence:
12 in. 4 V 2 oz 16 in-lb
Twenty pounds of lead . . .
- Use
the singular form for the abbreviation of both singular and plural quantities:
1 kg 1/2 f 1 cu yd 0.5 m
20 kg 23 ft 100 cu yd 605.5 m
- Spell
out approximations:
. . . about five centimeters.
. . . a thickness of several inches.
- In
general, omit the period after abbreviations. But note that the abbreviations
for atomic weight and inch are exceptions:
50 mph 6 ml 22 amp 6 in.
sin cos tan sec
co mm at. wt. 12 ft-lb
- Do
not use signs such as ' for feet, " for inches, # for number, or X for
"by" between dimensions, except in drawings, specifications, or tables:
12 ft not 12'
12 by 12 in not 12" X 12"
An exception is the use of the percent sign (%) in running text or centered
equations if its appearance is frequent in the manuscript, provided
it is preceded by a number or symbolic notation: 12 % H20, Y %.
- Abbreviate
figure, chapter, and equation if these are followed by numbers or letters;
do not abbreviate them if they begin a sentence:
Fig.
5-2 Chap. 5 Eqs. (5-1) and (5-2)
. . . in the first equation. Figure 5-2 shows how . . .
Compound
Abbreviations
If your text contains many references to compound units, the abbreviation
of units without numerical values is recommended. When you refer to compound
units, be consistent in the use of either the solidus or "per." Any of
the following ways of showing compound units is satisfactory as long as
the same form is used throughout:
.
. . is measured in cubic inches per foot per degree Kelvin.
. . . is measured in cu in. per ft per K.
. . . is measured in cu in./ft/K.
Greek
Alphabet
The
capital and lower-case forms of the Greek alphabet are shown in the following
table; the letters at the left in each column are capitals:

Boldface Greek
In the example below, we have omitted those letters that are similar to
English forms. Boldface Greek is different in appearance from lightface
Greek.
Footnotes
and Bibliography
One
last matter that we want to bring to your attention is the importance
of uniformity of style in your documentation of the text and in your presentation
of bibliographic material. The form for footnotes and the form for bibliography
should be clear, concise, complete, and consistent.
Illustrations
When
a book is to be illustrated, the author and the publisher are presented
with three important considerations: procurement, reproduction, and cost
of artwork. The selling price of a book is, in large part, determined by
its manufacturing cost. In determining which illustrations to use, a number
of facts should be considered. Will a particular illustration contribute
enough to the book to be worth the additional expense? If it will, it should
be used, but it should be worth the proverbial thousand words. Acquiring
a picture or drawing and photographing it for reproduction costs much more
than drawing the art yourself with graphics software or having type set
that will occupy the same space. Illustrations also add to the length of
the book and consequently increase the cost of paper, printing, and binding.
All
this is not meant to discourage illustration, but only to encourage careful
selection-a chart, a picture, a diagram may do the work of several pages
of description and also add greatly to the sales appeal of your book.
By all means, however, cut out illustrations that do not relate to the
text. Your book will have a greater chance of success without them.
Bear
in mind, incidentally, that today's books have a sophisticated, worldwide
audience. Try to draw upon people of all races and colors for your subjects.
Use illustrations representative of other parts of the world-not just
the United States-if they are otherwise suitable.
At
the time you start work on your manuscript, discuss with us the question
of whether your book requires illustrations and, if so, how extensively
they should be used and how they will be provided. Note, too, that other
books in the field may provide some guidance as to the nature and extent
of illustrations necessary or desirable.
Gathering
Illustrations
Once
it is determined that your book needs illustrations, the next questions
are: where do you find them and how do you choose them?
You,
of course, are the best judge of what is suitable illustration material
for your book-whether a photograph, a chart, a graph, or a drawing most
clearly expresses what you wish to convey in an instance. Our advice is
to start early and to explore your field and your sources thoroughly so
that your ultimate choices are as well considered as the words of your
manuscript. All too often, an illustration is chosen as an afterthought,
conveniently picked from a ready source or sketched in an offhand manner.
Again, we urge you to consult with us if you have any questions about
what would be suitable illustrative material.
Our
Art Department is always glad to suggest sources of artwork and to help
you judge the quality of the work done and the reasonableness of the fees
charged for it. In fact, if you are going to purchase artwork, YOU
MUST SUBMIT SAMPLES or other indications of what you propose to use
before spending time and money in obtaining what may be unsatisfactory
art. This is especially true if you are planning to draft the art yourself.
There is no way we can overemphasize the need for you to submit samples
before producing more than a handful of pieces of art. We need to discuss
the software program you are planning on using, as well as the different
ways of saving the files to make sure that they are usable.
If
you are planning on using art that is not new, possibly from a source
other than yourself, you must secure written permission from the source
to reproduce the illustration (see our section on permissions elsewhere
in this Guide). Be certain to supply a credit or courtesy line, however,
for all such illustrations, whether or not permission is required.
Preparing
Illustrations
Illustrations
in a book are one of three types. The first type is the line drawing,
which consists only of lines or of areas of solid black or white and areas
of shading consisting of uniform patterns of dots, squares or other lines.
Unshaded drawings, charts, and graphs are examples of line illustrations.
The second type is the halftone, which reproduces gradations of shading
or tone between black and white, found, for instance, in photographs.
A third type is a screen capture-very similar to the halftone in appearance.
These are captures of an image that is on your computer screen.
Line
Drawings
Artistic worth alone is not a sufficient criterion for judging whether
a line drawing is suitable for reproduction. The fine and feathery pencil
strokes of a Renaissance master may be impossible to reproduce by ordinary
printing methods. It is extremely important that an artist understand
how the materials and processes of mechanical production affect the preparation
of illustrations. Therefore, if you plan to have drawings prepared, be
sure to submit samples to your Production Manager for approval or criticism.
If you prefer, we will be glad to arrange for the services of a professional
artist who will render finished drawings from your detailed sketches.
We will submit one or two samples of finished artwork for your approval
before going ahead with the job, depending on the type and difficulty
of the art. As drawings are finished, we will send you copies for checking
before we release them for reproduction. These should be checked with
care to ensure that all details, labeling, and figure identifications
("Fig. 1-4") are correct. The copies must then be returned promptly with
any changes.
Preparing
Electronic Art
Line drawings can be prepared with a variety of illustration programs
including Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw, although there are plenty of
others on the market that are also good. Our preference is that you use
Adobe Illustrator. Some word-processing packages also have drawing packages
built into them that may be used. Make sure you check with us before you
draft more than a handful of illustrations. Provide printed and digital
samples for testing as arranged with your editor or production manager.
Supply 3-4 samples of each type of graphic. As you create your art, follow
these guidelines:
- All
figures should be proportional in size. Similar elements in different
drawings should be approximately the same size. Art sizes vary depending
on a book's trim size, so check with your editor for maximum width and
height guidelines.
- All
figures must be submitted final size. Check with your editor about your
type page, but your art should fit within a 5 x 8" space.
- All
type should be cap and lower case (sentence style), set in the same
typeface throughout. A sans serif typeface, such as Helvetica or Univers
is preferred. All type, including headings & callouts, must be 9 pt.,
final size. You MUST USE ADOBE PS fonts only. Do not boldface, italicize
or capitalize to accentuate type. If your art contains headings of varying
sizes, ask your editor or production manager for more customized instructions.
If your art labels are to be consistent with equations and text using
italics you should be consistent in style.
- Produce
figures in black and white only, unless otherwise specified. If your
black and white book uses 4-color screen captures, check to see that
the black and white image displays all the detail you need. Make sure
that you submit samples early so that the Art Production Manager can
advise you if you need to change your screen colors or save as grayscale.
- Use
simple fill patterns or 20% and 40% gray tints to show shading for black
and white books. Do not use tints darker than 40% or colored tints.
- Draw
rules 1/2 pt. or 1 pt. wide. Lines in graphs should be heavier than
outside lines. Style should be consistent throughout.
- Arrowheads
and leaders should be proportional in size with type, and should be
consistent throughout.
- Do
not include figure numbers or other identifying information in the illustrations,
but use this information when naming the files. Name the files with
the actual figure number and use the appropriate extension (i.e., Fig_2-3.eps).
- Carefully
proofread art for consistency and typographical errors.
- Save
final files as EPS (Encapsulated PostScript), TIFF, or PICT. TIF & PICT
formats are bitmapped and okay for screen shots, but you may not be
happy with the quality for line art. For that reason, we prefer to work
with EPS files (except in the case of screen shots-which should be saved
as tiff, bmp, gif, or pict. Send us the application files as well as
the EPS files. We may need to make changes to art, and for that we must
have the original art files in a program we can work with (such as Adobe
Illustrator, Aldus Freehand, CorelDraw, or Canvas).
Preparing
Art Disks
Prepare each piece of art as a separate document. Identify each figure
by following a consistent file-naming convention, such as Fig. 1-1, Fig.
1-2.
If
you integrate art with text in a page-makeup program, you will need to
also supply us with the original art files separately, especially if the
art was created with a different program. For example, if art is created
with Adobe Illustrator and EPS files imported into Quark XPress or FrameMaker,
we will need the Illustrator files as well as the Quark and Frame documents.
When
art is included with text in FrameMaker files, be sure that the art is
in an anchored frame, anchored in the correct position in the text. Otherwise,
even minor reformatting may cause the illustration to be separated from
the appropriate text. FrameMaker will allow art frames to overlap text
frames and vice versa. Be especially careful about the placement of frames
to one side of text copy, since reformatting may cause overlaps or leave
gaps.
Avoid
using file-compressing software, unless you can also provide us with the
means to decompress your files.
Unless
you are providing us with "camera ready" files, keep the art on disks
separate from those containing text files. Label each disk with the author's
name, title of book, hardware and software (include version), all typefaces
used (for example, you might use Helvetica for type and Symbol for Greek
characters or math symbols), and the format files are saved in. Or include
all the information but for the author, title, and hardware on a readme
file on the disk.
Include
a printout of each piece of art with the following information written
on it: author's name, title of book, figure number, hardware and software
(with version number).
Don't
use TrueType. You MUST USE ADOBE PS fonts only.
Halftones
A satisfactory halftone can be made from an original photograph, wash
drawing, airbrush drawing, or slide and sometimes from another printed
picture. A halftone simulates the gradations of tone in a photograph.
The
method of reproducing this type of art also makes it inevitable that some
of the detail of the original will be lost. Therefore it is important
that the original copy be the best you can find. Select clear, sharp,
glossy photographs with good tonal contrast. Be sure that details are
as distinct as the larger elements of the picture. Avoid dull or matte
finish prints, which are harder to reproduce satisfactorily.
Select
your pictures with an eye to composition and dramatic emphasis on important
details; a good picture tells a story and elicits a response from the
reader. Study each picture carefully to determine whether cropping-eliminating
unimportant parts at the top, bottom, or sides of a picture-would improve
its effectiveness. Indicate lightly the areas to be cropped on a tissue
overlay on the illustration; never mark the photograph or artwork itself
or cut it to size.
If
any lettering, arrows, or numbers are to be added to the face of the photograph
or if any special instructions should accompany it, indicate them on a
tissue overlay. Never make any mark on the face of the photograph itself.
Write the figure number in the margin of the picture, or if there is no
room, very lightly on the back. Even the slightest dent marks from the
back will show through onto the surface of the print and will appear in
the reproduction, as will smudges, cracks, and scratches caused by careless
handling. Do not mount photographs and never paste, clip, or otherwise
insert them in the manuscript or use clips to fasten them together-the
mark of a paper clip can ruin a photograph.
Capturing
Screenshots using HiJaak
HiJaak is one of the most popular programs for capturing screen shots.
The guidelines here are specific to this piece of software, however, most
of the others work in a very similar fashion. If you have another program,
please save a few images and send them in for testing by our production
department.
- Keep
in mind that all screen shots should be captured at the same size so
that we have a uniform and consistent look throughout your book.
- Capture
screen images at same size-100% only.
- Select
grayscale or B&W mode. Use Index or RGB color for color files (or if
you cannot change the setting to grayscale or B&W). In the Windows control
panel be sure to specify the color setting of screen capture as blue
or the Windows default. If other colors are selected, moire patterns
may develop.
- Select
72 dpi for resolution-it is important that you do not change this setting
or it will affect the physical size of the screen.
- Select
file format of pict, tiff, bmp, or eps.
- Do
not change any size settings- the art will be sized during page makeup.
Figure
Numbers and Captions
Number the illustrations with Arabic figures consecutively throughout
each chapter, using the compound system described earlier in this Guide.
It is best to include in a single sequence all the types of illustrations
photographs, line drawings, graphs, charts, and screen captures.
Some
books require no figure numbers for the illustrations, but even then a
temporary number should be assigned to each of them and keyed into the
manuscript to enable the production editor to identify the illustrations
and place them correctly if you are not already doing so yourself.
If,
as you are keyboarding the manuscript and if we are to make pages later,
you know where the figures are to go, type, for instance, (((Fig. 3-4
here))) on the proper page on a separate line, centered from left to right.
Otherwise, when the typing is completed, make a marginal note (circled)
on the manuscript page to show where each illustration is to be placed.
Generate
a list of captions for each chapter and place the list at the end of each
chapter file, identifying captions by figure number or temporary identification
number and including any necessary credits. Be sure that spelling, symbols,
capitalization, and so forth, are consistent with the style used in the
text. This, of course, if we are making final pages here.
Revisions
The terms
revision and new edition are interchangeable as we use them; our practice
is to call the first revision the "second edition," the second revision
the "third edition," and so on. A revision usually requires a major overhauling
of the book to reflect advances in research and theory. Consequently, the
type-or much of it-must be reset.
Your
editor will notify you when your book requires revision and will advise
you when the manuscript must be completed to meet a proposed tentative
publication date.
Once
a revision is decided upon, as much care should go into it as went into
the original edition. In general, the length of revision should not exceed
that of the previous edition. A longer book manufactured at a cost far
higher than that of the previous edition may be very difficult or impossible
to price competitively.
Preparing
the Manuscript
Before
you start work, we will send you the review file on your book-comments
and criticisms on the strengths and weakness of the text and recommendations
for improving it. Study these carefully; they may be helpful in preparing
your copy. It is a good idea, too, to study all recent competing books-not
with the idea of imitating them in form or content, but merely to make
sure that your book compares favorably on all important points. With the
review file we will send you two copies of your book, as well as electronic
files when and if possible, so that you may make changes directly in the
files.
We
suggest that you work directly in the files as much as possible. Make
all your changes without regard to formatting issues. Focus on the new
content. If pages are to be made by Prentice Hall, we will worry about
the formatting later, just as we did for the first edition. Follow the
same procedures as in the first edition of your book. When you are ready
to submit your files to us, make sure that you also submit 2 copies of
complete, up-to-date, and accurate files. If you need to make any changes
after that stage, mark them on the hard copy. The files must match the
hard copy (before you handwrite anything in the margins).
You
MUST SPEAK with your editor to decide the best way to proceed with
the revision in terms of manuscript preparation. If it makes sense, we
prefer to work electronically. However, some of our legacy material is
not available electronically. If you originally provided your book as
a finished electronic file or if we made pages using a desktop program
(in Microsoft Word, Quark Xpress, FrameMaker, LaTeX, or another page-makeup
program, for example) it will be easier for you to do the revisions to
the file yourself and submit the new file for the next edition.
If
you did not originally submit an electronic file, but you now have the
ability to produce a book electronically, speak to your editor about the
possibility of getting the electronic files of your book to revise electronically
yourself. We may have produced the book utilizing a desktop system ourselves
or we may be able to provide you with ascii files that will minimize the
need to re-key everything.
Checking
the Manuscript
Give
the manuscript a complete and careful reading, paying particular attention
to the following points:
- Make
sure there are no awkward breaks, no difference in style or method of
treatment between old and new matter.
- Watch
out for "dated" references in the original material ("recently," "a
few years ago") to people, places, or events.
- Bring
tables up to date.
- Delete
ancient references in footnotes or supplement them with later material;
change "ibid" references that are no longer applicable.
- Revise
all bibliographies rigorously, weeding out obsolete and out-of-print
titles (unless they are indispensable references that have not been
superseded) and adding new books and the latest editions of old ones.
- Check
the presence and numbering of all tables, illustrations, footnotes,
equations, and other items numbered in sequence, particularly where
changes have been made in their order and number; verify all cross references
to them.
- Delete
page cross references ("see page 68") and substitute "see page 00" so
that the necessity of supplying a corrected reference will be called
to your attention in page proof, if your references are not tagged in
your files.
- Make
sure that all last-minute changes and substitutions are reflected in
the table of contents and in the lists of tables and illustrations.
- Assemble
new illustrations and the original art for the illustrations being picked
up from the previous edition. Provide a new file containing captions
for the new illustrations; indicate in the manuscript any changes in
figure numbers or captions for old figures. If you are supplying new
electronic art files, be sure to include the application file for each
figure as well as an EPS version of each.
When
your manuscript is complete, make two copies. Send the original to us
and keep the copy for your records.
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