The Producers
Further annals from the Comma Mines and the Textbook Mills.
First, via matociquala, a wonderful de-mystification of publishing, from someone who Knows.
Be polite to everyone.
Publishing is complicated. I am not going to try to give you a complete and holistic view right now. That would take an entire book, seriously. And I am still learning. As I said above, most people in publishing aren't very good at understanding what other departments do. That's why there are a lot of publicity assistants and not a lot of publishers.
What you need to know is that all the departments come together to help sell your book.
alg=endeared herself to me forever with this, about my current abode-the production department.
"Holy viggo. Where do I start? Production is another department that tends to get a bad rep -- and it's really easy for an editor or writer to blame stuff on the production department that really isn't their fault. Production handles making the book. Production organizes the schedule on which the book is produced, organizes getting the book copyedited, typeset, proofread, designed. Production organizes getting the map made and the cover proofread and makes sure the book doesn't cost too much to make. Seriously. Production does a hell of a lot behind the scenes that writers don't get to know about.
And here is something I bet you don't know (unless you work in publishing): the production department gets yelled at a lot, especially for stuff that isn't their fault at all. Production gets yelled at when a copyeditor is late, when a proofreader has an off day and misses some spelling errors, when the printer runs out of paper, when the paper costs more than we expected -- I mean, you name it and the production department has probably gotten yelled at about it.
There's more. It's awesomely wonderful. Go read.
After I read this, I the following conversation seemed especially germane:
sabotabby: You know what else I love?
Zingerella: Chocolate?
Knee socks?
sabotabby: That too.
And those.
Zingerella: Eggplant?
Kittens?
sabotabby: More than life itself.
Zingerella: Snarky hog guys?
Zingerella: sorry, that was hot guys.
sabotabby: Sometimes.
But what I really love? Proofreaders who write "font size" and don't specify what size they want.
Zingerella: No, I don't love that at all. You may be kinky.
sabotabby: It's masochism.
Zingerella: Definitely kinky.
sabotabby So I have to unplug myself from my blissful union with Billy Bragg's music to waddle over and ask her what font she'd like. And I like Billy Bragg more than proofreaders.
POUT!
Zingerella: Well, you could IM her and throw something at her so's she'd notice.
sabotabby: Indeed, I could! I think I figured it out, anyway. I think I should just give her a surprise font.
Zingerella: *giggle* 9-pt.
sabotabby: 6 pt blackface.
Zingerella: Except she said only to change the size not the font, didn't she?
sabotabby: True. 24-point!
That'd look awesome as a C-head.
Zingerella: Teh kewl.
Sent at 11:05 AM on Wednesday
Zingerella: You know what I really love?
sabotabby: Dancing?
Zingerella: Yes.
sabotabby: Ice cream?
Zingerella: Sometimes. Not when it's chicken-liver-flavoured.
sabotabby: Really good chocolate?
Zingerella: YES!
sabotabby: Tanglefoot?
Zingerella: Every single one of them, past, present, and future.
Zingerella: But also proofreaders who mark eth-nic as a bad break, and leave major inconsistencies in the headers.
sabotabby: Oh, those are SWELL
Zingerella: So much so. Swell like misused apostrophe's.
sabotabby: Swell like random inserts.
Zingerella: Especially the kind for which nobody has secured permission.
sabotabby: My head hurts.
Zingerella: I'm sorry.
Update
Sent at 1:48 PM on Wednesday
sabotabby: I love having large blocks of text moved around in layout!
Zingerella: I love proofing third-pass onscreen from second-pass proofs also proofed onscreen!
When I have only one screen!
sabotabby: Yay!
Zingerella: Huzzah!
OH god I need a drink.
sabotabby: What?!
[Remember, I don't drink anything stronger than cappuccino]
First, via matociquala, a wonderful de-mystification of publishing, from someone who Knows.
Be polite to everyone.
Publishing is complicated. I am not going to try to give you a complete and holistic view right now. That would take an entire book, seriously. And I am still learning. As I said above, most people in publishing aren't very good at understanding what other departments do. That's why there are a lot of publicity assistants and not a lot of publishers.
What you need to know is that all the departments come together to help sell your book.
alg=endeared herself to me forever with this, about my current abode-the production department.
"Holy viggo. Where do I start? Production is another department that tends to get a bad rep -- and it's really easy for an editor or writer to blame stuff on the production department that really isn't their fault. Production handles making the book. Production organizes the schedule on which the book is produced, organizes getting the book copyedited, typeset, proofread, designed. Production organizes getting the map made and the cover proofread and makes sure the book doesn't cost too much to make. Seriously. Production does a hell of a lot behind the scenes that writers don't get to know about.
And here is something I bet you don't know (unless you work in publishing): the production department gets yelled at a lot, especially for stuff that isn't their fault at all. Production gets yelled at when a copyeditor is late, when a proofreader has an off day and misses some spelling errors, when the printer runs out of paper, when the paper costs more than we expected -- I mean, you name it and the production department has probably gotten yelled at about it.
There's more. It's awesomely wonderful. Go read.
After I read this, I the following conversation seemed especially germane:
sabotabby: You know what else I love?
Zingerella: Chocolate?
Knee socks?
sabotabby: That too.
And those.
Zingerella: Eggplant?
Kittens?
sabotabby: More than life itself.
Zingerella: Snarky hog guys?
Zingerella: sorry, that was hot guys.
sabotabby: Sometimes.
But what I really love? Proofreaders who write "font size" and don't specify what size they want.
Zingerella: No, I don't love that at all. You may be kinky.
sabotabby: It's masochism.
Zingerella: Definitely kinky.
sabotabby So I have to unplug myself from my blissful union with Billy Bragg's music to waddle over and ask her what font she'd like. And I like Billy Bragg more than proofreaders.
POUT!
Zingerella: Well, you could IM her and throw something at her so's she'd notice.
sabotabby: Indeed, I could! I think I figured it out, anyway. I think I should just give her a surprise font.
Zingerella: *giggle* 9-pt.
sabotabby: 6 pt blackface.
Zingerella: Except she said only to change the size not the font, didn't she?
sabotabby: True. 24-point!
That'd look awesome as a C-head.
Zingerella: Teh kewl.
Sent at 11:05 AM on Wednesday
Zingerella: You know what I really love?
sabotabby: Dancing?
Zingerella: Yes.
sabotabby: Ice cream?
Zingerella: Sometimes. Not when it's chicken-liver-flavoured.
sabotabby: Really good chocolate?
Zingerella: YES!
sabotabby: Tanglefoot?
Zingerella: Every single one of them, past, present, and future.
Zingerella: But also proofreaders who mark eth-nic as a bad break, and leave major inconsistencies in the headers.
sabotabby: Oh, those are SWELL
Zingerella: So much so. Swell like misused apostrophe's.
sabotabby: Swell like random inserts.
Zingerella: Especially the kind for which nobody has secured permission.
sabotabby: My head hurts.
Zingerella: I'm sorry.
Update
Sent at 1:48 PM on Wednesday
sabotabby: I love having large blocks of text moved around in layout!
Zingerella: I love proofing third-pass onscreen from second-pass proofs also proofed onscreen!
When I have only one screen!
sabotabby: Yay!
Zingerella: Huzzah!
OH god I need a drink.
sabotabby: What?!
[Remember, I don't drink anything stronger than cappuccino]