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The status and level of professional development in the book sector is determined by the level of development The processes of the main components in a book chain and their interaction. This depends on the availability and professional skills of skilled people and the professional quality of the various operations of publishing undertaken in taking a book from a manuscript to its final form and to the reader. |
In this chapter, the process of publishing and the elements and professional skills that make up this process are reviewed. Before a printed book reaches a reader, it will have passed through four different phases.
Phase 1. Identification of viable projects (publisher); development of manuscripts (writing, editing, gathering illustrative material, copy editing, corrections and approval of complete text).
Phase 2. Design (graphic, illustration and book design); commissioning of additional illustrative material; checking layout; mock-up; pre-press.
Phase 3. Production (printing, binding, packaging).
Phase 4. Storage, marketing, sales and distribution.
In any publishing process, the first phase is to identify and develop viable projects. A publisher needs to determine what to publish, the markets in which to sell and what trade terms to offer. Before it is decided to publish a manuscript, a publishing budget is drawn up. This will include development costs, manufacturing costs and marketing costs. It is at this stage that the extent of the book (number of pages), the amount of colour to be used and the print run are estimated. Other details that could usefully be considered at this stage are the number of illustrations, the type of paper to be used for the text, the type of card for the cover and the binding. If the book is to be sold (rather than distributed free, for example), market research will indicate the appropriate recommended retail price (RRP), and discounts for wholesale and bulk sales will need to be calculated.
When a decision about what to publish has been made, the development process begins. First, a brief is drawn up and distributed to potential writers. According to their responses, a writer (or, sometimes, writers) is identified who is most likely to fulfil the requirements of the brief. This person will have very well developed writing skills and an understanding of the audience by whom the book is designed to be read. In addition, he or she will have a reputation for meeting deadlines and for being able to accommodate corrections once editing begins. Alternatively, an author may offer the publisher a manuscript which meets an already identified need. The writer is then commissioned and a contract, detailing the obligations of both parties and schedules for delivery and payments, is signed.
It is increasingly likely that any publishing project will involve computers at the word processing, design and printing stages. An overall issue that needs to be addressed in the planning stages of any project is the compatibility of the software to be used by the writer, designer, publishing company and printer. It is particularly important that consideration be given to the way information presented as graphs and tables is to be transferred on disk from one system to another.
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On receipt of the first draft, the text is edited. While it is expected that the writer will have provided factually correct information, this will need to be checked. The editor will also consider the overall structure of the manuscript and, bearing in mind its intended purpose, adjust the presentation of the text for clarity and readability. The editor will also provide an illustration brief for the designer. Some of the illustrative material will already have been gathered; other material may need to be commissioned from illustrators or photographers. The text then goes to the copy editor who ensures that the text is internally consistent in spelling and style. The copy-editor marks the text for the designer, indicating chapter headings, sub-headings and other textual requirements.
The second phase is the design phase. The editor meets the designer for preliminary discussions on the design and layout (format, typefaces, illustrations, use of colour). It is important at this stage for the designer to be clearly informed about the contents of the original brief, as any divergence from it may result in large cost overruns. The art director, or art editor, commissions typesetters/layout artists and illustrators (if needed) and sets about fulfilling the design brief. The layout is corrected by the editor (and sometimes the author) at rough and final mock-up stages, and signed off before it goes to the printer.
The third phase is production. If production is not to be done in-house, quotations for printing should be obtained and contracts agreed at the time when the editor and the designer discuss a preliminary design. A first set of proofs will be provided by the printer and corrections of any outright errors to text or layout will be made. No editing should occur at this stage. A final set of proofs will then be seen and the project approved for print. A printer's first printed copy is approved before the actual printing can begin. Once the text has been printed, the pages are cut to size, collated, bound, trimmed and, finally, packaged.
The fourth phase deals with storage, distribution, promotion and sale of publications. This is often regarded as the least interesting part of publishing, but without a well-planned and smooth system for distribution and sale, the book will not reach the readers and the financial basis for the whole operation will collapse. Distribution is a highly complex matter which requires careful management, trained staff and attention to detail.
The cost of distribution is a significant part of the total cost of anyon costs, depending on the number of books to be distributed and the cost of transportation, which can vary greatly. Control of these costs is essential to any publishing operation.
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However advanced the production technologies used, many skills are needed to produce good quality publications economically.
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Publishers and managers, accountants and clerical staff, authors, editors, copy editors, typesetters/typists and layout artists, graphic designers, artists, printing managers, printing technicians, collators and binders, warehouse personnel and sales personnel all bring specific skills to publishing which are important for success.
The organization of the various departments and their contribution to the operation of the publishing house can be found in Figure 6. In small publishing houses, several publishing enterprise and it is an important factor in determining the price of a book. The cost of distribution is made up of expenditure on staff, premises, equipment and transportation. Different unit costs apply to distribution: cost per book, cost per order and cost per consignment. Books with different distribution patterns have different distribution of these functions are often carried out by the same person, but in large publishing houses, some departments may be subdivided into specialized operational activities. The main functions of publishing and distribution within the organizational structure are required whether the publisher is a one-person operation or a multinational enterprise. Figure 7 provides a clear illustration of the editorial department at work.
Whatever the size of the enterprise, it is of vital importance not to underestimate the particular skills and professional competence required for each of the many publishing tasks.
Summary
Publishing capacity is determined by:
Production capacity is determined by:
The market for books is determined by two rather different components: market potential and facilities for book storage, distribution and sale.
These might include:
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