24 weeks to a finished book

Most new Editions authors can guess what is entailed in the first part of the book publishing process: write, write, revise, revise, feedback from editor, revise, revise, final draft of manuscript ready for production. But what exactly does “production” mean? Workflow differs from one publishing house to the next, but here’s the ideal flow here at Editions:

Weeks 1-2: Acquisitions editor reviews and organizes manuscript files, creates ancillary informational materials, and transmits project to the managing editor

Weeks 3-4: Managing editor reviews manuscript and prepares manuscript files for copy editor; assigns copy editor; writes up manuscript-specific instructions for editing

Weeks 5-7: Copyediting; creation of interior design template

Weeks 8-9: Author(s) review and approve copyediting

Week 10: Copy editor updates files, incorporating final revisions from author(s); returns final manuscript to managing editor

Week 11: Managing editor reviews copy editor’s work; prepares files for typesetting

Weeks 12-14: In-house designer/compositor typesets book

Weeks 15-16: “First pass” proofs sent to professional proofreader; simultaneously sent to professional indexer for indexing and to author(s) for final review

Week 17: Proof corrections entered; “second pass” proofs generated

Week 18: Second pass proofs reviewed in-house and corrected; “third pass” proofs generated

Week 19: Third pass approved (in-house) for printing; final files sent to printer

Weeks 20-24: Printing, binding, and delivery to warehouse

Note that I said “ideal flow.” Projects can bottleneck; authors, editors, or other staff members have vacations or life issues, etc.; conferences happen. So we try to allow 32 weeks in our original scheduling. But more often than not, we hit the six-month mark.

I hope this gives you a bit of insight into why book production takes “so long.” Is it really such a long time, given the amount of quality assurance that enters into the process? Which step would you give up in favor of speed of delivery?

“Faster, better, cheaper—pick any two.” I’m not sure who said that first, but it’s certainly true in book publishing.