Monday, April 8, 2013

It Takes a Team

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm talking about the people it takes to bring a book from rough manuscript to published work of brilliance. Yup, that's right, your publishing team.

We all have folks we love to use for certain things. But how many people does it take to create a book? Let's have some fun and take a look inside this publishing madhouse, shall we?
  • Writer. Without the writer, what's the point? They're the real powerhouses behind all that wonderful literature you consume. Their imaginations open up and drag you, kicking and screaming, into a whole new world.
  • Editor. This is the person the writer should be buddies with. Not cappuccino drinking, dress shopping, book swapping buddies; but someone you get along with that you know has a staunch work ethic along with a firm grasp of the English language and the building blocks that make an excellent book. Like the ladies over at INDIE Books Gone Wild, eh?
  • Proofreader. Someone else who can catch all those niggling little errors that throw readers out of the story. A misplaced comma, period, misused word, or errant thought thrown into a paragraph where it doesn't belong.
  • Cover Designer. Your brilliance in art. Someone who can bring your story into an image that's compelling. They should also have a strong grasp of the art of Typography. This is your book's face. It should be clean and have the makeup applied properly.
  • Book Formatting Guru. We all need one of these hanging around. Someone who makes us look good in print or on an e-reader.
  • Sales Platform. This is the company that sells copies of your book and keeps part of the profit. We don't like them much, but they're a necessary evil and we all have a favorite one.
Yes, it takes a team to publish a book. Who's on your team?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

5 comments:

  1. Do you use a different proofreader than editor? I have beta readers and an editor, but I never hired someone exclusively as a proofreader.

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    1. I do. That's part of why I built INDIE Books Gone Wild. Proofreading is built into the cost of the edit. You always have a fresh pair of eyes taking a look. I think, after two rounds of edits, both the writer and the editor are too close to the work to notice the small things. Thanks for the comment and question, Heather! :)

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  2. So glad you are on my team, and I look forward to seeing IBGW grow.

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  3. On my team is my husband who did the cover design. I also have a friend who was a teacher and she did the final proof check. My daughter was my inspiration.

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