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McGraw-Hill Authors
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Language: English
A FEW SUGGESTIONS TO
McGRAW-HILL AUTHORS
DETAILS OF MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION,
TYPOGRAPHY, PROOF-READING AND
OTHER MATTERS INVOLVED IN
THE PRODUCTION OF
MANUSCRIPTS AND
BOOKS
MCGRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY, INC.
NEW YORK: 370 SEVENTH AVENUE
LONDON: 6 & 8 BOUVERIE ST., E. C. 4
1922
From the beginning we adopted the slogan, Better Books in Text and
Manufacture. It was evident to the men who had brought the leading
technical journals of the country from comparative insignificance to
positions of influence that there was need of a new technical literature—a
literature for classroom and reference which should adequately supplement
their periodicals.
Our first efforts were largely in the field of engineering, but presently we
set new goals for ourselves. By processes which seemed natural to us, we
have extended our publishing not only into the fields of chemistry, physics,
mathematics and English, with a view always of supplying better
fundamental textbooks for students, but also into the fields of agriculture,
business administration and economics. Similarly our range of publishing
has broadened from the somewhat restricted field of applied science, to
include numerous works of high standard dealing with pure science.
In all these fields the aim has been, not only to produce a better grade of
text and reference book, but to put behind each book a selling organization
so competent that the maximum market, both in this country and abroad,
would be reached. Without this the possibility of persuading important men,
in all branches of science, to produce textbooks seemed futile, for the
author's return must always be in proportion to the distribution.
From these journals we draw both editorial guidance and marketing power.
They are the "natural resources" which simplified the problems of our early
years and made possible our rapid development and growth, until today, by
the application of the same editorial standards and marketing methods, in
broader fields, we are able to offer to the author of technical books a highly
developed machinery of publication and distribution.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
I. UNIFORMITY AND STANDARDS 1
II. PREPARING THE MANUSCRIPT 3
Typing—Numbering the Pages—
Copy for Footnotes—Copy for
Illustrations—Subdividing the Text
—Some Details of Typography—
Bibliographies—Tables of Contents
—Indexes—Some Details of Style
—Copyright Infringements—
Shipping the Manuscript.
III. ILLUSTRATIONS 10
Line Drawings—Halftone
Illustrations—Wax Cuts—In
General—The Number of
Illustrations.
IV. MANUFACTURING THE BOOK 14
Sample Galleys—Galley Proofs—
Page Proofs—Answering Queries—
Proof-reading—Author's
Corrections.
V. WHEN THE BOOK IS PUBLISHED 19
Marketing a Book—Corrections and
Revisions—Translations—Prompt
Publication.
A FEW SUGGESTIONS TO
McGRAW-HILL AUTHORS
I
Let it be understood, first of all, that these are suggestions, not rules.
Although we endeavor to maintain high standards, we do not insist upon
uniformity of style or consistency throughout the books in our widely
diversified list. The editor of a periodical or the proceedings of a society
properly insists upon uniformity, generally issues a style sheet to guide his
contributors, and edits all manuscript to fixed standards. But since our
books cover nearly all branches of science, we feel that absolute uniformity
would accomplish no good purpose.
A carbon copy should invariably be made and retained by the author, both
for his reference and to protect him against possible loss of the original. The
original or ribbon copy should be sent to the publisher.
1: This footnote is to show the size of type (8 point) which we generally use for
footnotes. Incidentally this booklet is set up in 10 point, and in the general
typographical style of our reference and textbooks, as distinguished from handbooks.
The dimensions of the type page and the trimmed size of the page are those we
usually adopt for the standard 6×9-inch book.
Some of our editors strongly recommend that every chapter should begin
with an uncaptioned introductory paragraph to avoid the bald-headed
appearance that results if a chapter begins immediately with a bold-face
caption.
If a text is designed for one of the numerous series which we publish, the
author should consult the editor of the series for his preference in this and
similar matters.
For chapters and tables roman numerals should be used; for all other series,
arabic.
Excerpts from the works of other authors (when they are more than a phrase
or sentence), problems, examples and test questions are generally set in
smaller type than the body of the text itself. Accordingly they should be
clearly marked.
Bibliographies.—Bibliographic references by footnotes serve in most
books. Bibliographies of greater extent should be arranged alphabetically at
the end of each chapter of the book, or numbered serially and referred to by
numbers in the text. The custom is to print the titles of books in roman and
the titles of periodicals in italics. Abbreviations should conform to the well-
established style sheets of technical societies. We recommend particularly
the abbreviations of:
The extent of the bibliography will vary, of course, with the nature of the
subject and the treatment. The tendency to-day appears to be toward rather
excessive bibliographies, which do not seem to us generally to be justified.
For a simple rule, we recommend "bibliographies of easily accessible
sources."
The publisher and the author did not think well enough of this book to
supply it with a suitable index. We feel, therefore, that it is hardly
worthy of a review in our columns.
A good index is one which enables the reader or student to locate readily
the subject or item which he seeks. It is usually best for an author to make
his own index. A professional indexer is inclined to overload an index; the
author, with his knowledge of the subject and a little study, will generally
produce a better working index.
Our usual style of index is two columns to the page, set in 8-point type,
with not more than two indentions. The following example shows the use of
the single and double indentions:
INDEX
A B
Acetylene starters, 263 Battery, effect of overcharging, 245
Air cooling, 125 overfilling,
valve, 425 257
auxiliary, undercharging,
72 245
dashpot, freezing temperature of,
74 250
Alcohol, heating value, 70 ignition systems, 159
use in radiator, 128 care of, 186
Alignment of wheels, 421 timing, 185
Alternating current generator, jars and covers, 242
simple, 280 markings, 244
Ammeter, method of connecting, necessity of pure water in,
133 247
operation of, 337 operation of, 245
Ampere, definition of, 132 rundown, causes, 260
Anti-friction bearings, 364 sediment, 260
Armature type magneto, 191 specific gravity, change
Arm, torque, 400 in, 247
Atwater-Kent ignition systems, sulphation, 256
163, 167 testing with hydrometer,
247, 248
with
voltmeter, 255
voltage, 244
All of these technical societies have not only worked out their style sheets
with care, but they have, in general, accustomed their numerous members to
the details of these style sheets.
The copyright law and the penalties for infringement of copyright are
drastic, but the decisions which have been rendered in cases that have gone
to trial do not furnish any particularly safe guide.
In our experience the safest guide is a simple rule of courtesy. Neither the
author nor the publisher of a work will refuse any reasonable request,
though he may greatly resent borrowing without the courtesy of a request. It
is safer, therefore, to obtain permission from author or publisher before
borrowing from another work.
ILLUSTRATIONS
In technical work such as ours the illustrations are of two classes: (1) line
drawings; (2) photographic or halftone illustrations.
Manufacturers' cuts can sometimes be used when the nature of the text calls
for them. If possible the manufacturer should be asked to supply the original
photograph or drawing. If this is not available, then the original cut—not an
electrotype—should be secured. Electrotypes can often be used, but the
results are not of the standard which we like to maintain.
Folded plates and charts should be avoided as far as possible, not only
because they involve an unreasonable expense, but because American
readers, at least, do not like them. Furthermore any considerable number of
inserted charts weakens the binding of the book.
Color plates and maps in color are prohibitively expensive for most technical
books, but systems of shading and cross-hatching can be employed as a
substitute for colors in many forms of illustration.
The Number of Illustrations.—The cost of engravings of all types has
risen out of all proportion to the costs of other details of book manufacture,
and there is no present prospect of a reduction in the scale of prices. This
proves to be especially burdensome to the publishers of technical and
scientific books where the texts generally contain a large number of
illustrations. Accordingly we ask authors to consider carefully the
possibilities of reducing the number of illustrations. In books of the character
of ours illustrations are essential, and wherever they aid the reader in
grasping the subject or are essential to the understanding of the subject, they
cannot be eliminated. But we do not believe in illustrations that are merely
"pictures" and are not essential to the understanding of the text. Wherever
they can be dispensed with, without injury to the text, they should be
eliminated in order that the retail price of the book may be kept within
reasonable limits.
IV
When the author has looked over these first galleys, not with the idea of
proof-reading but of determining upon the style, we instruct the printer to
proceed with the typesetting.
Galley proofs should be read with extreme care, and wherever possible the
author should call in some associate or assistant to read them as well, for it
is our experience that the author who has spent a great deal of time in the
preparation of a manuscript often reads with his memory rather than his
eyes and passes the most obvious errors.
When the author returns the galleys with his corrections marked thereon, he
should at the same time return the original manuscript. At this time also
figure numbers and captions should be added to the illustrations, and an
indication should be made by number in the margin of the galleys of the
approximate location of the illustrations.
Illustrations are inserted in the pages by the printer as near the point of
reference as the limitations of make-up will permit. If, as happens in rare
cases, an illustration must be inserted in a given paragraph, this should be
clearly indicated on the galley proof.
Page Proofs.—The printer then proceeds to make the book up into pages,
and duplicate page proofs are forwarded to the author. These again should
be read carefully to make sure that all corrections which were indicated in
the galleys have been properly made, and returned to us for final casting
into plates. Changes, and additions other than typographical corrections,
which involve the overrunning and rearranging of lines or pages, often
mean the remake-up of many pages of type and an expense that is usually
out of all proportion to the good accomplished. Corrections and changes
should, therefore, always be made in the galley proofs, to avoid the difficult
question of author's corrections, which is discussed on page 18.
The duplicate set of page proofs should be retained by the author for use in
preparing his index, in order that the copy for the index may be forwarded
as soon after the final shipment of page proofs as possible.
A CORRECTED PROOF-SHEET
Author's Corrections.—No problem in the publishing of technical
books gives the publisher and the author more trouble than the question of
author's corrections. The term "author's corrections" covers, technically,
changes made in content, arrangement or typographical style, or additions
to the manuscript, after the type has been set.
The publisher, to protect himself against the author who practically rewrites
his manuscript after it has been set up in type, usually provides in his
contract that corrections in excess of a certain percentage of the cost of
composition shall be charged to and paid for by the author. The printer
makes a careful distinction between printer's corrections and author's
corrections. Corrections marked in galley and page proofs of a book where
the printer has not followed copy are printer's corrections. Author's
corrections are changes and additions made in the proof. Obviously, where
these changes make a distinct improvement in the text—that is, a better
book—the publisher takes a sympathetic attitude; but when the item of
author's corrections runs to a total of twenty-five or fifty per cent or more of
the cost of setting up the book, there is clear indication that the author did
not complete his book in the manuscript but in the proof.
For a general rule it should be kept in mind that corrections in the galley
proofs cost much less than corrections in the page proofs where remake-up
of pages involving a large expense may result from the addition of a single
line, or even a few words. But it is most important of all for the author to
realize that every correction made after the manuscript has been set up in
type is time-consuming and expensive, and that such delay and expense are
reduced to a minimum when the author submits a clean, carefully prepared
manuscript which embodies his final judgment of content and style.
V
Within a short period after the author returns the proofs of the index, the book is ready for publication. The
author's work is then practically done.
Immediately upon the arrival of the bound books from the bindery, the publisher places the work upon the
market, copyrights it in this country and abroad, and undertakes campaigns for its distribution.
This section of the Suggestions is intended to show the author how he can help in this work and to answer
certain questions which are asked constantly.
Marketing a Book.—We take pride in the thoroughness with which we seek the market for all books
bearing our imprint. The spirit of the agreement which we make with the author is that each book is a separate
business venture into which we have entered as a partner of the author.
In marketing his book the author can be of material assistance to us. He knows the subject better than we can
ever know it, and he knows the type of man to which he intends his book to appeal. For these reasons we
always welcome the assistance and suggestions of the author.
At the time when the author begins to receive page proofs of the book, we are outlining our campaign for its
distribution. At that time we like to receive from the author, first, a brief but exact definition of the scope and
purpose of the book. This we use, not for our advertising, but as the basis of our advertising. Second, we find
distinctly helpful a list of points to emphasize in our circular and periodical advertising, and for such a list we
look to the author. A cut-and-dried table of contents often fails to give as good a picture of a book as do a few
well-selected points.
At the same time the author's suggestions of special periodicals to which copies should be sent for review, and
of special lists which may well be circularized, will also be helpful. These we generally know about, but
sometimes we overlook obvious points of attack in our campaigns.
Corrections and Revisions.—In practically every instance our books are printed from electrotype plates.
Consequently the first printings are rarely large, because we are able to produce further copies, from our
electrotype plates, as needed.
Before a book is reprinted the author is given an opportunity to send in corrections of typographical and other
errors which have escaped notice in the earlier printing or printings. Such reprints, however, are not called new
editions nor is the title page date of the book changed. We follow strictly the policy of designating as new
editions only books which have been more or less thoroughly revised, and the title page date of one of our
books is an indication of the date of the text—not of the reprint.
When, in the author's opinion or our own, the text requires revision, we discuss the details with the author and
arrange for as complete a revision as the condition of the text calls for. Since the printings of our books are
rarely large, we are able to arrange for the production of a new edition in normal cases as soon as the author
feels that it is required and can complete his portion of the work.
Translations.—We arrange, where possible, for translations of books into foreign languages, dividing the
proceeds with the author. The underlying theory of this division is that, with the publication of a translation,
both the author and the publisher suffer from the loss of sales of the edition in English.
The foreign publisher generally has to pay to his translator about the royalties usually paid to an author, and
accordingly the amount which can be charged to a foreign publisher for rights of translation is, except in rare
cases, small. Translations must be regarded as a by-product.
Our attempts to market books in foreign languages from New York, or from one of our foreign agencies, have
not been encouraging. Accordingly, the first question, when we are endeavoring to arrange for a translation, is
for us to find a publisher in the country selected who will undertake the work of securing a translator and
publishing the book. When a translator offers his services, we find it necessary to ask him first to interest a
publisher in his own country in the venture.
Prompt Publication.—From the standpoint of both the author and the publisher it is desirable that a book
should be put on the market as soon as possible after the manuscript is completed.
From the moment the publisher undertakes to manufacture a book he has an investment which grows rapidly
and yields nothing until the sales of the book begin.
The production of technical books is delayed, generally, by one of the following causes:
(1) The author wishes to submit his material to his associates or to specialists in the field. Except for
purposes of proof-reading such submission should be made in manuscript.
(2) The author fails to return his proofs and manuscript copy promptly. The prompt reading and return of
proofs is of the greatest importance.
(3) The copy for the index does not follow closely upon the return of the final batch of page proofs.
The printer, the engraver, the paper manufacturer, the binder or the publisher may also interfere with prompt
publication; but if the author's end of the work is handled systematically and promptly, we are generally able to
control the manufacturing details.
Transcriber's Note
Page 6, etc.: 'sub-headings', and 'subheadings' both appear in this book, as do 'proof-reader' and 'proofreader',
and some other instances of hyphenated and non-hyphenated words.
As it is a book of suggestions on layout and style from a respected publishing house, it can be assumed they
knew what they intended, so both hyphenated and non-hyphenated words have been retained.
Page 9: 'instalments'.
Installment
(In*stall"ment) n. [Written also instalment.]
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