Producing Your Publication
Please note: All design is done remotely unless otherwise arranged.
Whether you are from a large publishing house or are a sole trader, your publication will be treated with the same care and attention. I pride myself on working in a friendly, professional and organised manner with all my clients.
Seasoned publishers, the below will be familiar to you. However, if you have never worked remotely with a designer before or are new to publishing a magazine or brochure, then it serves as a rough guide to the steps involved. This section covers the editorial production process. For information on launches and new looks/relaunches please go here.
Boss Being Organised
Your good organisational skills will make such a difference to the experience of all concerned in producing your publication. I will work with you to set up a system of folders within Dropbox, and I will make sure these stay organised.
Use a Features List or Yearly Planner
If your publication contains editorial features, it is wise to have a rolling features list for upcoming issues. It makes for a better workflow and can help to prevent bottle necks in the production schedule. It is also a useful tool for advertising teams to use to sell for future issues to potential advertisers. If you are producing a look book or catalogue, then a plan for the upcoming year and beyond is a great idea and will give you plenty of time to plan ahead.
Use a Flatplan
We will work together on a digital flat planning program, for example flat-plan.com. It's important for all those involved to keep up with what is happening. I can help you set this up if you would like me to own this process. If you would prefer to set this up yourself, please ensure that I am added as a registered user, and able to log in and view and adjust the flat plan file.
Realistic Schedule & Deadlines
If there's one thing I've learnt in my extensive industry career, it's that everything takes longer than you think it will. From writers providing you copy, to chasing images from a photographer, to corrections and getting approvals from advertisers – you name it, it takes longer than you think it will! So, schedule realistically and be prepared to be flexible.
Design & Production
Your production files will be shared/held in a central Dropbox folder for each issue, set up and controlled by myself. Organisation of your files is key, so clear folders showing copy, features, ads, proofs, print files etc will be set up and used accordingly. I will own the running of this folder for you and will make sure all files are moved to the correct folders as the issue progresses.
Images & Copyright
The design of your publication includes all adjusting and retouching of images, cut outs etc. and page layout. Please ensure that any images, fonts and copy you provide me are covered by the appropriate copyright. If you are unsure on copyright issues always check with me and I will advise. If you are not able to provide any images there will be an additional charge for sourcing and purchasing images. I do not accept Google search images. A good source of images are the stock libraries such as iStock, Shutterstock etc., I can advise on suitable libraries if necessary.
Images for print need to be at least 300ppi, at the size they will be used. So images you have used for your web site may be too small to go in a printed magazine. I am happy to advise you on this issue.
Corrections
Would you, or your sub editor prefer to correct your text in InDesign? If yes, then that's great, and you can do corrections on page if you or your team wish to work this way. If not, then your preferred method of giving corrections can be discussed and I will offer suggestions as to what will work best. Prices will include three sets of corrections per page. Additional changes beyond this will be made at my current hourly rate.
Sending to Print
If your publication is for print, I will upload your final files to the printer for you. At final proofing stage on the printer's proof, I request that you also check this proof too. I am happy to sign off visual appearance/images but request that you are accountable for making sure the text and wording are correct. Prices include one set of final corrections per page, plus re-uploading of the final file to the printer's web site.
Digital Editions of Print Mags
If your digital edition is a straight copy of your print edition, then I will happily drop this into your chosen platform to adapt for your website at no extra cost. Your website editor will need to make sure that all links are made live on this edition. Some publishers like to add extra content to their digital editions to add value for their readers, such as on-page video or extra editorial features. I am happy to consider this, and we can agree an additional cost based on the time involved in extending the issue.
Each publication is unique, so the things covered here are just a rough guide. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me.