Perhaps a running narrative of what happens to a book manuscript that reaches our editorial desks may be enlightening and instructive to those who aspire to author ship. If certain suggestions herein given were heeded, many dollars would be saved each year in the cost of manufacturing the books. It may be a surprise to many to know that a large number of the book manuscripts sent in to us are rejected by the book committee for various reasons. Most of the manuscripts rejected are returned because they do not fit in with current denominational activity, or because the field in which the material is written is already occupied by a suitable or similar book.
A manuscript upon arrival is acknowledged by letter; and if it is a book that seems to have merit, it is scheduled to be read by competent readers from the General Conference, the Theological Seminary, and the Review editorial staff, many of them members of the thirty-seven-man book committee. When reports from these individuals come in, at stated intervals the general book committee considers the reports, canvasses the field of interest each book is supposed to cover, and votes either to publish the manuscript or to return it to the author. In some cases, where the reports from the reviewers of the book agree in recommending it if certain changes are made, the manuscript is returned to the author for such changes. Much depends, therefore, on the impression the book makes upon the four to six people who are asked to read it for approval or disapproval.
A small number of these books are solicited by the reading course committees of the General Conference or by the book department staff. The rest come as volunteer contributions. Every manuscript is scanned in the eager hope that it may be publishable. Sometimes the market or demand for certain themes or subject matter is uncertain, and even though the manuscript is worthy it is returned to the author because of doubtful sales value. For, strange as it may seem, a few books, though highly meritorious in theme and authorship, are not financially profitable. The book editors obviously cannot take the time to make detailed criticism of any manuscript. Authors should not ask them to do so.
Once voted for publication, a manuscript is scheduled through editorial procedures. Here is where the book editors begin their work. Their chief responsibility is to read the matter for fidelity to doctrine, to logic, to denominational standards, to moral and spiritual ideals, making- such changes as they deem sufficient to clarify obscurities or to correct oblique thoughts, and in some cases writing to the author for clarification or restatement of a point.
The manuscript, with the editor's emendations, substitutions, or other changes, then goes to the copyroom, where copy editors scan the entire manuscript, and mark it for standard publishing style in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammatical and rhetorical correctness. Stylistic blemishes, such as wordiness, circumlocutions, and redundancies, are remedied. This department also verifies all statements of fact that can be verified, all Bible quotations, all excerpts from the Spirit of prophecy, all quotations from books or magazines, all statistical matter, all geographical, historical, chronological, and literary allusions —in fact, everything that lends itself to checking for accuracy.
The average reader of books would be amazed could he see how much time and labor are consumed in the work of verification of an author's sources and his statements purporting to be facts. Those who submit manuscripts could save this department countless hours merely by noting carefully after each statement of fact or quotation, or through annotation in the margin or at the foot of a page, the source of every quotation and every fact that might be open to challenge. When an editorial worker has to spend three hours looking for the source of a single quotation, and three minutes verifying its wording, the labor is all out of proportion to necessity.
It is remarkable too how inaccurate many of our writers are in Bible quotations. Trusting to memory, they commonly omit words or substitute words, or give an offhand reference that is not true to the text. Bible quotations should be written exactly as they appear in the King James Version, punctuation, capitalization, and all. If another version is used, indicate it after the scripture quoted. Some of the modern translations require special permission to quote.
Poetry often causes trouble here at the office, for too often only the poet's name is given, and the magazine, book, or newspaper in which it appeared is omitted. Since permission frequently has to be secured to print material of this kind, the editors must know to whom to write. Sometimes poetry is quoted and not even the name of the author given. These admonitions apply to manuscripts for periodical articles as well as for books.
Manuscripts should be typed in double spacing, with reasonably wide margins for editorial notations. Several copies should be made, for that will facilitate distribution to readers for evaluation, and enable the art department to have a copy while the editorial department is working on the text. We recommend the little manual A Word to Writers by Mable H. Towery, obtainable at your Book and Bible House (fifty cents), for the proper preparation of all manuscripts. Heeding the principles set forth therein would save much publication expense in the course of a year.
In making graphs of statistics, take extreme care to present the very best source of information, and also the latest. In these days of rapid changes a chart five years old in some fields of accrued information is antique. Consult your nearest public librarian for references that will bring your matter up to date; and again, don't neglect to note in your manuscript where you got your information. No figures purporting to be statistical are taken for granted, but are always checked with the latest available information from acknowledged competent sources. Every publishing house receives letters from the reading public challenging certain of its statements, and we must be able to give "chapter and verse" of our authorities.
Pictures for illustrating a text are welcome, but it must be remembered that they always add tremendously to the cost of a publication, and cannot often be included if a book is to sell at a popular, price. The art department has thousands of pictures and cuts in its files for necessary illustration. However, if the author wishes to send pictures of a unique event, they are acceptable if they are in a glossy finish. Do not send pictures clipped from books, magazines, or newspapers, for they do not reproduce clearly. Drawings should not be submitted un less done by an expert sketcher, although rough drafts of illustrations, maps, or graphs desired are acceptable for guidance in the art department. Permission must usually be secured for the use of any picture that has already appeared in print.
After a manuscript is set in type, the galleys come to the editors for cutting into paging, and a dummy of the book is made up as a guide for the compositors. The art department makes its contribution in illustrations and a layout for the general format of the introductory pages. The engravers provide the halftones and zinc etchings. Again the material comes back to the editors in numbered pages. A set of proofs is sent to the author for his general approval. Another set is read by the book editor. A table of contents must be made, and sometimes a de tailed index. After the author's proofs have been returned everything that has been suggested is put into the editor's final proofs, and sent to the head proofreader, who transfers all changes to his master copy. After correction in the typeroom and a final check in the proof room, the book is ready for the press.
To follow through the various processes of manufacture would take up too much space here; but expert pressmen, paper and stock cutters, stitchers, gatherers, binders, inspectors, and wrappers all have their important part to play in turning out the completed product. No one step could be omitted. Each worker's part is important. Perhaps this brief resume of the birth of a book will help authors to understand that they likewise can contribute much to expediting the work of the publishing house in making their book an attractive addition to our denominational literature. The editorial staff stands ready at all times to work constructively and sympathetically with each author in order that, as far as possible, his wishes may be fol lowed in the publication which bears his name.
