What Happens Next? A Production Overview

After we’ve received your materials, what happens next?

1. Initial Review

The first step is Initial Review, where we look for submission issues that could potentially delay your book’s production. We’ll be looking for the same things discussed in some of our other videos such as text formatting errors in the manuscript or low resolution images. If we do not find any issues, your book will go to the next step. But if we do find any submission issues, we’ll contact you to help you resolve them and get your book to the next step as quickly as possible.

2. Pre-production Services

Step two is Pre-production Services. Pre-production services are any services which need to be completed before your designer can put your book together. This includes file merging, data-entry, image scanning, and copy editing. Each of these pre-production services comes with its own additional timeline, separate from the main production timeline. Some of the services, like file merging, may only take a few days. But a time intensive service, like copy editing, can take much longer to complete. If you have not purchased any pre-production services, or after your pre-production services are completed, your book will go on to step three.

3. Cover & Interior Design

Step three is the main production phase or Cover & Interior Design. For most books, this process takes two to three weeks. Your designer will follow any instructions and design ideas you include on your Submission Form to create your book’s cover and interior. Once they’ve completed the work, they will send it to you for review.

4. The Proof Round

The next step is the Proof Round, where you can make any necessary revisions to your book before you approve it for printing. Revisions are a normal part of the creative process. Most of our books go through at least one round of revisions to get things just right. Each round of revisions can take between three and seven business days to complete. To minimize the time your book spends in revisions, we highly recommend you take the time to proofread your manuscript before you submit it for production.

Corrections Fees: Book Interior

In the interior of your book, there is no charge to make design or layout changes. But if you are fixing typographical or other author errors, Corrections Fees may apply. Any time you submit revisions it is considered a round. You may make up to 50 corrections free of charge in your first round of revisions. But after your first round, or after 50 corrections in the first round, there is a fee for additional author revisions.

Corrections Fees: Book Cover

After you’ve seen the first draft of your cover, you’ll have a free round of revisions to make whatever changes are needed. After the free cover corrections round, there is a fee for further rounds based on the type of change needed.

It is important that you carefully review your first cover and first interior and submit any changes all together at the same time. Submitting multiple rounds of corrections will only add to your production timeline and expense. If you have questions about the revisions process or corrections fees, see our fee schedule or contact a representative.

5. Proof Approval

The next step is Proof Approval. This step need only take a few minutes of your time, but your book cannot be submitted to the printer until you have officially signed off on your interior and cover, and determined your book’s selling price and royalty amount. You can do these things by logging in to the author log-in area of our Web site, or you can contact your Publishing Services Associate about sending your pricing and approval by mail or e-mail.

Please be aware that the interior and cover you sign off on are exactly what will be sent to the printer. There is absolutely nothing that will be changed or added to your book after you have signed off on it. Do not sign off if you see any errors or if anything is missing from your interior or cover, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Let us know if you see any omissions or changes, and only sign off on the interior and cover when they appear precisely as they should for publication. Also, be aware that once your book has been submitted to the printer the price of your book can never be changed.

If you need to revise the cover or interior after your book has been submitted to the printer, there is a Resubmission Fee for each version of your book, paperback and/or hardcover. The Resubmission Fee is in addition to whatever corrections fees may apply.

6. Post-production

Once you have told your Publishing Services Associate that you’re approving the proof, you’ll be at the final step, Post-production. Quality assurance can take up to three business days while we ready your materials for submittal. Once your book is submitted to the printer, it will take two to three weeks before your copy of the final book arrives in the mail. If you have purchased any promotional services, our Promotions Department will contact you once your book has been submitted to the printer.

Help Along the Way

No matter what stage of production you are in, help is just a phone call or an e-mail away. You are always welcome to contact our customer support department for status updates, acknowledgement of receipt of materials, or any general questions. We also recommend registering at the Trafford Web site. Our author log-in area is a secure password-protected area where you can check on your book’s sales and your royalty balance. If you need help registering or logging in to the Web site, just give us a call at 1.888.232.4444.