From Manuscript to Book

Image from the title Newfoundland Modern: Architecture in the Smallwood Years, 1949-1972.

Submitting your final manuscript

When your manuscript is accepted for publication, your acquisitions editor will discuss with you any further revisions to content that need to be made.

Your final manuscript must observe MQUP style and our managing editor will contact you regarding any style changes that may be necessary in preparation for copy-editing.

All final artwork and permissions statements for figures and illustrations must accompany the final manuscript. We will also ask you to submit a completed Final Manuscript Checklist and, if applicable, a permissions and art log. This will allow us to ensure that all elements of your manuscript are complete, correct, and accounted for, and will help to avoid delays in producing your book. We are grateful for the cooperation of our authors at this important stage of the process. For more information, please see the following guidelines:

When your final manuscript is ready, please send the final Word files of the manuscript to your acquisitions editor. (You should, of course, retain a duplicate set of the manuscript's final files at all times.)

Timeline for copy-editing and production

Transforming your manuscript into a book will likely take between eight and twelve months and will involve a number of important stages:

Copy-editing

All our editing is done by freelance copy-editors, which allows us to match manuscripts to appropriate editors. Our managing editor coordinates this part of the process. A standard manuscript generally takes four to six weeks to edit, once the manuscript is placed with a copy-editor. (4-6 weeks)

Author response to editorial suggestions and queries

Once copy-editing is completed, the manuscript is returned to the author so that any queries can be answered and editorial suggestions considered. Changes to manuscripts are made only with author approval. (2-4 weeks)

Clean-up of manuscript and marking for typesetter

After the author has gone over the edited manuscript, it is returned to the copy-editor so that all changes can be incorporated and design considerations can be indicated to the typesetter. (1-2 weeks)

Interior design

When the manuscript is received from the copy-editor, it is checked in-house and sent to the production department for interior design, including handling of subheads, fonts, and sizing of illustrations and figures. Most of our books are 6” x 9” in size but heavily illustrated or general interest books may be treated differently. (2-4 weeks)

Typesetting
(4-6 weeks)

Proofing and preparation of Index

As soon as typeset pages are available, two copies are sent to the author: a hard copy where any necessary corrections should be marked and a PDF to assist in the preparation of the Index. Authors are expected to prepare the Index for their books. A guide to indexing is provided. (2 to 3 weeks.)

Cover/Jacket design

This takes place while the author is proofreading and preparing the Index. Authors should indicate images or ideas they feel are appropriate for consideration by our designers.

Editing Index and checking corrections

Corrected proof is returned to the copy-editor, who edits the Index for consistency and formatting and does a spot check of page numbers. (1-2 weeks)

Typesetting corrections and Index

(1-2 weeks)

Checking of revised pages by copy-editor

(1-2 weeks)

Typesetting final corrections

(1-2 weeks)

Printing and binding

(5-6 weeks)

Shipping to distributors and bookstores

(3-4 weeks). Some time also has to be allowed for shipping between stages and, at the very end, for shipping from the printer to our distributors and then for filling book orders. It generally takes 3-4 weeks from the time the book is delivered for it to reach bookstores. The publication date which appears in our seasonal catalogue is the month in which we expect the finished book will be available for purchase.