[Hidden-tech] Editorial Production - Seeking suggestions for a better process

[Jaimini Bhatt]

Your process need different order. Here is what I would suggest:
1) I post final editorial pages in MS Word files on an ftp site.

2) The other editor and I download the PDFs, print them out (and/or read
them on-screen), proofread them, tweak the headlines, cut articles to fit,
etc.

3) The other editor sends me his corrections in a Word doc. "Use any
utilities/techniques - to assimilate changes into the original. *No need to
type up again* all of them in a new Word doc, *No need of specifying page
number, column, graf, and line,* followed by the actual correction.

4) I send the Word doc with all the corrections to *Y*our art director, who
makes the corrections, does his magic (design, layout, etc.), and posts them
in PDF form.for the editors to check.

5) Rinse and repeat until all the corrections are made and approved, then
send the files to the printer.

There are utilities for word editors that can assimilate or reject changes.
I recall even MS Office had one. All you need is a way to transfer text
across Adobe and Word.

Jaimini Bhatt





On Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 1:53 PM, <eddygold at aol.com> wrote:

>   ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>   ** If you did, we all thank you.
>
>
>
>  Hi H-T ers,
>
>  I'm an editor for a couple of trade magazines. I'm looking for a better
> way to make corrections during editorial production. We have a small company
> (about 20 people), with 2 editors and one art director/designer. Here's how
> we do it:
>
>  1) I post final editorial pages in MS Word files on an ftp site.
>
>  2) Our art director "grabs" the files, does his magic (design, layout,
> etc.), and posts them in PDF form.
>
>  3) The other editor and I download the PDFs, print them out (and/or read
> them on-screen), proofread them, tweak the headlines, cut articles to fit,
> etc.
>
>  So far, so good. Here's where I'd like a better system.
>
>  4) The other editor sends me his corrections in a Word doc. I combine
> them with mine and type up all of them in a new Word doc, specifying page
> number, column, graf, and line, followed by the actual correction. Example:
> Page 7, col 2, graf 3, line 7 -- essential  --> essentials
>
>  5) I send the Word doc with all the corrections back to our art director,
> who makes the corrections, then posts a new PDF for the editors to check.
>
>  6) Rinse and repeat until all the corrections are made and approved, then
> send the files to the printer.
>
>  I'd like to be able to make the text corrections myself -- save typing up
> the corrections, save our art director from making them, and have more
> control over the final stages of the editing/proofing process.
>
>  I've been asking around and people have suggested the following:
>
>  1) Using Stickies in Adobe Reader (not jazzed by this one)
>
>  2) InDesign/InCopy -- which can be pricey to supply for a relatively
> small company.
>
>  Here are some additional facts & factors:
>
>  Location: We're all in different places: Editors in Amherst & Fort Worth,
> art director in San Francisco.
>
>  Technology: Our art director has pretty much everything, but the editors
> only have Adobe Reader. We use Macs.
>
>  What's strange to me, as I puzzle through all this, is that 20 years ago,
> using PageMaker, I was able to make changes to text to cut lines, add lines,
> fix mistakes, etc. But we were in the same office, so I'd just walk over to
> our art director's terminal and do that.
>
>  In the age of the cloud, hosted apps, SaaS, remote everything, there must
> be a better solution I haven't come across.
>
>  Suggestions? This system works fine, but... Is there a better way?
>
>  And any thoughts on the ROI in terms of cost for new software vs. time
> saved (and minor quality improvements)?
>
>  Thanks for any ideas, pointers, etc.
>
>  Eddy Goldberg
>
>  eddygold at aol.com
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Hidden-discuss mailing list - home page: http://www.hidden-tech.net
> Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net
>
> You are receiving this because you are on the Hidden-Tech Discussion list.
> If you would like to change your list preferences, Go to the Members
> page on the Hidden Tech Web site.
> http://www.hidden-tech.net/members
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.hidden-tech.net/pipermail/hidden-discuss/attachments/20110823/20a3ec09/attachment.html