In the Design and Production Department, the book’s cover and interior are professionally designed, artwork is prepared, page proof is typeset, files are created for printing and electronic publishing, and the book is produced and distributed in both print and ebook formats.
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Design
With input from the author as well as UNC Press departments, a professional designer creates the front cover of the book. The schedule for front cover design is coordinated with the production of the Marketing Department’s seasonal catalog.
When the copyedited manuscript files are transmitted to the Production Department, the interior of the book is designed, which includes fonts to be used, page layout, and image preparation and sizing. Final art provided with the manuscript has been evaluated by the Production Department earlier in the process, and permissions to use all illustrative materials have been secured. If any maps or figures are to be redrawn by the Press, the author must provide a clear base map/figure and a file containing any necessary copy for the final map/figure.
Typesetting
A production schedule is sent to the author by the project editor once the manuscript has moved into typesetting. At this time, a professional typesetter applies the design specifications to lay out the text and art and make up the pages of the book using an electronic typesetting program.
Page Proofs
The Production Department transmits page proofs to the project editor, who sends them to the author for proofreading and indexing. The author returns corrected page proofs and index manuscript to the project editor by the date indicated in the production schedule. Once the index is typeset, the project editor checks the revised pages and typeset index. At this time, the book’s final page count is known, and the full jacket or cover is designed.
Files to Printer
Once all corrections have been made, final files for the book’s jacket or cover as well as interior are prepared for printing according to the printer’s specifications. The files are then transmitted to the printer along with instructions, including print run and schedule.
Printing
The printer prints and binds the physical book’s text and jacket or cover according to the requested schedule. During this process, the Press receives from the printer an electronic proof of the jacket/cover and a set of text proof called F&Gs (folded and gathered sheets) that are printed on the actual paper being used but not yet bound into their cover or jacket. Once the proofs are approved, the full print run is bound. When books are complete, advance copies are sent to the Press and the rest of the books are shipped to the Press warehouse.
Shipping
Books shipping from domestic printers arrive in the warehouse within a few days of completion. For titles printed overseas, an additional 6 weeks is required for delivery. Once books are received in the Press warehouse, orders may be fulfilled and books shipped to customers.
EPUB Conversion
At the same time the print-ready files are sent to the printer, the files are also converted to electronic publishing formats for the ebook edition of the book. Following a quality check and correction process by the project editor and the Production Department, the ebook edition of the book is distributed to a wide range of retail and library vendors.
Reprints
When warehouse stock runs low for a title, reprint decisions are made by the Press based on sales history and projections, and the book is reprinted as needed. For information about submitting reprint corrections, see UNC Press Errata Policy.