Getting a project from Aargh! to Booyah! - Abi Saffrey

1. Getting a project from
Argh! to Booyah!
Abi Saffrey
SfEP conference, Birmingham
15 September 2019

2. Session summary
• Introductions
– to me
– to the session
– to your teams
• What is editorial project management?
• Today’s project
• Getting the project from A to B

3. What is editorial project management?
‘Editorial project management is about getting
content published – making it happen. Content
(text, images, figures, tables) goes from a raw,
draft form, through quality control and production
processes, to a finished product.’
Editorial Project Management, an SfEP guide

4. DISCLAIMER(S)

5. Today’s project
Dear Excellent Project Manager,
Thanks so much for agreeing to take this project on. Please find attached the
final MS, your brief, the standard project workflow, a copy of the schedule
and the rate card.
If you need any more info, or have any questions, do shout. Our first stand-
up meeting for this project will be at noon today – it’s only 10 mins long so
I’ll try and answer any Qs before then.
Best wishes,
Heidi
Project Editor
Best Publisher Company

6. Making a start
1. What are you (the editorial project manager)
going to do first?
2. What questions are you going to ask BEFORE the
stand-up meeting?
3. What might you say and/or ask AT the stand-up
meeting?

7. Development edit
1. What do you give to the development editor?
2. What do you expect back from the development
editor?
3. What will you do with what you get back from
the development editor?

9. Dealing with issues
Drumstick The development editor doesn’t acknowledge receipt of files.
Parma Violets
The work isn’t straightforward and the development editor needs
more time – and more money.
Love Hearts
The files were due back from the development editor yesterday,
but they haven’t arrived yet.
Double Lolly
The files have been returned on time but the R&P log hasn’t been
completed.
Refreshers
With two days left in the development edit schedule, the project
editor sends over a replacement chapter/section.
Fizzers
Having seen the files, the development editor no longer wishes to
do the work.

10. Copy-edit
1. What do you give to the copy-editor?
2. What do you expect back from the copy-editor?
3. What do you do while the copy-edit is
happening?

12. Dealing with issues
Drumstick
The copy-editor has a personal emergency and has to return the
edit before completion.
Parma Violets
TEAM CHANGE: a different project editor is now overseeing the
project.
Love Hearts The copy-edited files have a lot of templating/styling changes.
Double Lolly
The work isn’t straightforward and the copy-editor needs more
time – and more money.
Refreshers You’re on holiday for the duration of the copy-edit.
Fizzers The copy-editor delivers the files two days late.

13. Typesetting / layout
1. What do you give to the typesetter?
2. What do you expect back from the typesetter?
3. What do you do while the typesetting is
happening?

15. Dealing with issues
Drumstick The designer provides a new design template.
Parma Violets It all goes wonderfully smoothly.
Love Hearts
The publisher is in fee discussions with the typesetter and the
proofs won’t be supplied until those discussions are complete.
Double Lolly The typesetter doesn’t acknowledge receipt of the files.
Refreshers
TEAM CHANGE: You have a personal emergency and cannot carry
on with the project.
Fizzers
The typesetter says they’ll deliver the first 50 pages on time, but
the remaining pages will take 5 more working days.

16. Proofread (1PP)
Fact check Author check
Publisher check Design check
1. What do you give to each person?
2. What do you expect back from them?
3. What do you do while the proofread is
happening?

18. Dealing with issues
Drumstick
The proofreader you lined up responds to your email by saying
they no longer have time to do this work.
Parma Violets
The designer says that the typesetter has used the wrong point size
for all of the body text.
Love Hearts Your proofreader isn’t familiar with marking up PDFs.
Double Lolly
TEAM CHANGE: a different project editor is now overseeing the
project.
Refreshers The author wants to make some substantial changes.
Fizzers The fact checker finds a large number of inaccuracies.

19. Collation of 1PP amends
• 5 sets of corrections
2PP creation

20. Proofread (2PP)
Indexing R&P check
Image/artwork check
1. What do you give to each person?
2. What do you expect back from them?
3. What do you do while the proofread is
happening?

21. Collation of 2PP amends
• 4 sets of corrections
Creation of final proofs
Further sets of proofs?
Sign off
Check final files
Send final files to publisher/project editor

22. What’s yours called?

23. Learn more
Publications
• Barbara Horn, Editorial Project Management, 2006
• SfEP, Editorial Project Management, an SfEP guide, 2019
SfEP course
• Editorial Project Management (online)
PTC courses
• Editorial Project Management (2-day course)
• Understanding Project Management (1-day course)
• Digital Project Management (2-day course)
• Essential Editorial Project Management (e-Learning Module)

24. Any questions?
(if there’s time…)

25. BOOYAH!
Thanks to Margaret Hunter and Liz Jones for helping with this workshop’s title.
Sound effects obtained from: https://www.zapsplat.com