Managing Editor Rewrites Compositor Managing Editor Managing Editor Proofreader Review Compositor Printer To understand the mechanics of writing a book, let’s look at the publishing process. First, you write a chapter and submit it, along with all the images and other materials (e.g., scripts), to your editor. The technical editor will review the chapter for technical accuracy and make comments. A copy or line editor will review the chapter for grammar, punctuation, and clarity, and make edits. The project or managing editor will review the chapter to look at the work of the technical and line editors, plus make sure the writing fits in with the publisher’s style, the series style, etc. (The managing editor takes care of the big picture, including the schedule, payments, and so on.) The chapter is returned to you for rewrites. You rewrite the chapter, taking into account all of the above, as well as any other changes you’ve thought of since you first wrote the chapter. The chapter goes back to the managing editor, who will do a final clean up and pass it to the compositor. The compositor takes the writing, the images, the scripts, etc., and lays it out in proper page formats, adding book styles, page numbers, icons, and so forth. The end result is a PDF that looks like the printed book will look. The managing editor reviews the PDF for any layout issues. The compositing editor reviews the PDF for any layout issues. A proofreader reviews the PDF and fixes any remaining grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors. You review the PDF to catch any last problems and to address any comments or questions raised by the above. The compositor takes into account all the edits and outputs a second version of the PDF. The managing editor, the compositing editor, and you all review the PDF for any issues at all, and to make sure that the previous issues all got fixed. The compositor takes into account all the edits and outputs a third and final version of the PDF. Once all the PDFs are done, they’re sent, along with the PDF of the cover, plus the PDFs of the book’s other materials—copyright, table of contents, index, and so forth—to the printer.