Author Guidelines for Preparing Digital Manuscripts Text Manuscripts: Overview Discussion and Templates While an author’s first goal is to produce content, the tools that are used by the author and editor to prepare the copy are equally important. Math If your manuscript includes math, consider upgrading your word processor’s built-in math capabilities to a program such as MathType. MathType allows greater control over typesetting and can format complex math structures. It can also export math to TeX or HTML/GIF formats. You must also use the correct font. Most math typesetting systems are set up to use Times Roman for the math text font. Both Equation Editor in Microsoft Word and MathType (the professional version of Equation Editor) default to Times Roman, and if you are keying your manuscript in Plain TeX, your default font is Computer Modern. Trying to set math with fonts other than Computer Modern, Times Roman, or Times Ten software can delay production. We are expert at converting your files to beautiful math. Alternate Word Processing Applications Regardless of which word processor you use, the same approach should be used in creating a digital manuscript. Use a template to ensure consistent formatting. Do not tweak the look of the generic styles or the math program. Take care to follow the rules (listed in the next section, “Text Manuscripts: General Guidelines”). Avoid using text preparation tools downloaded from the Internet, and definitely work with your editor from the beginning to make sure the tools you are using will create copy that will move smoothly into the production system. Your publisher may provide a template. Text Manuscripts: General Guidelines Word Processing Template Issues •   Define a 1-inch page margin on all four sides of your document. •   Set line spacing to double spacing for all body copy elements. •   Set text flush left and ragged right for all body copy elements. Do not hyphenate. •   Number pages consecutively from beginning to end, or use a double numbering system of chapter and page numbers (for example, 2-1 for Chapter 2, page 1). •   Use tabs for paragraph indents. Do not use spaces. •   For numbered lists, set a tab, the number, and a tab to text. For bulleted lists, key a bullet and a tab. Do not use the word processor’s autonumbering or autobulleting features. •   Set footnote references in text and format them as superscript. •   Set footnotes, marginal notes, figure captions, numbered tables, and any other floating elements at the end of each chapter. Content Issues •   Do not key two word spaces between sentences. •   Do not use shading or fills. •   Do not alter the math fonts or the math spacing. •   Set an em-dash by typing two hyphens in sequence (--). •   Set simple tables (tables with numbers or short phrases appearing like cells in a spreadsheet) as text with one tab between each column and one paragraph return between each row. Align columns by defining tab stops. Do not use multiple tabs stops using default tab settings to align columns. For complex tables (tables that contain entire paragraphs of text), use the word processor’s table editor. •   Call out floating elements with a Production Instruction; for example: [***Figure 1–1***] at the correct position in the flow of the body copy. Set the instruction in a paragraph by itself. General Issues •   Save each chapter as a separate file. Use a naming convention that indicates the chapter number, such as ch01.doc, ch02.doc, ..., ch16.doc. •   Label your media prior to shipping. The label should include author name, book title, and chapter number. Include a directory listing. •   Include a hard copy of your manuscript with the diskettes. The hard copy should represent what is really on the media. Never send revised files after production has started. It is critical that we avoid working with multiple, differing versions. If you need to make changes after submitting your manuscript, handwrite the change on a printout of the page. Our typesetters will make the change. •   Include a cover page that lists what is in the package you are shipping. The cover page should also tell the publisher what kind of hardware and software (including the software version number) was used to create the digital manuscript (e.g., Macintosh Microsoft Word for Office 98). Major Production Issues Word processors allow the importing of digital art files into the actual text manuscript files. If you want to show what the art looks like in the digital manuscript, you can save the figures, each in a separate file, and then import them into the digital manuscript using the “Link to File” option available in the “Insert\Picture” command. Do not copy and paste the figures into the document file. Remember that any work you do in formatting the appearance of the document will actually hinder production. When the digital manuscript is imported into the page-makeup software, all of the imported art will automatically be deleted from the digital manuscript. The separate art files will then be imported into the digital book pages. Remember to submit the first few text and art files to your editor for review and approval. Art Manuscripts In choosing a program to create your art, just as with the tools used to create digital text manuscript, avoid graphic tools downloaded from the Internet. Choose well-known, mainstream software such as Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Freehand for drafting line art. Adobe Photoshop is the market leader for editing bitmapped art such as screen shots and continuous tone images. For highest quality, we prefer to scan photographs in-house. Work with your editor to obtain permission for your art, just as with art from any other source. For more on setting up an art program, see our “Guidelines for Preparing Digital Art.”