Because Blogger is acting up and I want to see if this clears it out . . . Today was not nearly as productive as yesterday, but I did write an editorial letter on a picture book and finish typing up the handwritten parts of my plot talk, so some things have been accomplished. Plus I went for a run today, the first time in nearly a month, and it felt terrific. And I am listening to the Killers' "Mr. Brightside" and Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone"; I know the rest of the world discovered these songs last year, but I just heard them in the last month, and yeah. A lot of headbanging going on in the Brooklyn Arden offices these days.
"Mechanicals" are typeset and designed pages for a book, by the way. So when I referred to "picture book mechanicals" below, those would be the rough-draft layouts for the pages of a picture book, with the art scanned in and text positioned on the page. The production staff checks the mechs to see that the text, art, and all necessary factual information (price, ISBN, Library of Congress information) are present and correct, and then I review the pages for less tangible considerations -- "Is this font in tune with the style of the art?" or "What if we put this line of text up here in the tree branches rather than down on the ground?" and even, since we're finally seeing the full-color art together with the text: "Oh, we ought to cut that line describing the green coat since Grandpa's obviously wearing a green coat. I'll write the author and ask." Etc. We usually go through three passes of mechanicals as we incorporate text corrections, tweak the design, and generally refine the books into the beautiful objects readers hold in their hands in the end.
"Mechanicals" are typeset and designed pages for a book, by the way. So when I referred to "picture book mechanicals" below, those would be the rough-draft layouts for the pages of a picture book, with the art scanned in and text positioned on the page. The production staff checks the mechs to see that the text, art, and all necessary factual information (price, ISBN, Library of Congress information) are present and correct, and then I review the pages for less tangible considerations -- "Is this font in tune with the style of the art?" or "What if we put this line of text up here in the tree branches rather than down on the ground?" and even, since we're finally seeing the full-color art together with the text: "Oh, we ought to cut that line describing the green coat since Grandpa's obviously wearing a green coat. I'll write the author and ask." Etc. We usually go through three passes of mechanicals as we incorporate text corrections, tweak the design, and generally refine the books into the beautiful objects readers hold in their hands in the end.