SERVICES FOR AUTHORS

The following section provides an overview of the most important aspects of the editing process—from the initial planning phase to final approval for printing.

FROM MANUSCRIPT TO BOOK

Preliminary Checklist
  • Have the authors been notified of submission deadlines and specifications for the length of their texts (see the section “Character Count”)?
  • Does the publication contain texts or illustrations that are likely to require time-consuming clarification of rights?
  • Has all the illustration material been ordered, with detailed image lists?
  • Has sufficient time been planned for articles that need to be translated and for quotations for which the original sources must be found?
  • Are captions for illustrations (including comparative illustrations) complete?

    MANUSCRIPTS

    A well-prepared manuscript is a must for timely and efficient production of your publication. Here are a few helpful tips:

    General

    Time-consuming correction runs can be avoided if all elements of the publication (including captions, etc.) are edited during the manuscript phase. Requests for changes in subsequent phases should also be passed on to the editing department.

    Character Count

    The total character count is an important element of production scheduling and cost calculation. Therefore it is important to adhere to the specifications regarding text length and to notify contributing authors of the maximum length of their texts in advance. Microsoft Word offers a convenient tool for determining the length of a text. The “Extras” menu contains a "Word count" feature under which you will find the "Characters including spaces" option. Check the "Count footnotes and endnotes" box and click on "OK." A standard manuscript page contains 1,800 characters (including spaces). The number of manuscript pages in a text is calculated by dividing the total number of characters by 1,800. A text with 18,000 characters, for example, would be ten pages long.

    Please note: Manuscript pages should not be confused with the printed pages of a publication. The number of characters on a given book page depends on the font size and the layout.

    Formal Guidelines für Manuscripts

    You will receive a copy of our "Guidelines for Manuscripts" before a project begins. They provide guidance in manuscript preparation on the basis of standard criteria and should be given to all contributing authors.

    Approval for Typesetting

    Edited manuscripts are presented to clients or authors for approval before they are released for typesetting. Any last changes should be made at this point in order to avoid costly corrections in the galley proofs.

    GALLEY PROOFS

    Galley proofs are printouts of the layout which contains the edited text and low-resolution image data (layout data).

    Both the client and the editor receive a copy of the first galley proofs for correction. All corrections made are compiled and entered in a single copy in the editing department. Corrections are checked and verified on the basis of the second set of galley proofs in the editing department. You may also request a copy of the second set of proofs.

    BLUELINES

    The blueline is a color printout of the post-script files. It is the "last stop" before printing. At this stage, the low-resolution image data in the galley proofs have been replaced by high-resolution image data in print quality (fine data). However, unlike the press proofs, the colors in the bluelines do not indicate the final printing quality.

    E-BOOK

    Hatje Cantz publishes e-books in PDF format and - if typesetting specifics allow it - as EPUB. The publisher prepares the typesetting flag for electronic works (adaptation of the imprint and incorporation of links where appropriate) and ensures distribution to bookstores and libraries.

    REPRINTING AND REPRODUCTION RIGHTS

    Text Rights

    If your publication contains long passages of text from previously published work, it will be necessary to acquire the rights to reprint these passages. If you also want to publish your publication as an e-book, please note that the rights of use must also be obtained for digital distribution.Please take the rights clearance into account in your scheduling and inform the editorial office at an early stage.

    Image Rights

    There are two different types of image rights which are often confused with one another:

    ⸺ Copyrights for the illustrations of work of art in the publication

    Copyrights are held by the artists, their legal successors, or agencies such as VG Bild-Kunst in Germany. Copyrights for works of art expire seventy years after the artist’s death. Permission for reproduction must be obtained from holders of copyrights and agencies representing copyright holders—regardless of the size of the planned reproduction - both for the printed edition and for a possibly planned e-book edition.

    ⸺ Reproduction rights for photographs

    Reproduction rights are held by the photographers, their legal successors, or the institutions which have commissioned the photographs. Please remember to compile a list of the credit lines from lenders for inclusion in the Photo Credits at the end of your publication.

    » More information on image rights