Editing your project September 11, 2009
Posted by doctorhowie in editing.add a comment
Now you’ve written the material for your project and got it into some sort of shape. Whether you think so or not, your project needs editing. Very seldom is the person who wrote the material able to effectively edit it. That’s because they are too “close” to it, are too familiar with it, and the mind causes them to see what they want to see or what they expect to see.
Why edit? First of all, to check for spelling errors. Next, to check for grammar (sentence construction and so on). Is the language you’ve used appropriate for the intended audience? Is it too complex or too simple? Is the material in your project consistent? Does the label for figure 5 actually read “figure 6″? Are illustrations, charts, diagrams, figures and tables placed in the most appropriate locations? Always suggest where you would like them to be placed.
There are a whole range of other things that may need to be checked, depending on the complexity and size of your project. But it should be checked, and preferably by someone other than the author.
Editing should happen before your project is typeset so that the typesetter is working with the correct material. It should be edited again, after typesetting, to ensure images are where they need to be, and that no errors have been introduced during the typesetting process.
Get someone to edit your project!
Scanning September 1, 2009
Posted by doctorhowie in images, internet/web, scanning.add a comment
If you are scanning for the web, keep files small so your web page will load as quickly as possible. The accepted resolution for web images is 72dpi.
For greyscale (black and white) photographs and for colour images that will be used in a printed project, 300dpi is preferred.
For line art (black and white only images that have no shades of grey), 600dpi is the preferred resolution.
RGB is the default colour setting for most scanners. It’s fine for web images but not acceptable for printed projects. Remember to change the setting to greyscale for black and white photographs or for colour images that will be reproduced in black and white. Use the Black & White setting for line art.
For images that will be printed in colour, either use the CMYK setting or use an image editing application such as Photoshop to change the colour mode from RGB to CMYK. This is important.
Images – illustrations, photos, tables, charts August 26, 2009
Posted by doctorhowie in art book, charts, children's book, drawings/illustrations, images, internet/web, photos, tables.add a comment
Now that you’ve written your material, you might choose to add some images to complement your words.
Depending on the nature of your project, tables and charts might be most appropriate. Remember to label them clearly and consecutively and to reference them within your text.
Of course, if your project is a children’s book or an art book, then most of it will comprise images — illustrations or photos. In these kinds of projects, your words will complement or even explain the images.
Remember that images should be used sparingly and in such a way that they don’t take away from what you’re saying. Make sure they have an explanation (known as a caption and usually in a different style — set beside, above or below the image) that clearly describes what they are, unless they are completely self-explanatory.
Colour is way more expensive to print than black-and-white (also known as greyscale for B&W photos). If publishing on the internet, colour adds no cost.
Writing August 17, 2009
Posted by doctorhowie in art book, autobiography, biography, children's book, drawings/illustrations, e-book, general, history, images, paintings, photos, publishing.Tags: biography, children's books, e-book, history, publishing
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You’ve got ideas for a project you want to create. These may be for a children’s story, a biography or autobiography, a history of a town or an organisation, a book of mainly pictures or art… whatever. Where do you go from there?
First of all, organise your ideas. Get them into some kind of order and write them down… make something like a map or a plan. Then expand that plan and begin getting your ideas and thoughts “on paper”. When I say “on paper”, it can be literally on paper, or on a computer. Microsoft Word or Apple’s Pages would be a good start.
You might also think about images that will enhance your project. These might be photos, maps, drawings or illustrations. Make sure they will improve your project, don’t include them just for the sake of having images.
So… get started. Begin putting your ideas down into some structured form. Once you begin, hopefully the project will flow nicely. Don’t worry if you feel the need to modify or re-write something you’ve already done. That’s natural. Don’t overdo it, though. If you’re not happy with what you’ve done, I suggest putting it aside for a while and coming back to it… looking at it in a new light. Go on, do it!
e-book (electronic book) August 9, 2009
Posted by doctorhowie in drawings/illustrations, e-book, images, internet/web, PDF, photos, publishing.Tags: e-book, publishing, writing
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An e-book is the electronic equivalent of a printed book, except it is usually intended to be read on screen in PDF format.
If anything, that means it needs to be even clearer and easier to read than a printed book. Keep pages quite small and make your font size (text size) large. Make the space between lines of text (known as leading) quite large too, so that there seems to be a lot of “air” or “white space”.
Try to avoid using too many images (graphics, photos or drawings) in order to keep your pages less cluttered. Have the resolution of your images quite low (say 72 to 100 dots per inch) in order to keep your file size small.
The KISS principle is a good one to follow: Keep It Sweet and Simple
(or, more rudely, Keep It Simple, Stupid!)
What is publishing? July 31, 2009
Posted by doctorhowie in e-book, e-journal, e-zine, internet/web, PDF, printing, publishing.Tags: e-book, e-journal, publishing, writing
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Seems a ridiculous question perhaps?
Well in days gone by, publishing referred to getting a book or magazine printed so that it would reach a wide audience. In some cases this was done for educational purposes, in some cases it was done to make money.
The concept of getting your ideas to reach a wide audience is as valid today as it has ever been. The purposes of publishing for education and for income remain.
However, the audience can now be wider than ever and is more easily accessed, thanks to computers and the internet.
These days, publishing is not restricted to physically printing something and making it available to others. Publishing includes material posted on the internet (like e-journals*, e-zines*, e-books*) and material available in digital or electronic form (PDFs** and CDs).
So let your creativity roam free, and get publishing!
* e-journal = electronic journal; e-zine = electronic magazine;
e-book = electronic book
** PDF = portable document format (does not care what operating system you computer uses)
Where do I start? July 20, 2009
Posted by doctorhowie in drawings/illustrations, general, images, manuscript, paintings, photos.add a comment
With an idea… you have the words and/or images but maybe you don’t know how to put them together.
With a manuscript… the words (text) you want to get published. Have some idea of what you want to say and of how you are going to say it (some kind of order or structure).
With images… the photos/drawings/paintings that may support your words (be part of them and enhance them) OR they can form the basis (main theme) of what you want to get published (for example in an art book or an architecture book or a children’s book or a calendar).
In other words, the words and images work together to make something that you want other people to read or to see.
Welcome July 15, 2009
Posted by doctorhowie in art book, design, editing, general, manuscript, printing, project management, publishing, scanning, Scott Howard, typesetting.Tags: editing, publishing, writing
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Many people have no idea where to start when they want to get something published. Usually, they know what they want to achieve but don’t know how to get it.
This blog attempts to answer typical (and non-typical) questions, and helps you get started or complete a project you have already begun.
Scott Howard
