Since 1984, BookMasters has been recognized as a leader in providing excellent project management services to publishers. When BookMasters is selected to manage a publisher's title, a Project Director is assigned to the book and virtually becomes a partner with the publisher's staff. Our highly trained Project Directors work closely with the publisher and author, guiding their project through the various steps of production. Project management may be customized to include such services as:

• Coordinating copyediting, editorial proofreading, indexing and permissions
• Providing a castoff of the book
• Preparing the schedule and sending weekly progress reports
• Managing the art program
• Requesting the CIP or LOC data
• Overseeing the composition process
• Creating a table of contents
• Creating master pages
• Keeping track of AAs and EAs and their effects on the budget
• Proofing revised pages
• Conducting a final review of all pages
• Sending the final disk to the printer and creating the layout sheet
• Reviewing bluelines or PDF files
• Archiving files

Right from the start, the Project Director takes responsibility for keeping the publisher and author current on the status of their project. At the onset of a job, the Project Director contacts the publisher regarding the production of their title, along with any questions or concerns before starting the job. We find most questions arise during the planning stage of production. The Project Director also sends an introductory letter to the publisher and/or author, confirming the order, specifications and schedule.

As the project flows through the production cycle, questions or concerns may arise. The Project Director is quick to address any issues with the publisher and author, providing answers and solutions to these situations.

Upon receipt of a title, the Project Director does a complete analysis of the manuscript, noting any special concerns of which our staff needs to be aware. The Project Director handles each piece of art, making sure they are all accounted for and are organized with clear instructions to production. It is of utmost importance that we fully understand the project from the beginning. Thoroughness during this early stage is key to avoid any misunderstandings that can occur during production.

The Project Director tracks the book through the various stages of production: design, copyediting, composition, proofreading and indexing. Special reports may be sent on a weekly basis to the publisher informing them of the current status of the project.

Once the project is typeset and proofs are ready to be mailed, the Project Director coordinates sending them to the appropriate people with a full set of instructions. When the proofs are returned, the Project Director reviews the proofs, resolves any issues and returns them to production for corrections to be made. A second pass of proofs may then be sent to the publisher for final review.

When BookMasters is responsible for compiling the index, the Project Director makes certain that it is copyedited, paginated and sent to the publisher and author in a timely manner.

When the project is complete, the Project Director works with the printer and supplies them with the appropriate materials they need to successfully complete the project into finished books.