2. Analyze the message. In the initial consultation, discussion
will center on the purpose, intended audience, distribution method, quantity,
and any measurable results expected. Answers to these questions will help to
produce an economical publication with an effective and attractive format.
3. Prepare an outline or write a rough or finished draft of
the copy on disk.
4. Determine the funds available for the publication. It makes
for a much more efficient process if we know the budget.
Planning and Scheduling
For most jobs, a minimum of four to eight weeks is required from the time the
job is initiated to delivery of printed copies. The importance of advance planning
for any kind of publication cannot be overemphasized. Once the need for a publication
is established, consult the Office of Marketing and Public Relations while the
work is still in the planning stage.
Once a publication is initiated, Marketing and Public Relations
will plan a schedule allowing time for all the stages of production. Factors
determining the length of time required to “turn a job around” include
the length of the manuscript and the editorial work required, the complexity
of design, the kind of artwork desired, the complexity of the printing, and
the schedules and work loads of the various offices and vendors involved.
Your Publications Dollar
There is no charge for the planning, editorial, design or production coordination
services of the Office of Marketing and Public Relations. There is a charge
for photography and printing, as well as for any free-lance design or illustration
services that are needed. An estimate of these costs can be prepared when the
Marketing and Public Relations Office knows the quantity to be printed and establishes
the format and design.
Copy Preparation
In almost all cases, you are responsible for providing the original copy that
will be used in your publication. We have writers on our staff who do original
work for a few major university publications. In most cases, however, we edit
the manuscript that you have produced.
A clear, easy-to-read manuscript facilitates editing, designing,
typesetting and proofreading. Here are some necessary guidelines to follow as
you prepare your copy for a publication:
1. You can provide either a disk or you can e-mail your copy.
2. If you provide a disk, it can be either PC or Macintosh, preferably in Microsoft
Word.
3. Do not type the copy to fit into a particular space or try to simulate the
finished printed product.
4. Include all the material to be set in type: the information to appear on
the cover, coupons or forms, captions, mailing permit, return address.
Our university editors have two major functions: to communicate
your message as effectively as possible to your particular audience and to ensure
that all university publications present a coherent and consistent image of
Furman. You will always have a chance to review edited copy before it is printed.
While there are some stylistic preferences that are largely
a question of taste, there are also rules of grammar, punctuation, capitalization
and usage that are not a matter of opinion. Our editors use the University of
Chicago Manual of Style and the Associated Press Stylebook to resolve general
questions. This allows the university to communicate in a consistent manner
with all its outside audiences.
Proofreading
You will see a final proof of your job before it goes to the printer. As you
check your publication, you need to review the following items:
• All type. Please proofread carefully, particularly names and dates.
It is your responsibility to check spelling. Remember, spell check (and our
editors) will not catch everything.
• Photo captions. Check to make sure each photo caption is correct and
that people are identified correctly.
• Quantity. Make sure that the quantity we have listed is what you will
need. It is much more expensive if we have to reprint.
Photography
We can schedule photography or use photography from university files, or you
can provide photography. If you provide scanned photography on disk, be aware
that we cannot be responsible for the final quality. Scanned photography on
disk should be saved in TIFF or EPS format and at least 300 dpi at the size
it will be printed.
Printing
The Office of Marketing and Public Relations will determine if the job will
be printed on or off campus. For off-campus printing, several bids will be obtained,
and the job will go to a printer who can produce both a high quality and cost-efficient
job. Printing Services is a department of Marketing and Public Relations and
provides quality one- and two-color printing. All university stationery and
business cards are printed through Printing Services.
Delivery
Whether your job is printed on or off campus, it will be delivered to your department
or to another location you have specified. When it is delivered, you will need
to check the quantity on the receipt against the quantity being delivered. Be
aware that the printing industry has a list of printing customs that are in
general use throughout the United States. One of the most important of these
is the “10 percent rule.” Because of the difficulty of estimating
exactly how many good copies of a publication can be produced from a certain
amount of paper, a printer is allowed to deliver and charge a customer for up
to 10 percent more or 10 percent fewer copies than were ordered. You should
take this into account if you must have a specific number of copies.
