Use your browser's back button to return to the page you were just on.
|
|
Use your browser's back button to return to the page you were just on. |
(yet un-named) e-zine
Volume 1, Number 3
November, 2002
Helping writers, genealogists and computer users of all kinds
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Please note that while an effort to generalize much of this text has been made, some references to "we, our, etc." still occur and much of the information provided applies to Gregath Company, Inc. and may not with other printer/publishers. ALWAYS double check with your printer/publisher on every detail.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Table of Contents
You may click on each department below to
go directly to that article. At the end of each article (if supported) is
a link back to this contents.
What's It
Mean?
Design Inspiration
Book Manufacturing Concepts
Marketing Advice
Genealogy Ideas
Computer Help
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
///////////////////////////////
What’s It Mean?
///////////////////////////////
Camera Ready Manuscript, (we also abbreviate as mssc or CRM) - see link below.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
For other printing, publishing, marketing lingo, check our glossary at http://www.gregathcompany.com/gloss.html
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
///////////////////////////////
Design Inspiration - Doing your
own manuscript prep
///////////////////////////////
A good rule of thumb to keep in mind during time you are in preparation process (unless you are informed by your printer/publisher it is incorrect) is "what you see, is what you get". For the best results use a smooth white paper. Expensive "top of the line" computer paper is not necessary, a good "typing" copy machine or all purpose paper is fine. Avoid colored (cream, gray, etc.), aged colored and textured (pebbled, linen finish, etc.) as well as ultra thin (onionskin, etc.) papers. Make sure that the print is clear, consistent and as dark as possible throughout. In the end, you will be much happier if the typewriter or (non laser or DeskJet) printer used contains a carbon film ribbon, is in good mechanical working order and has clean unbroken strikers. More and more people are acquiring laser or bubble jet/DeskJet printers and these make a very nice camera ready manuscript. In good faith, we can not recommend manual typewriters, fabric ribbons, dot matrix printers, or low quality DeskJet/bubble jet printers for a good finished product. Electric typewriters, daisy wheel or ball printers and laser or bubble jet/DeskJet printers (on high quality settings) can be borrowed or rented in most areas.
///////////////////////////////
Book Manufacturing Concepts
///////////////////////////////
see link below.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
This section is drawn from our online virtual tour at http://www.gregathcompany.com/gen.html
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
///////////////////////////////
Marketing advice
///////////////////////////////
When deciding on what the total
cost (retail) for you book is to be you need to consider not only production
cost but any additional postage during manufacturing or other hidden costs as
well as delivery postage to your customers (if you plan to sell "postage
included"). In a genealogy or family history, it is not usually smart
to try to recoup research, manuscript preparation or travel time and expense
through your retail price. However, one may wish, once they have
established the "break even point" and what profit margin they wish to
have they might want to add in "standard wholesale". In the book
industry genre (topic, subject) wide, book stores and book dealers expect to be
able to buy books at 40% off the retail sales price. If you add 40% to
what you feel you need from a book, then you will be getting a basic price for
wholesale sales and that basic price+40% on retail sales. This also gives
you room to run special pricing if you desire such as a lower pre-publication
price (discussed next month) or a sale at a family reunion, etc.
///////////////////////////////
Genealogy ideas
///////////////////////////////
Have you checked in adjoining counties and/or states (depending on where they were) for some record of lost ancestors? In the past, it was common to go to the nearest (or in the case of mountains, rivers, etc.) place to record records, not necessarily the "correct" place. In addition, what may be one county in this century, may not have been the same county in the time period you are looking in.
///////////////////////////////
Computer aid!?! Speeding your
surfing
Software: Microsoft Internet Explorer
///////////////////////////////
So many pages/sites you will visit have lots of photos and/or music, etc. (bells & whistles) that they take forever to load. If you are on a search for text and don't care about photos, music and the like, turn them off to speed your load time.
Here's what you do: Load
Explorer and then click the pull down menu "tools", next click
"(internet) options" (wording may be different for different software
versions). Once a box pops up, you will click the "advanced" tab
at the top of the box. This brings up a long list of things you can have
work or disabled. You want to scroll down the list until you find the
"multimedia" section. Several items in this section are
checked. For fastest download, click each checkmark to de-select all
"play" options. Next click the "OK" button at the bottom of
the box. To check, hit the refresh button (button with white sheet with 2
green arrows circling each other). Please note that this may be done in reverse
to get photos, etc back. Any type of multimedia you want to see, click the
blank box (which will check it), click "OK" and then the refresh
button.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Note: All references to
"click" are using the left mouse button unless otherwise noted.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
///////////////////////////////
About this e-zine
///////////////////////////////
Gregath Company, Inc. is pleased to present information that may be of help to authors and genealogists on a monthly basis in this format.
If you have decided since you
requested this newsletter that you prefer not to receive mailings, please go to
the following page and fill out the subscribe/unsubscribe form to be
automatically dropped from the mailing list:
http://www.gregathcompany.com/zine
This set of directions is also the way to subscribe to this e-zine to get
your own copy in your box monthly (if not already a subscriber).
NOTE: If trying to unsubscribe, supplying a different email address then the one
you signed up with will result in multiple copies rather then being
unsubscribed.
Back Issues available through http://www.gregathcompany.com/zine
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Copyright and reprint information
Gregath Company, Inc. is happy to give permission to forward this e-zine in its entirety, INCLUDING all contact information, to any person or group. To excerpt this e-zine for any form of reproduction, you must contact us to request permission. All material is copyright by Gregath Company, Inc. as staff members are responsible for the content.