Training
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I offer three levels of training for acquisitions editors, managing and development editors, and editorial assistants. Employee buy-in and active participation are essential for training. The activities described here are all performed in cooperation, as a team.
Rate: by negotiation
Train acquisitions editors in list planning and signings
List Planning
- Go over existing book list and market reports
- Define markets for target signings
- Analyze stability or evolution of markets for revisions
- Assess market share goals
- Draft strategic plan; formats vary but essential information usually is sales forecasts 3-5 years ahead and product differentiation
Signings
All Proposals
- Conduct research on target market(s)
- Evaluate proposals in light of the research
- Send proposals out for review; sign if review results exceed 70% approval rating or if the book proposal projects a clearly
differentiated product
Competitive Signings
- Conduct research on target market(s)
- Be the first to contact the prospective author(s)
- Demonstrate your work style in your communications with the prospective author(s): always be prompt; follow up regularly; outline
next steps - Focus on the “dog and pony show” and author visit to the company—ensure the prospective author(s) meet(s) key members of the book team (publisher, director of production, director of photo research, director of art & design, if possible division president); go over the course and market in detail; go over the author contract template; go over the authors’ wish list
- A letter from the company’s chief executive officer to the prospective author(s) is a very persuasive tool; work through the proper channels to request this for a highly competitive signing
Solicited Textbook Proposals
- Draft strategic plan with timeline of steps to ensure timely signing; typically, a good plan consists of initial research on the target course (a month), identifying author candidates and securing proposals (a month or two), and comparative proposal review (two weeks)
- Conduct research on the target course; typically, research should include a 25-30 participant email survey and 5-10 phone interviews to yield sufficient information about the course as it is actually taught and what the needs are; synthesize the results
- Identify author candidates based on research and prior contacts, and request proposals; specify proposal parameters and due dates as needed
- Compare and evaluate proposals with or without reviewers; in the case of a new co-author, always evaluate with the assistance of the lead author or co-authors to ensure a working team
Train managing editors and development editors in project management and content development
Project Management
- Analyze a project’s development process, the time needed for each step, and the overall available time based on the bound book date
- Outline the process together in a word-editing document; establish checkpoints in the process at which to monitor progress
- Build a schedule together on Excel to match the process; decide the manner in which to track and update the schedule
- Establish the best way to keep track of development costs per project
Content Development
- Analyze a manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses based on a
sample chapter - Analyze an author team’s strengths and weaknesses, and those of contributors based on sample work
- Confirm work allocations based on the strength-and-weakness analysis
- Go over how to provide effective feedback, how much to guide an author or contributor, and how much to fix in a manuscript using the tracking tool
Train editorial assistants to structure their time, resources, and activities for maximum productivity
- Analyze short-, mid-, and long-term goals and estimate time allocations to reach the goals
- Have assistants track their daily activities for a week
- Analyze productivity together, and outline good daily and weekly habits
Example 1 – Time management: Check email first thing in the morning for a half hour, then block off two and a half hours for project work, and check email again a half hour before lunch; being disciplined with email is a good way to get other things done while handling email on a daily basis in a timely manner
Example 2 – Organization: Organize department folders on desktop and server so information is readily accessible by all members of the team; being well organized is the first rule of efficiency
Example 3 – Tracking: Set up a reliable accounting system with a filing system for payables and spreadsheets to track expenses against budget
- Go over manuscript development for any small-market books or supplement packages assistants may be assigned to develop; this entails going over the development process, project schedule, reviews and review summaries, and cost tracking
