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Publishing guide
From Manuscript to Retail
The practical checklist Creative Tugs uses to take a manuscript through edit, design, proof, and release.
A book is ready for retail when the text, the package, and the product data agree. This is the order we use.
1. Lock the text
Finish the edit you actually need. Then stop rewriting sentences during layout unless a proof shows a real error. Endless late edits create new typos.
2. Lock the package
Title, subtitle, author name, and series position have to match on the cover, the copyright page, and the retail form. Pick categories a reader would browse, not categories that merely sound impressive.
3. Proof the physical object
Read a printed proof, including the spine. Check page numbers, chapter openers, images, and the barcode safe area. Ebook proofs are a separate read because line lengths change.
4. Release with a narrow plan
Tell the right readers the book exists. A short list of reviewers, a clean author page, and a launch week beat a scattered month of random posts.