Sunday, January 9, 2011

What are First Pass Pages?



This weekend I received my first pass pages on With A Name Like Love.

If you're like me, you may not have a clue what first pass pages are. Thanks to my discussions with members of both the Class of 2k11 and the Elevensies, I was able to know a bit about them before they came my way.

What are they?

Your formatted book! Up to this point, we've been working off a manuscript. You know, 8x11 regular typed pages.

Now I get to see how it will be formatted...what font they have chosen, how the chapters will be marked.


It's way cool!


It's also my last chance to make any changes and search out any errors. From here, it's almost to print...eek!

so I wanted to share some pics.

the title page above and also a chapter heading. I very much like the slightly modern touch to the script they've chosen on this historical piece. I think it gives the work a fresh look that I hope will appeal to readers.




Questions: have you heard of the term first pass pages...why do they call them that when really it is your LAST pass? Any ideas out there?

22 comments:

Kristal Shaff said...

Very cool.

*sigh*

Just got hit with a hint of jealousy.

Caroline Starr Rose said...

Mine were (maybe still are??) called first design pages. I got them over the phone while a a museum with my boys. Needless to say, I checked out for a few minutes to get all gooey over my lovely May.

Can't wait for With a Name Like Love!

Faith E. Hough said...

So cool! Congratulations!

Cindy R. Wilson said...

Thanks for sharing this with us, Tess! How exciting--I'll bet this makes things even more real. Congratulations!

Unknown said...

Ooh! So neat. I hadn't heard of them either.

jenn said...

How exciting to see your book design!

There is actually a second round of pages to make sure that all corrections/changes made during the first pass have been properly set, but this pass is typically only sent to the production editor/team. (For me, these pages often came in the form of digital files and not hard copy.) And there is also a third check of pages sent from the printer called bluelines. (Nowadays also digital files.)

Each stage of the editing process gets more and more limited with the changes that can be made. After the first pass the only changes to the text would (usually) be typos caught at the last minute by the editor.

Tess said...

Kristal: thanks for coming by...I get that feeling, it's real but know this is 9 years in and three novels for me (the first two sit in a dust pile under my bed). It's a journey for certain!

Caroline: was it so hard to concentrate at the museum?!?!

Faith: thanks...and hello :)

Cindy: yes, more real but it's still 9 months away. some days that seems sooo long.

Karen: glad I'm not the only one.

Jenn: wow, this is super helpful...we just don't know these things till we go through them. thanks SO much for sharing!

Caroline Starr Rose said...

Tess, while looking at my pages on the phone, I may or may not have been waiting for one of my boys to come out of the bathroom. He walked right past me, and I didn't realize it for a few minutes.

Precious said...

Awesome! The font looks cute and curly! :)

Linda Kage said...

Wow, that is so exciting. So are first pass pages like a galley, or is that still to come?

Tess said...

Caroline: haha!

Precious: it is cute and curly, isn't it :)

Linda: no - the galley is the bound copy. those will come in a few months...maybe early spring??

Martin Willoughby said...

Never heard of first pass pages before and now I'm ever so jealous (turns green) of you.

I always thought the galley was the final chance to make changes, so maybe this is your first chance to make changes. But what do I know, I'm not (sigh) published...yet.

Tess said...

Martin: this is my last chance for changes...the editor may make a change after the galley/arc but they try to avoid that as it is costly. and, you will be pub'd my friend...I know it! Besides, you get to be on the stage which was my lifelong dream for many years...*sigh back to you*

Michelle D. Argyle said...

I just finished doing this with MONARCH with Rhemalda Publishing. Super fun! And scary that it's my last chance to make any changes! I was excited that they gave me a say on fonts, etc. Mostly I let them decide. :)

Yours looks absolutely wonderful! I do love that modern touch. :)

Kristen Torres-Toro said...

Never heard of it before... but SO COOL!

Shannon said...

Tess this is so awesome!! I don't know you well, but I am so happy for you! Seriously, this is so cool. Thanks for sharing the pics. Well earned! Congratulations!

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

Very cool, Tess! I love the font. It's perfect!!!

Mary Aalgaard said...

I imagine them to be the first pass through the printer in the form that they'll be published. This is your last chance. That's great. Until I started going to conferences I didn't know the importance and art of the book design. The font is very important. Looks good!

DL Hammons said...

That is WAY cool!! Thanks for sharing your excitement with us. :)

Liana Brooks said...

Awesome! I'm so excited for you!

A.L. Sonnichsen said...

This is so fun!

Thanks for sharing all this with us. I think if I ever am published, getting to this point will be the best day ever. I have a "thing" for fonts and layout. :)

Amy

Tess said...

Glam: seriously? that's so cool! I can't wait to see Monarch as an actual-in-my-hands-novel. It's going to be great!

Kristen: glad I wasn't the only one..thanks :)

Shannon: wow, that is super sweet...thanks for commenting.

Sharon: you've seen the journey and have been such a pal..thanks.

Mary: ahhh...maybe you're right. very insightful, I think.

DL: I'd be so alone w/ out my blogging pals in the process. honestly, no one 'gets' this stuff like other writers do, you know?

Liana: how are you old blogger pal? I've missed your socks!

AL: really? how interesting....and, yes. a good day.