[Kromm]

Or in this case, "only one Nikki."

"Development" is shorthand for what our editors do: Handle queries, proposals, questions that arise during writing, draft reviews, questions that arise from playtesting, and editing. It can include the game design and writing itself. All of the hands-on work this implies is done in unformatted text or using Microsoft Word.

"Production" describes what our production artists do: Lay out the text; design the pages, including headers, footers, fills, bleeds, and page numbers; insert art and diagrams; create a title page (and sometimes a cover), table of contents, and index; and finally turn it all into a PDF. Stuff you'd do in, say, InDesign, or QuarkXPress.

"Production" follows "development," with the exception of last-minute changes made when the writer and editor look at the near-final work of the production artist.

Anyway, I handle "development" but Nikki handles "production." Once I start talking about something being "in production," it's totally out of my hands except from a possible last review of the product ("production review") before we upload it for you to buy.