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Old 01-27-2025, 11:22 AM   #1
Kromm
GURPS Line Editor
 
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montrιal, Quιbec
Default GURPS Publication Process

This information originally appeared here, but I think it is of general interest, so I'm sticking it here as well.

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There is a lot of variation in our process flow, but a typical GURPS supplement goes through these steps (bookmark this post!):

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Query: A freelance writer submits a brief letter describing a GURPS supplement they would like to write – most often one from the Warehouse 23 Wish List for GURPS. An editor, usually Steven Marsh or me, reads it. If we like it, the project moves to the next step; if not, it stops here.

Proposal: The freelance writer submits a detailed plan of their project, the most important part of which is an outline. They go back and forth with an editor – just about always me – until either we agree, in which case the project moves to the next step, or we realize that we cannot agree, in which case it stops here.

Contracting: A staff member – normally Steven – negotiates things like page/word count, deadlines, and rates of pay with the freelance writer. If mutually agreeable terms can be reached, they're formalized in a contract; if not, the project stops here. Once the contract is signed, the project moves to the next step (writing should never, ever begin before the contract is signed!).

Writing First Draft: The freelance writer creates their first complete draft, following whatever methodology they prefer (we don't judge). During this time, they often consult with an editor – almost inevitably me – if they have questions about rules, style, formatting, voice, etc. When they submit this, the project moves to the next step.
— This is where the infamous "review queue" lives. —
First-Draft Review: An editor – invariably me of late – reads the first draft closely and writes up detailed comments on voice, structure, presentation, grammar, style, formatting, rules, stats, cross-references, and so on. In principle, rejection could occur, stopping the project here. In practice, we almost always move to the next step.

Writing Second Draft: The freelance writer acts on the first-draft review comments to generate an improved draft for playtesting or peer review. We ask for this to ensure that playtesters or reviewers don't pick at issues that are really editorial and not related to game play. One we receive this, the project moves to the next step.

Playtest Preparation: The editorial team – meaning Steven and me – decides whether the project will be playtested, leading to a call for playtesters, or reviewed by other writers of long association, leading to a peer review. We also decide the schedule for that, and carry out any other tasks required; for a playtest, these include setting up a playtest group. The project can remain queued here for quite a while, awaiting the next step.
— This is where the infamous "playtesting queue" lives. —
Playtesting/Peer Review: The second draft gets a shakedown with either playtesters or peers. These people read it – and ideally use it in a test game or a session of an ongoing campaign – and then send the writer their thoughts on things that need work (changes, additions, or deletions). When this ends, the project moves to the next step.

Writing Final Draft: The freelance writer takes the playtest or review comments into consideration and does one or more passes over their work to implement these ideas and any first-draft review input that wasn't acted upon, and to tidy up their writing to the point where – in their opinion – it could almost be published unedited. When they submit this, the project moves to the next step. In principle, rejection could occur here, too . . . but we've learned not to let anything get this far if it would be rejected!
— This is where the infamous "editorial queue" lives. —
Editing: An editor – most often Nikki or me, occasionally Steven, and most rarely a freelancer – tweaks the final draft to agree fully with SJ Games' writing and technical standards (style, formatting, cross-references, etc.). Strictly speaking, rules and stats should not need checking here; in practice, if the editor is me, it's because the project is "crunchy" and we know that someone (meaning me) has to check math, internal consistency, and rules terminology and references. The project can remain queued here for quite a while, awaiting an editor; once the editor is done, it moves to the next step.
— Everything below qualifies, at least loosely, as "Production." —
— When I am the writer of a short item, it enters the process here, making it much more useful for filling emergency gaps. —
Preliminary Production: A layout expert – always Nikki right now – "pours" the edited draft into a DTP template and creates pages with columns, text boxes, quote and art boxes, footers, page numbers, and all that good stuff. They also insert chapter breaks, adjusting everything to fit onto full pages. And they sandwich the fruits of their labor between endpapers: title page and table of contents placeholder in front, index placeholder and ad in back. Once this is done, the layout wizard generates a PDF and the project moves to the next step.

Preliminary PDF Review: An editor, ideally someone other than the person who edited the project, reviews the PDF. This is a mix of proofreading and checking for layout errors. This step is highly iterative, with several preliminary PDFs being generated and reviewed. We eventually show one or more iterations to the freelance writer to let them make last-minute changes. During this stage, we also ask for art recommendations from everyone involved, and the layout wizard finds and inserts art. Once everybody likes everything, the project moves to the next step.

Final Production: A layout expert – still Nikki most of the time – implements all remaining PDF review comments and finalizes the title page. At this stage, words are firmly associated with pages because we're not going to entertain any further major changes; so, page references ("p. 00s") can be inserted, the table of contents finalized, and the index generated. Once all this is done, the project moves to the next step.

Production Review: Whatever staff member is available – typically Steven, or less often me – verifies that the final PDF is good for release. This is not detailed proofreading or anything of the sort. It is quick eyeballing to catch things that broke during the previous two steps. Once the PDF looks good, the project goes into the release queue, where it can remain for quite a while, awaiting its slot on the schedule.[1]

Printing-Related Tasks: For printed works, see note [2].
— This is where the infamous "release queue" lives. —
Staging: Shortly before the release date, the PDF is send to Warehouse 23, and the machinery of creating a product web page on sjgames.com, a store page on warehouse23.com, various associated graphics, any special ads, etc. is set in motion. It is beyond rare for a project to halt here . . . for all practical purposes, publication is inevitable.

Release: The PDF becomes available on Warehouse 23. We announce this all over the place, including here, the new releases page on Warehouse 23, and the Daily Illuminator – though we usually spread these announcements out to sustain a bit of hype.
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[1] "Scheduling" is NOT a step in the above process. It is a parallel process handled by management in consultation with the editorial staff throughout the above process, with dates assigned as early as the "Contracting" stage and as late as the "Production Review" stage. This variability has to do with writer experience and speed, project length and complexity, the number and timing of available slots, the emergency need to replace publications that fall through, and so on.

[2] If the project will be printed, we have to generate a different PDF optimized for that. A staff member will then have to do "print buying," negotiating things like covers (hard or soft), paper, binding, and printing process (ink, colors, etc.) with printers. There will be a wait while the item is printed and bound, and another while it's shipped. It will eventually still be staged and released on Warehouse 23, but copies will also go into distribution for other sellers, including brick-and-mortar shops. This is another parallel process, and NOT a step in the above process.[3]

[3] Print on demand (POD) can skip a lot of that. A special print-optimized PDF is still required, but this can be sent directly to the POD service. In most cases, the customer decides how they want it printed – though their options will depend on whether we've generated a color PDF, what print-buying options the POD service offers, and so on.
__________________
Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com>
GURPS Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games
My DreamWidth [Just GURPS News]
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