Inside novum – Part I: From manuscript to conclusion of contract

In our series “Inside novum” we would like to treat you, dear readers, with an exclusive insight into our daily business: In a publishing house like ours there is always something going on; from our daily team meetings, to proof readings, quality checkups, appointments and talks with our authors. To get a little insight into the bustle of life in the publishing industry, in the first part of our new series, we from novum publishing summed up the process from the moment we receive the manuscript right until the contract is brought to a conclusion.

In anticipation and with a hearty dose of excitement our team members await the incoming of new manuscripts every day. Despite of the prevalence of emails in our digital age, a proud number of manuscripts still is delivered to our doorstep by post. Yet even everything that reaches us via email or fax is to be handled by our manuscript section first, undergoing a diligent comprehensive checkup. Only contentually comprehensive manuscripts can be taken into consideration for publication.

As we do not limit us and our published authors to a certain genre, our publishing houses’ portfolio is boasting an extensive span of fiction, nonfiction, children’s – and young literature, fantasy, thrillers, biographies, collections of poetry and cookbooks.  Everyday we receive numerous manuscripts eagerly awaiting examination. In the course of a day or two after the manuscript has reached our hands, the texts  are roughly skimmed in a first run, and if it is met with approval and positive resonance, the first hurdle has already been taken successfully.

Examination for eligibility of publication

After the first phase of examination has been completed successfully, authors will receive a questionnaire in which they are kindly asked to provide the relevant information and data for further examination such as personal data, images, specific questions pertaining the text, preferred genre, fact or fiction. With the completed questionnaire having reached the halls of the publishing house, it is handed over to our trusted editorial office. Based on an assortment of various criteria, it is there that a thorough examination of the text will show its eligibility for publication. This examination process will take longer than the first checkup and can take up to three weeks.

Personal offer

In case of a positive result of the examination, the publisher or the chief editing office receives a recommendation for the publication of the manuscript. This recommendation is in turn followed up by a lucid publishing contract that indicates the possibility of publication in a thoroughly transparent and detailed way and sent to the author with all additional information. The author is invited to take his time getting acquainted with the terms and conditions of the publishing contract and left to decide whether he wants to embark on the exciting publishing journey. Any questions left unanswered are gladly dealt with by our publisher and our editor-in-chief anytime via telephone or email.

If the examination by the editing office should turn out to be negative, the author will be notified accordingly. In this case, the manuscript will in turn be deleted or returned to sender, depending on the type of submission. As soon as the author reaches his decision to publish his book with us, that is the sign for the exciting production process to commence – more on that topic is to be revealed in the second part of our series “inside novum”.

Keep writing, keep typing!

Yours truly,

novum publishing