Checklist category
Production Files & Advance Copies
The files and copies everything else is made from: approved cover art you are allowed to use, a galley or advance copy that carries the right information, a plan for who gets a review copy and how, and a finished book you have actually held and inspected. Ebook and audiobook editions get their own checks, because a broken link or a missing accessibility record only shows up in the finished file.
The tasks in Production Files & Advance Copies
3 tasks, 14 steps
Collect the final cover assets
3 stepsYou hold the final cover files at full resolution, you know who to credit, and you know what you are allowed to use them for. Every listing, media kit, and event poster comes from these files.
CoreTwelve to six months before publication, as soon as the cover is approvedPublisher and Author and Designer or producerSomeone else normally owns it. Get an answer, then record it.Design or production
Plan and manage advance copies
6 stepsYou know when a galley will exist, what it will say on it, how many you have, and who is getting one. Trade review deadlines are set against the advance copy, not the finished book, so this is what decides whether a submission is even possible.
RecommendedTwelve to six months before publication, ahead of every review deadlinePublisher and Author and PublicistSomeone else normally owns it. Get an answer, then record it.Design or production, Publicity or marketing
Inspect every finished format
5 stepsYou have held, opened, and checked a finished copy of every format you are publishing, not a proof and not a preview. Barcodes, prices, links, navigation, and credits are the things nobody notices until a reader does.
CoreAs soon as finished copies and final files exist, before launch weekAuthor and Publisher and Designer or producerYou normally do this yourself.Design or production
Common questions
Why do I need the high-resolution file if the store already shows the cover?
Because you will be asked for it by media, booksellers, event organizers, and award programs, usually at short notice. A screenshot of a store page is not a usable file.
From Collect the final cover assets.
Do I have the right to use the cover art anywhere?
Not always. Cover art is often licensed, and the licence can limit merchandise, large-format printing, or reuse after the book goes out of print. Ask what the licence covers and keep the answer in writing.
From Collect the final cover assets.
What is a jacket spread?
The full front, spine, and back as one image. Useful for print features and displays, and not always something you are permitted to distribute, so ask first.
From Collect the final cover assets.
What is an ARC?
An advance reading copy, sometimes called a galley: an early, usually uncorrected version sent to reviewers, booksellers, and librarians before publication. Most trade review outlets will only consider a book from one.
From Plan and manage advance copies.
What has to be printed on it?
At minimum that it is an uncorrected proof, the publication date, the identifier, the price, the format, and a publicity contact. Reviewers use that block to decide whether they can cover the book at all.
From Plan and manage advance copies.
Digital or physical copies?
Both exist, and some outlets accept only one. Decide per outlet before you print anything, because physical copies cost real money and postage.
From Plan and manage advance copies.
What am I actually looking for in a printed copy?
The barcode and price, the spine, the copyright page, the index if there is one, and any printed links. These are the details that were correct in the file and can still be wrong in the book.
From Inspect every finished format.
What does an accessible ebook mean?
A file readers using assistive technology can actually navigate: real headings, image descriptions, correct reading order, and accessibility information recorded in the metadata so stores can display it. Requirements in some markets are tightening, so treat it as part of production.
From Inspect every finished format.
My book is print only. Does this still apply?
The ebook and audiobook subtasks stay out of your way unless you selected those formats. The printed inspection applies to any printed edition.
From Inspect every finished format.