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Re[4]: Your new book

From: Jonathan Gennick <jonathan_at_gennick.com>
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 06:19:25 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.005D419C.20031023061925@fatcity.com>


Thursday, October 23, 2003, 8:49:29 AM, you wrote:

TW> and why? if the math was needed to make the point
TW> without spending twice the amount of words, why did they
TW> think the readers would understand that fact at least
TW> even if they didn't completely follow the math? sorry i
TW> guess i just don't understand.

It was all our own inadequacy, having nothing to do with readers. We weren't collectively prepared to handle the level of math that Cary put in his book. Our tools weren't up to the task. We couldn't take Cary's equations from Word and build them in Frame, which is the tool our production people use for page layout. In the end, Cary had to supply many of the equations as graphics that we embedded into the text. Then there are all those Greek letters. We had to buy a new font for those, and I know buying a new font sounds simple, but it apparently brought some complication to someone, and the amount of people-time it took to push that font purchase through was quite substantial as well.

Publishers aren't magical. They all optimize their tools, processes, and people for the types of book they most often publish. In our case, Cary's book came along and broke the model.

I probably overstated the case a bit in my earlier note, but it is true that the level of math caused a fair bit of consternation. Let me point out though, that in the end we did what it took to keep the math intact and get the book out.

We learned a lot in the process too. I know enough now that I'm sure the next such book will fly through the production process much more easily than this first one.

Best regards,

Jonathan Gennick --- Brighten the corner where you are http://Gennick.com * 906.387.1698 * mailto:jonathan@gennick.com

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Author: Jonathan Gennick
  INET: jonathan_at_gennick.com

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