Depending on the book, an index would be amazingly helpful for readers. Writers can hire a professional/freelancer indexer, or think up a list of key phrases/concepts and then 'find all' and note the page numbers for each phrase/concept.
Certainly a helpful resource! Those are hard to work on, because you don't know the page numbers to write until the book has already been typeset at the end of the process.
Your post on LinkedIn got me here. I've been writing for Jewish audiences for 20 years, and I have been working as an editor for nearly 10.
This post is very thorough and demonstrates a lot of knowledge of the publishing process for sefarim! As a copyeditor, I appreciate your distinction between copyeditors & proofreaders! I'd add that in self-publishing, proofreading is often where you mention the straightread. I make clear to clients who plan to self-publish that it's important to do it later because the mechanics of typesetting & laying out a book can introduce new errors.
As a writer primarily of fiction & other narrative forms, I need to clarify several issues that are very different once you step away from sefarim: What you're calling traditional publishing is the traditional way sefarim are published...but it's HYBRID publishing in the larger book world. In true traditional publishing outside creating sefarim, you spend no money out of your pocket & none from donors you solicit. In fact, you might be offered an advance (although these are getting rarer and smaller). The downside for true traditional publication is that it is much more competitive. The publisher will only go with your book if they truly believe that your book will earn back their investment, plus some profit. And more authors will be chasing that publication prize when there's no financial hurdle to jump.
Another addition: For fiction, CNF & kidlit, wait times between preparing your manuscript & publication are usually a year more.
And my last comment: Many serials do eventually become "novelized." It's very beneficial for the author, because we get paid by the magazine up front, and even though we don't get an advance, we can make money on the book form of the project.
I thought you discussed the subject well but I would suggest that your footnote is the key whether you are writing a Sefer in Lashon Hakodesh or what is quaintly called English Judaica .Sefarim that have beginnings middle and end and gas I aging footnotes and references to Mareh Mkomos and Mafteach inyanim and references to Shas Rishonim and Poskim in the table of contents or footnotes or in the rear of the Sefer are hallmarks of a well thought out Sefer
The sefarim of RYBS’s Yahrtzeit shiurim were very well edited. RHS always mentions that Chidushei HaGriz is a much easier Sefer than Chiddushei R Chaim .The sefarim of R Asher Weiss also are well written and edited as are those of R Rimon and R Aryeh Lebowitz. RHS also mentions quite often that as per the family the CC did not write all of the MB but rather a Kollel under his auspices did and that explains many of the contradictions within the MB
Ironically, I had to edit this because my editor wife caught a typo in the second paragraph.
Depending on the book, an index would be amazingly helpful for readers. Writers can hire a professional/freelancer indexer, or think up a list of key phrases/concepts and then 'find all' and note the page numbers for each phrase/concept.
Certainly a helpful resource! Those are hard to work on, because you don't know the page numbers to write until the book has already been typeset at the end of the process.
definitely - save the page numbers for last!
Your post on LinkedIn got me here. I've been writing for Jewish audiences for 20 years, and I have been working as an editor for nearly 10.
This post is very thorough and demonstrates a lot of knowledge of the publishing process for sefarim! As a copyeditor, I appreciate your distinction between copyeditors & proofreaders! I'd add that in self-publishing, proofreading is often where you mention the straightread. I make clear to clients who plan to self-publish that it's important to do it later because the mechanics of typesetting & laying out a book can introduce new errors.
As a writer primarily of fiction & other narrative forms, I need to clarify several issues that are very different once you step away from sefarim: What you're calling traditional publishing is the traditional way sefarim are published...but it's HYBRID publishing in the larger book world. In true traditional publishing outside creating sefarim, you spend no money out of your pocket & none from donors you solicit. In fact, you might be offered an advance (although these are getting rarer and smaller). The downside for true traditional publication is that it is much more competitive. The publisher will only go with your book if they truly believe that your book will earn back their investment, plus some profit. And more authors will be chasing that publication prize when there's no financial hurdle to jump.
Another addition: For fiction, CNF & kidlit, wait times between preparing your manuscript & publication are usually a year more.
And my last comment: Many serials do eventually become "novelized." It's very beneficial for the author, because we get paid by the magazine up front, and even though we don't get an advance, we can make money on the book form of the project.
Thanks for the informative comment! I'm going to add the distinction between seforim publishing and other genres into the post.
I thought you discussed the subject well but I would suggest that your footnote is the key whether you are writing a Sefer in Lashon Hakodesh or what is quaintly called English Judaica .Sefarim that have beginnings middle and end and gas I aging footnotes and references to Mareh Mkomos and Mafteach inyanim and references to Shas Rishonim and Poskim in the table of contents or footnotes or in the rear of the Sefer are hallmarks of a well thought out Sefer
The sefarim of RYBS’s Yahrtzeit shiurim were very well edited. RHS always mentions that Chidushei HaGriz is a much easier Sefer than Chiddushei R Chaim .The sefarim of R Asher Weiss also are well written and edited as are those of R Rimon and R Aryeh Lebowitz. RHS also mentions quite often that as per the family the CC did not write all of the MB but rather a Kollel under his auspices did and that explains many of the contradictions within the MB
Yes, all true - if i write a companion piece about the writing process, i should definitely mention how important these points are
Excellent and informative post. Yashar Koach
thanks - coming from an expert in the field means a lot!