From Idea to Bookshelf
STEP 6: THE PRODUCTION MANAGER (Ruth Sharvell)
Brief bio
I am the Production Manager at Orion and look after all the trade fiction titles. I have worked here over 14 years. Where did those years go? I previously worked at BCA (Book Club Associates) who used to be one of the biggest book sellers before Amazon! My first job was as a secretary at The Daily Telegraph in Fleet Street. My dad was a printer in the newspaper industry so printing must be in my blood.
Tell us a bit about your job: what does production do?
My role is extremely varied but the words I use to try and explain what production means is project management. It’s essentially managing a title through from the manuscript to the finished books.
Can you tell us about the different stages a book goes through to reach publication
Production take care of the text from the final copy-edited Word document through to a final agreed PDF print-ready file. We will decide with the editor on the best typeface for the text, agree an external typesetter, ensure the pagination is workable (we all know books print conventionally in multiples of 16 pages right?!). The text usually goes through 3-4 rounds of checks and corrections. So firstly to the editor, then proof-reader, and back and forth until we’re happy the text is complete. We also organise the binding material, the cloth for the case, the spine blocking. After our print quantities are agreed and the Art team have finalised the cover or book jacket then we send off the files to the printer. Our main printer is based in Norfolk.
Which other books have you worked on?
I work on all the trade fiction list with authors such as Ian Rankin, Michael Connelly, Cathy Bramley and Cathy Kelly. I’m probably working on 20-30 titles at the same time at various stages through the production process.
Tell us something about The Clockwork Girl.
I absolutely love our cover design for this title and I have been organising the a special edition for Waterstones with stencilled edges which I know will look amazing. I can’t wait to see finished copies.
