Our Process

It takes an experienced and coordinated team to create a professionally produced book. GCG’s team includes your Publishing Consultant, Project Manager, Pre-press Technician, Press Operators, Bindery Specialists and Shipping Managers. We work with you in a coordinated process to make sure that the book you envisioned is the book you receive.

YOUR TEAM WILL INCLUDE:

Publishing Consultant

Your first contact will be with a Publishing Consultant who will walk you through the decision making process to determine the specifications for your printed book and any ancillary services you may require (design, layout, marketing materials, ebook, etc.). Their job is to understand exactly what you want and need and to arrive at the right price for your project. Once they do that, you will receive an estimate and provide your 50% down payment.

Project Manager (PM)

PM’s are the production specialists who follow up on all the details involved in seeing that the various processes involved are scheduled and executed in a timely fashion. Your Project Manager will email your soft proofs (on-screen proofs), mail your hard proofs (text pages, cover samples or your sample book) and answer any questions you may have. If you have changes or additions to the copy you have sent, your PM will verify the information and forward it to the appropriate departments. They will also make sure they understand your timeline and shipping requirements.

Pre-press Technician

The pre-press technician will handle your files and review them to determine if they are press-ready. They are also the people who will make necessary corrections to your text and cover if needed. You will not have direct contact with our specialists, but rest assured we have a very qualified staff who can handle technical issues with your files.

Production Specialists

This is the rest of the crew who will print, UV coat, laminate, cut, bind, package and ship your book. It takes a whole team of experienced people to handle all the necessary steps to get your book done right.

STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL BOOK PRINTING:

Step 1: Publishing Consultant Identifies Your Needs.

Your Publishing Consultant will walk you through the decision making process to determine the specifications for your printed book and any ancillary services you may require (design, layout, marketing materials, ebook, etc.). Your consultant will provide you with an estimate, enter your order, and accept your 50% down payment.

Step 2: Submit Files and Review Order

Next, a Project Manager (PM) will take charge of your book. The PM will download the file (your manuscript) that you electronically send to us then send it on to the pre-press team to review your file. They will also review your order in detail with you to be sure that no details were missed. Your PM will schedule the job to make sure your timeline is met.

Step 3: Preflight the File

Technical Specialists will pre-flight your files to determine if they are press-ready. Press-ready files are properly set up to move from computer to press and meet all the necessary specifications to print, trim and bind properly according to the given specifications on the book order.

If the files are press-ready (90% of the files we receive require some sort of modification to make them press-ready), our Technicians will forward a soft proof (a digital, online proof) to the PM who will send it to you for your verification that nothing you included in the file has been lost or corrupted in transition. It is very important that you carefully inspect this proof since the PM has no hard copy from you to compare it to. You are the only one who knows what should be in the file.

Step 4: Repair the File (if needed)

If your files are NOT press-ready, our Technicians will identify the problems, and where appropriate suggest a remedy. You then have two choices if you decide that changes need to be made: you can fix the problems identified and provide us with a new file OR you can request an additional fee-based service, file repair, or layout design (additional fees will apply in both cases).

Step 5: Send You a Soft Proof

Once we feel the file is ready for the first proof, your PM will send you a soft proof via email (PDF). If the proof is OK, then we go to the next step of a printed proof. If it is not, you will communicate the changes needed with your PM. We will once again quote you the cost to repair the proof. You can choose to have us make the changes or you can re-submit the file. (Additional fees will apply in both cases.)

We will repeat this process as many times as necessary until you are happy and ready to see a printed proof. (If you need to resend files or require us to make changes and additional rounds of proofs, additional charges will apply. You will always be informed of all charges in advance so there are no surprises. Most people choose to allow us to repair the files since this is usually the easiest, most economical and effective fix.)

Step 6: Send Sample Book

Once you approve your PDF proofs, your PM moves your book to the press/bindery department where a sample book will be produced. Note: this is an actual printed sample on the paper we will use to print your final job. Once it is completed, your PM will send that proof book to you for your final approval and answer any questions you may have. If you have changes or additions to the copy you have sent, your PM will verify the information and forward it to the appropriate departments. We will not print until you send us your written approval.

Step 7: Proof Carefully

Proof this book VERY CAREFULLY. This is your last chance to prevent errors from appearing in your book. As a self-publisher, you are responsible for the content of your book. Please take this responsibility very seriously; it will save you money and heartache.

Your sample book will be printed on the exact paper we will use for the job. We want to be sure you are 100% happy with the way it looks before we print the entire job. People catch errors a lot easier when looking at hardcopy vs. computer screens. We have found, over thousands of book jobs, that this is the ONLY way to ensure 100% customer satisfaction.

Step 8: Print and Ship the Book

Once the PM receives your written approval to print the book, the approval will be forwarded to the print department to put the book into production. The printing, bindery and shipping schedule will be set. At this point the PM will notify you of the remaining fees on your invoice and arrange for payment. Please note: books will not be shipped until total payment has been received.

Once final payment is received, we will ship to the locations you desire or we will store the books for you, depending on the arrangement you made at the beginning of the order.