The following is a list of the things I have done/ will do to lay out Schlock Mercenary: The Teraport Wars. The list makes the process look neat and orderly. It isn’t. In reality, multiple steps were all mixed up together as I did parts of step 2 at the same time as step 4 or something like that. (It seemed smart at the time.) This list also makes it look like I could get it all done in a matter of days. Not so. Most of these steps took several days to accomplish. And then there was all that time I spent tearing my hair out in between steps and during steps as I tried to figure out how to make things work. I wish I’d had this list when I started, but I couldn’t have written it then. Anyway, here it is.
1. I started this project with a very minimal knowledge of InDesign. Rather than starting with a fresh document, I pulled open the layout file for the previous Schlock Mercenary book and deleted all the strips from it. This left the blue stripes bordering the pages and the page numbering intact, which was important because I’m still not sure how I would duplicate those.
2. I pull all of the image files for the strips into the “TPW images” folder and start inserting strips into the layout file. Each page can hold four rows. Sundays are generally three rows and must all be on the same page. So page 1 = Sunday, Monday; Page 2 = Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; Page 3 = Saturday, Sunday; Page 4 = Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; Page 5 = Friday, Saturday, and two rows of white space so that the following Sunday can be all on the same page. Or at least that is the theory. Sometimes there are footnotes which must be right underneath the strips they apply to, or Sundays with additional rows, or multi-row weekday strips. So I fiddle with the layout, trying to make as little white space as possible. I also place the divider bars between the strips at this stage and copy all the footnote text into the appropriate spaces. I also make sure that I get the chapter headings correct on all of the pages.
3. Figure out page count. The final page count for the book must be divisible by 16 because the book is bound in 16 page sections. The nearest divisible by 16 number was 224. This left 12 blank pages at the end for Howard to fill with bonus story. This lets Howard get started writing the bonus story.
4. I print out a paper copy and check it against the online archive to make sure I have not missed a strip or put one in the wrong order. I also make notes of which files are missing or damaged. This book was drawn during the span of time when Howard was still refining his process. When he made the web versions of the strip, he also intended to create print resolution ones, but either they didn’t get made or they’ve gone missing since. As I find the broken strips, I make little text notes in the layout file to make sure I remember that a strip goes there rather than margin art. Then I give Howard the (depressingly long) list of strips that need fixing.
5. Find all the sketches and random drawings that Howard did during the course of writing this section of strips. We have a box where we keep this stuff. I sort it by applicable story line and start getting a feel for what I have to work with. This task is not too hard because we did a major sorting off all the art when Howard put out the first book.
6. I take the print out of the book and the stack of art, then I sit down at the kitchen table. It is now time to decide what margin art will go into which blank space. I put a post-it note on the print out listing what art will go there. I put a matching post-it on the art with the page number where it will go. The art then goes into the “to be scanned” folder. Some art obviously needs to go with a certain storyline. I go backwards and forewards through the book and the pile of art gradually assigning spaces to art. I only get about half of the white spaces filled before my brain is exhausted and I can’t do any more.
7. I take the art I’ve selected and scan it into the computer. I then pull it into photo shop to crop and rotate as needed. The black and white pieces get run through a macro that turns the black lines into blue ones. The blue lining was a roadblock in this process for a long time because I had to pin Howard down and get him to help me set up the macro. I re-name the images according to the page numbers that they’ll go on then I drop them into the folders for layout files.
8. I place all the images into their assigned spots. As I do, I notice that some of the images need to be re-cropped or otherwise fixed. I make notes on this. Then I fix them and put them back into the layout.
9. I realize that somewhere in the book I need to have a two page spread for deck plans of the PDCL. I add a page next to one of the blank “chapter end” pages. This bumps everything after it down a page, thus misaligning the right side/ left side chapter headings. I groan at the thought of re-doing them all. But only a few pages down I discover that the page shift has made possible a re-arrangement of a four row Sunday with a footnote. I’m able to create a blank page and then remove it, thus returning harmony to all the chapter headings. I then go through and look with fresh eyes at all the non-strip spaces and make frequent rearrangements to put margin art nearer to strips where it is appropriate, or to prevent there being too much margin art on any one page, or to balance the margin art visually on the page.
10. I print out a new paper copy and repeat steps 7 & 8. This time I fill up almost all of the empty space.
11. The book still has white space in it. I go through and make notes of pictures that I’d like Howard to draw to fill some of the space. I also make notes of “Author’s notes” that I’d like him to write. I talk to Howard about these lists. He has just finished drawing the bonus story, but still has to color it. He also has to check the fixes on all the broken strips. He also needs to draw a cover. All of this, while still maintaining his daily strip.
****this is where I am in the process. What follows is future rather than past *****
12. I comb through the art to see if I can whittle down the list of things I’d like Howard to draw. There is still a big pile of art that is unused. I put these new art selections through steps 7 & 8.
13. I print a paper copy and check the footnote text against what is available online to make sure that it was all copied correctly. This is particularly important because I had a problem with fonts and I think I may have reassigned all the italic fonts to be normal fonts. If I have, I need to put it all back. While I’m at it, I’ll do copy-editing to the text.
14. I put the blue boxes behind all the footnote text.
15. I place the bonus story and repaired strips into the layout.
16. I print a paper copy and double check to see that all the strips are still in the correct order.
17. I spend tedious hours constructing the pipe boxes around the footnotes.
18. We host a copy editing “party” , where we invite people over to read through printouts looking for errors.
19. I fix all the errors they found.
20. Repeat steps 18 & 19. Maybe twice.
21. Do that other thing that I’ve neglected to include in this list because I haven’t figured out what it is yet.
22. The Cover. This should have it’s own list, but I’m tired of listing.
23. Take a deep breath, declare it done. Burn the files to DVD and mail them to the printer.
When the finished books arrive, one of the first things I will find, will be an error. It never fails.
No, it doesn’t sound like it’d all take just a few days. O_O Oy!
Blimey. I guessed it was a lot of work, but that really brings it home. However, they’re worth every cent, and more – I’ll be along with a pre-order as soon as they open, to add this one to the collection. :-).
Is Kiki going to color the bonus story again? I thought it was great that she got involved like that, and it was very nicely done, too!