Bob, a first-time author, sent me a message with corrections (or edits) to his book’s interior pages.
“Let me know if you have any questions or want to chat on phone about these.”
I was surprised. Why make all these changes now?
The book had been professionally edited and proofread. Just a few weeks earlier, after proofreading, Bob had asked about adding more content, and his copy editor had told him the manuscript was done. So I wasn’t expecting another round of content changes at this stage of book design and production.
I thought the print interior had been approved, so I had proceeded with creating the ebook in Vellum. I sent Bob the EPUB file to review.
Then came the list of changes.
Start with the print version
Based on the edits in Bob’s email, I copied his entire list into a Word document. It was much easier to work from a printed list than to scroll through a long email, so I printed it and started checking off each change.
I opened the print book and looked for the first edit.
It wasn’t there.
Ditto for several more.
One of the instructions said, “Page 7, take out.”
Take out what?
The instructions weren’t clear enough for me to know exactly what needed to be changed.
I replied:
“Received. Your book has been edited and proofread... now more changes? I was ready to upload your book. Had I (and you) known, you should have used Acrobat to indicate the specific changes.”
Clarity?
We scheduled a video chat so we could go through the changes together.
That’s when I discovered another problem.
Bob had used his EPUB file to identify the changes.
Oh, no!
His EPUB file did not match my Vellum file based on page numbers.
That’s because an ebook doesn’t have fixed pages in the same way a print book does. An ebook is essentially one long, flowing document, and the reader can change the font, font size, and other settings. A passage that appears on one screen for one reader may appear somewhere completely different for another.
So if you’re making corrections to an ebook, don’t use page numbers from an EPUB as your reference point.
And don’t worry about large spaces between words in an EPUB. Those can be caused by the way the ebook text is displayed on the reader’s screen.
What exactly needs to be changed?
We had the Vellum file and the print file open while I shared my screen.
One edit on page 6 was particularly confusing:
“add in a second paragraph adapting to adding of occupancy tax, sales taxes. Also use of AI.”
This wasn’t a complete sentence that needed editing. It was a collection of thoughts about information Bob wanted to add.
That’s an important distinction.
Looking back, I think Bob may have been having second thoughts about the book and its content. That’s understandable for a first-time author. As a book gets closer to publication, it’s easy to start wondering, Did I leave something out? Should I explain this more? Should I add one more thing?
The problem is that those thoughts came after the manuscript had already been edited and proofread and the interior was already in the design stage.
Before making revisions to a designed book, the author and designer need to agree on what kind of revisions are being made.
A typo correction? Fine.
Changing a sentence? Fine.
Adding a paragraph? That’s a different animal. 😄
As a book designer, I can make changes to the layout, correct a typo, replace a word, adjust a heading, or make other specific changes you identify.
It’s not my job to write new copy for the book.
Several of Bob’s other edits had similar problems. Instructions such as “state any new...” didn’t tell me what text should actually be added.
Before sending revisions to your book designer, make sure you know exactly what you want changed.
Use Acrobat’s comment tools
After several minutes of frustration, I gave Bob some specific instructions.
Use Acrobat Reader’s comment tools on the print PDF.
I showed him how to use the tools to mark the exact location of a change within the text.
This makes the revision process much easier.
I can see exactly what needs to change, copy and paste replacement text when appropriate, and check off each correction as I complete it.
No guessing. No hunting through emails. No trying to figure out which version of the book an author is looking at.
File management matters, too
During our conversation, Bob asked for the most recent PDF. He said there were too many versions and he wasn’t sure which one to use.
That’s another issue that comes up in book design.
When I send a PDF, I put a version number and the date at the end of the file name. This helps identify which version is which.
Authors should keep those PDFs, but they should also keep them organized. Move older versions into a folder labeled something like Don’t Use – Old Versions and keep the current version in an Approved or Current folder.
That way, when you’re looking at a file several weeks later, you don’t have to wonder, Is this the one I’m supposed to be using?
A smoother revision process
Book design involves a lot of files, revisions, and moving parts. A little organization can save a lot of time and frustration.
When you need to make changes after the book has entered the design stage:
Make sure you’re looking at the correct version of the book.
Use the print PDF when referring to page numbers.
Use Acrobat’s comment tools to identify specific changes.
Tell your designer exactly what text should be changed or added.
Don’t use an EPUB’s page numbers to identify changes.
Keep your PDF versions organized and clearly labeled.
If the book has already been edited and proofread, understand that new copy changes may require another round of proofreading.
Clear instructions make everyone’s job easier — including yours.
And that’s the goal: fewer questions, fewer mistakes, and a smoother path to getting your book published.
One last thought
Getting a book from manuscript to published book is a process, and each person has a role to play. The author, editor, proofreader, and book designer all need to know where one person’s job ends and the next person’s begins.
Good communication makes that process much easier.
And sometimes, the best way to avoid confusion is simply to stop, talk it through, and make sure everyone is looking at the same file.