Mostly this is commentary on the default LaTeX settings, but.... more
feedback:
- pg. xvi should be truly blank (no need for a folio) --- ditto for
xviii &c.
- Synch .pdf page numbers w/ those used in the text --- either re-
set the page numbering so that roman numerals are used for the pdf
page numbering, or since it's only going to be electronically set
from an entire file, renumber using Arabic numerals from the
beginning --- this latter would mean that Chapter 1 would start on
pg. 21
- pg. 1 --- ``If you sent it to a professional publisher, and if it
were
accepted for publication, it would be edited by a professional
editor, made into a book by a professional designer and set into
type by a professional typesetter.''
I'd say ``...designed by a professional book designer...'' instead
--- in general, they don't make books, only a layout sample and a set
of specifications.
- pg. 2 --- the quote block has an overfull first line --- set it
w/ no indent?
- pg. 3 --- _four_ hyphens in a row! Set the quoted material
smaller or don't indent it so much
- pg. 4 --- I know some professionals who do enjoy indexing....
- pg. 6 & 7 --- list separated from preceding text --- run chapter
(or preceding spread) short or make other adjustment to get at least
two lines from pg. 6 onto pg. 7
- pg. 15 --- two word stack on lines 7 and 8
- pgs. 18 & 19 --- don't allow a colon to fall at the bottom of a
page, separated from the material it precedes
- pg. 24 --- Figure captions are indistinguishable from text ---
set them off somehow
- pg. 25 --- I strongly disagree w/ the recommendation to resample
screen graphics --- see previous discussion on this list
- pg. 28 --- use typographer's, not shilling fraction
- pg. 28 --- don't break between page number and identifier ``page~
\pageref{whatever}
- pg. 29 --- please don't overbox tables --- see the booktabs
documentation for a discussion of this and a good toolkit for setting
nice tables.
- pg. 30 --- please have at least 6 or 7 lines on the last page ---
run the chapter short by a line, or the previous spread long to fix this
- pg. 41 --- (and elsewhere) don't allow a figure to float on a
page like that --- tighten up the preceding text or slightly adjust
the figures to make them fit where they fall.
Throughout:
- use pdftex and the microtype package and hanging punctuation?
- clean up the edges of your screen grabs --- the first one has a
black line to the left, others don't
- spreads don't cross-align --- why not?
- don't allow the last line of a paragraph to be only one word,
esp. a word shorter than the paragraph indent (e.g., ``it'' on pg.
19) --- don't hyphenate the penultimate line of a paragraph (pg. 21)
Using memoir would fix some of the above, but a lot of it would have
to be done by hand.
William
--
William Adams
senior graphic designer
Fry Communications
