How we work with specialists
The right person for the right part of the book.
A good publishing service should know what it can do well and where specialist expertise matters.
Does Quill & Reed edit and illustrate books itself?
Quill & Reed coordinates the publishing project and brings in specialist collaborators — editors, proofreaders, illustrators and designers — where a book needs them. Each piece of specialist work is scoped, quoted and approved by the author before it is commissioned.
Why specialists
Publishing is several disciplines, not one
One person should not pretend to be world-class at all of these. We work with, and are building, a carefully selected network of specialist collaborators.
- Structural editing
- Copy editing
- Proofreading
- Illustration
- Cover design
- Typesetting
- Ebook production
- Metadata
- Marketing
- Websites
Editors
Editorial specialists
- Developmental editors
- Structure, pacing, character, argument and the shape of the whole book.
- Copy editors
- Clarity, consistency, grammar and style at sentence level.
- Proofreaders
- A final check of typeset pages for errors.
- Genre or subject experience
- Matched where relevant — a children’s text and a technical book need different eyes.
Illustrators
Illustration
Our illustration network is being built around the kinds of work books most often need. We will not show names or portfolios until real collaborators are in place.
- Children’s books
- Fantasy and speculative fiction
- Maps
- Technical diagrams
- Graphic and comic styles
Designers
Cover and production design
Cover work may involve specialist visual designers. Production may involve typography, print layout, ebook formatting, image handling and technical cover setup for each printer’s specifications.
Later
Audio and translation, in future
In future, the specialist network may extend to audiobook narrators, audio production and translation. These are not active services yet.
The process
How a specialist relationship works
- 01
Quill & Reed identifies the need
- 02
Scope is defined
- 03
A suitable specialist is selected
- 04
The author approves the quote
- 05
Work is commissioned
- 06
Quill & Reed manages communication and timeline
- 07
The author reviews relevant outputs
- 08
Revisions are managed
- 09
Final files are integrated into the publishing project
Coordination
One project. One main point of contact.
An author should not have to coordinate an editor, designer, illustrator, formatter, publisher and website developer separately. Project coordination is part of what Quill & Reed provides.
Quality
What we are responsible for
We manage the parts of the process that most often go wrong between specialists. We cannot guarantee that no specialist will ever make an error — but we are responsible for catching and resolving issues through the process.
- Brief quality
- Deadlines
- Version control
- Feedback
- Approvals
- Final production integration
Rights
Rights in commissioned work
Rights in commissioned artwork and design must be agreed clearly, in writing, before work begins. Arrangements vary; we do not assume every commission involves a full copyright assignment.
- Copyright
- Usage
- Cover rights
- Promotional use
- Territory
- Duration, where relevant
Your own specialists
Bringing your own editor, illustrator or designer
Authors may already work with an editor, illustrator, designer or photographer. We can review whether the supplied work fits production requirements, and work alongside them. We will not insist on replacing someone simply because we did not source them.
Collaborators
Interested in working with Quill & Reed?
We are interested in hearing from editors, proofreaders, illustrators, cover designers, book designers and, in future, narrators. Please get in touch with a short introduction and examples of your work.