Publication process
Allocate the appropriate editorial, design, production, and administrative expertise necessary to make each publication effective. Contact the Office of the Yale University Printer or the Yale Publishing Services Center for strategic guidance.
Determining
publication objectives
Key operations of the publication process
Publication resource allocation—examples
Publications support at
Yale
Determining publication objectives
When determining the level of financial and administrative resources to allocate to your publication, consider the following questions:
- Exposure
Who is your audience? Crucial audiences include students, prospective students, and their families; faculty and staff; alumni, including potential and current donors; scholars. - Complexity
How complex is the content of the publication? For example, does it contain data that might better be communicated through graphs, charts, or diagrams? Is it potentially the paradigm of a group of publications for which an expertly designed template would facilitate the design and production of future materials? - Longevity
What is the projected useful life span of the publication? The longer its life, the more clearly it should represent Yale’s best publication efforts.
Key operations of the publication process
The typical publication process involves many steps or “operations,” each of which may be carried out by different people, or by individuals taking on multiple roles. Regardless of who is involved, each operation must be directly addressed.
- Project definition
Establish objectives, audiences, administrative support, budget, and schedule prior to project launch. - Project management
Coordinate all aspects of project including oversight of the operations listed below. Obtain approval from key stakeholders at critical checkpoints. - Content generation and management
Gather all text, illustrations, and data. Edit, proofread, factcheck, and secure permissions for use of copyrighted material. - Graphic design
Give effective, appealing form to project content. - Production
Render the approved publication design in print and/or screen-based form in accord with Yale’s expectations of quality. - Distribution
Deliver finished publication to its intended audiences. Perform fulfillment and inventory functions. - Maintenance
Update Web resources according to schedule. Maintain content and design quality of original release. Maintain standards of each periodical print publication over the life of the publication. - Assessment
Evaluate publication and process. Maintain an archive of projects so that experience gained can inform future publications.
Publication resource allocation—examples
(in increasing order of potential institutional significance)
- Departmental notice (print or e-mail)
exposure: low (in-house audience only); complexity: low; longevity: ephemeral
Should involve minimal design or printing expense. May benefit from being produced from designed standard template. For assistance, contact Yale RIS. - Departmental newsletter (print or Web)
exposure: moderate (limited external audience); complexity: moderate; longevity: ephemeral
Would benefit from thoughtfully designed standard template. For design and production assistance, contact Yale RIS or a PSC-recommended vendor. - Symposium announcement and collateral materials
(print and Web)
exposure: moderate to high; complexity: moderate to high; longevity: some components ephemeral, others archival
Requires high level of editorial, design, and production attention, as publication must both attract the attention of a specific audience and provide program and practical content. For design and production assistance, contact Yale RIS or a PSC-recommended vendor. - Admissions viewbook (print and Web)
exposure: high (crucial audience); complexity: moderate to high (requires expert creation or selection of images and information graphics); longevity: moderate
Requires high level of editorial, design, production, and marketing attention in the first year. Subsequent editions may reuse the original format, but skilled editorial and design resources should be applied to all revisions. For design and production assistance, contact Yale RIS or a PSC-recommended vendor.
Publications support at Yale
For free consultation on graphic design services and application of the Yale visual identity, contact the Office of the Yale University Printer. For free consultation on practical publishing solutions, including a directory of approved publications vendors, contact the Yale Publishing Services Center (psc). For fee-for-service graphic design, printing, and copy services, contact Yale RIS.
