-
Content creation is a well-rounded career path.
In addition to illustration and the occasional and obviously hand-in-hand addition of print design, I like to mix it up in text. I’m one of those kids who (literally) flipped a coin in deciding whether to major in art or English. In the end, I decided I liked reading according to my own lists—no Beowulf included—and have been a dabbler ever since. I dabble in a lot of things because I’m easily distracted but also enthusiastic about the big picture of publishing. I want to know the language of color correction, at what stage “for placement” becomes the real deal, and whether endpapers are part of the page count. By jumping into the process I have learned a lot of answers to a lot of my questions. And to get back to what’s happening today, I have built up a whole separate resume in copy-editing. I can talk AP versus Chicago, if you absolutely want to. No one would. Beyond the shop talk is the overall goal of communicating clearly. The more ways you know to do that the more effective you can be in utilizing your technical prowess.Today is a proofing day for Carrier Pigeon: Fiction and Fine Art. A quarterly publication is a daunting task, and this publication adds additional challenges by featuring fully illustrated short works of fiction, which means giving the illustrators time to do their jobs. While the illustrators are toiling away at their drawing boards to come up with five to 10 complementary images for each assigned work, I’m busily formatting and copy-editing, going back and forth with the authors to reach approved versions that are clean while maintaining the authors’ voices.Once the designer has laid out the magazine with the approved text and we’re able to see a hard copy it’s time to address issues of consistency across the magazine. This really can’t happen on a screen. In addition to being lucky enough to have had illustrations commissioned for several issues, I act as the gatekeeper where these things are concerned. I hold the proof copy in my hands, scribble notes, twist my fists, go through rounds of changes with the issue designer, and then sleep in the knowledge that everyone’s hard work will pay off and no one will have to bear the public embarrassment of having written “waist” instead of “waste.” Even the tiniest issues with consistency among the punctuation of six pieces of fiction per issue by six writers—plus six artist statements and artwork descriptions—can have an effect on the reading experience, which is as important as the viewing experience. In order for the audience to be immersed, or even, hopefully, once in a while, transported, the whole thing has to be seamless.Below is a sneak peek at the issue, and tiny bits of my work space:
Above, my illustration contribution for Matthew Blair’s short story “Sloth.”
Above, a spread that didn’t need proofing, thanks to the guys at Cannonball Press.
Above, reference notes to back up marks generously applied to the magazine body.
And so it goes.
(Source: carrierpigeonmag.blogspot.com)
Howdy. This is an extension of my portfolio. See the slicked-back version:
