This document is sent to authors after their finished MSS have entered production.

Handling Proof
We will send you two sets of page proof, one for marking corrections (to be returned to your MS editor) and the other for completing the indexing. (In the rare case--usually with heavily illustrated MSS--that galleys are generated, you will receive one set of galleys for proofreading, and, some weeks later, you will receive a set of page proof for indexing.) In some cases we will send with the proof a copy of the style sheet used by the copyeditor, which you would also have seen during your review of the edited MS. We allow three weeks for you to read the proof, four weeks if you are also finalizing the index.

The University Press of Virginia cannot provide professional proofreading services, so the responsibility for reading the proof against the MS is yours. We recommend that you read the page proof at least twice.

Proofreading Tasks
During your first pass, compare the proof against the MS character by character, reading all MS pages and all proof pages. At this time, mark any corrections carefully on the proof, distinguishing between printer's errors (PEs--the MS indicates something that has not been duplicated on the proof) and author's alterations (AAs--you correct an error that appeared first in the MS and then in the proof). Specific instructions for marking the proof follow this section.

Make sure that the compositor has set special symbols correctly as on the edited MS, including those added by the copyeditor, such as en dashes. Slightly longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash, the en dash is most often found between digits that express a range, but it can also be used between words, as in "pre-Civil War legislature" which would be set as "pre-Civil War legislature."

Respond to any printer's queries inserted by the compositor; these appear as handwritten or computer-inserted marginal notes on the proof pages. Your in-house editor might have written additional queries on the proof, as well.

While you are proofreading, examine end-of-line hyphenation, which is now computer-produced rather than hand-inserted by the typesetter. To determine the correct division of a word or proper name, consult the most recent editions of Webster's Collegiate, Biographical, and Geographical dictionaries. You might also need to consult foreign-language dictionaries. If we provided you with a photocopy of the MS style sheet, check it for the word divisions you indicated for long foreign words. The proofer's marks handout provides an example of how to mark a "bad break." Indicate the correct hyphenation in the margin next to "BB."

Scan the proof for "stacks," that is, text typed correctly but resulting in the same word falling as either the first or the last word on three (or more) consecutive lines. Lightly circle the words and write "break stack" in the margin. Where you identify four or more stacked hyphens at the end of consecutive lines, do the same. We will ask the compositor to change the letterspacing on these lines to prevent the stack.

Check running heads against the running heads MS page, check that folios progress correctly, supply page numbers for any cross-references, verify note-numbering, and fill in page numbers on the table of contents page. Read chapter titles, subheads, and captions carefully: errors are more likely to slip through in display type than in straight text.

If the notes in your book are to have the text page numbers in the running heads, insert these "fills" now. The first page number in a running head is that for the first note number appearing on that page (disregard a note beginning on the previous page). The second page number in a running head is that for the last note number appearing on that page (this note may carry over to the next page in the notes).

The second time you read the proof, read all proof pages through, comparing them to the MS only to identify additional errors as PEs or AAs: this is your last chance to catch errors, and reading the pages as your readers will is a good way for you to catch mistakes.

Instructions for Marking the Proof
Your MS editor will have sent you a list of proofer's marks. These symbols are standard in U.S. publishing and can be found in dictionaries, such as the most recent Webster's Collegiate, and in style manuals, such as the Chicago Manual of Style, as well as at our web site. Using them as you correct the proof will help us understand your requested corrections.

Do not mark the MS in any way.

Use a pen or pencil in a readily distinguishable color (not black) to make corrections to the page proofs. For every change on the proof, always do two things: (1) add the appropriate symbol in the text itself, and (2) write the correction in the margin of the proof directly opposite (not above or below) the error. If a typeset line requires more than one correction, put the marginal items in order, separating each with a slash (/). If a phrase or line contains so many errors that correction would be complex, cross out all the offending text and write the correct text in the margin.

Of course, all your marks should be completely legible and distinct.

Checking Artwork
The page proofs will contain any art that is to appear in your book (photographs, maps, etc.) as "For Placement Only" (FPO) art. FPO art does not represent the quality of the art that will appear in your book, but you should check it carefully. Proofread typeset captions against the MS copy for accuracy and completeness. Verify that the art is located correctly and that it has not been cropped incorrectly or reversed. If art has been reordered, confirm that the list of illustrations and captions have been corrected.

Proofread all typeset tables carefully against the MS copy. Treat camera-ready tables as FPO art.

Author's Charges
You should clearly correct and then mark all errors made by the printer (that is, the MS is correct but the proof is not) as PEs. Additional changes on proof, however, should be minimal.

Your contract with the Press specifies that you as author are to pay for all AAs above a certain percentage of the total composition cost. Thus, if composition costs $2,000 and if the allowance stipulated in your contract is 5 percent, we absorb the costs of such corrections up to $100, but you as author will be billed for changes in excess of that amount. Typesetters' rates vary, but a single, minor change will cost several dollars. Text changes at this stage can also result in scheduling delays.

Keep in mind that even a small insertion may require resetting an entire paragraph and may even cause repaging (which in turn creates problems with page numbers cited in the index). If an error of fact must be corrected, your change should be exactly the same number of characters and spaces as the deleted text.

Creating the Index
Few authors are not daunted by the simultaneous tasks of reading the page proof and creating the index to their book. This is why we encourage you not to do these simultaneously: get a head start on the index as soon as the MS has been copyedited and transmitted for design and production.

At that time, you can select the terms to be included in the index and set them up in a word-processor file. Bear in mind that terms, names, and titles corrected during editing should be corrected in your index, as well. Be sure to make the same changes in spelling, capitalization, underlining (italicization), and such, as were made during editing. Once you have the page proofs in hand, you need only add the page numbers and print out the final index copy. Our reference for indexing is the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), 14th edition.

Your MS editor should review at least one draft of your index. The page proofs will demand your--and our--full attention when they arrive, so it is important to resolve possible problems with the index well before then.

Whole books are devoted to the steps of creating the index, and we strongly recommend that you refer to a recent book on indexing. Start with the indexing chapter in the CMS (offprints of the indexing chapter, Univ. of Chicago Press, 1993, ISBN 0-226-103-889, can be ordered from your local bookstore for a minimal fee); Nancy C. Mulvany's Indexing Books (Univ. of Chicago Press, 1994) provides even more detailed instructions.

Index Style
Virginia uses letter-by-letter alphabetization of entries and subentries; CMS 17.97 contains a comprehensive explanation of this system.

Subentries may be either alphabetized or arranged in order of page numbers. In literary studies use alphabetical listings.

For main entries, disregard initial prepositions, articles, and conjunctions in the alphabetiza-tion scheme and place these at the end of the entry, preceded by a comma. For a proper name beginning with a preposition, use the alphabetization traditional for that person. For subentries, disregard initial prepositions, articles, and conjunctions in the alphabetization scheme, but retain them in their initial position.

Capitalize the initial letter of an entry only when it is always capped in the text.

Retain all diacritics as in the text.

Use underlining for titles, foreign words, and other words or phrases consistently italicized in the text. Check the edited version of the MS to verify these matters.

Distinguish between consecutive (43, 44, 45) and inclusive (43--45) cites.

Elide continuous page numbers over 99 as follows: 108-9, 163-64, 168-70, 299-301, 1068-70, but 100-102, 200-211. Continuous page numbers under 100 are not elided: 9-18, 71-74.

Use the "run-in" style for subentries (see under Index Examples).

The following run-in styles are used for cross-references:

Note that cross-referenced entries or subentries are not underlined; do underline, however, phrases that do not themselves appear as actual entries or subentries ("names of breeds").

Front matter and bibliographical notes are not usually indexed, although discursive notes should be indexed. We generally prefer that the note number appear when relevant (378 n.12), but we can accept indexes with note number not indicated (378--do not use "n." without the note number if your book has endnotes); in either case, follow one style throughout the index.

If your book is illustrated and the illustrations appear on numbered pages, index the illustrations by underlined numbers. If the illustration pages are unnumbered, use underlined illustration numbers and place such numbers at the end of the appropriate entry or subentry. Create a new line of text before the first index entry stating "Italicized page numbers refer to illustrations" or "Italicized numbers refer to illustration numbers."

Index Examples
Indexes are set in paragraph form, with the subentries run in (continuous with the text), rather than each subentry on a new line. If you have sub-subentries, use em dashes to stand in for the repeated subentry, unless your index contains many sub-subentries. In the latter case, use the indented style only for those entries containing sub-subentries (refer to the CMS indexing chapter). Note the punctuation and the form for continuous numbers in the following example. (Since many of the entries are invented, however, do not use the following as an example of a well-organized, logical index.) Your final index copy must be double-spaced.

Formatting the Index
If you have created the index in a program other than a word processor, convert it to a standard word- processing program. Use your word processor's hanging indent feature for entries of more than one line. The first line should fall at the left margin (1 inch) and other lines in the entry should be indented 1/2 inch. Under NO circumstances should you insert tabs, hard returns, or spaces to achieve this hanging indent. Call your institution's computer help desk or the support line for your software if you need instructions.

Format the index file for 12-point New Courier or another typewriter font (like this) and full double-spacing throughout using one-inch margins; do not divide the index into columns. Set line justification for left only; do not set to full justification (this document has left justification; the right margin is "ragged"). Use underlining, not italics or boldface. Number pages in upper right from "1."

Copy the index file to a diskette. Print the index from the diskette file on a laser printer.

Send us both the hard copy and the electronic file for the index on a disk (on the disk label indicate the word-processing software and version number you used).

To the Freelance Professional Indexer
If the MS has been edited electronically or if the author has input the editorial changes made during copyediting, the author or Press can probably provide you with the edited MS on disk. Ask if you are interested in this.

If you have questions about these instructions, contact the author's editorial liaison at the Press directly; you can get his or her name and office phone number from the author.

Occasionally, freelancers have been successful in FTPing the final PC/IBM index file to the Press. We can accept FTPed indexes only if all coding and formatting transfers intact and only on the approval of the author's editorial liaison at the Press

Sending the Proof and Index to the Press
Return the entire MS and the corrected set of page proof to your MS editor, along with the index MS and the index disk. Keep the duplicate set of proof for your files. Your MS editor will carefully review each page to confirm that all corrections are clear and that they can, in fact, be made. The Press reserves the right to veto editorial or nonessential changes that might delay the production schedule for your book. Your MS editor copyedits the index to ensure that it is styled consistently.

The proof is sent to the typesetter for correction with the index MS for typesetting. Your MS editor reviews corrected proof and the typeset index. Once the pages are sent to the printer, she or he also checks bluelines, F&Gs (folded and gathered sheets), and jacket and case material. After approval of all these things, the pages are printed and the books bound and shipped. You receive your own book shortly after.

Revised 1997