Working in LaTeX
Submitting a manuscript in LaTeX
These notes are designed to work alongside the full set of author instructions and, if appropriate, ‘Preparing print-ready files’, and the OUP class file. Note that any instructions given in the OUP class file overrule other author instructions.
When you have completed your manuscript, you need to submit the following files:
| You must supply a final PDF file that exactly mirrors how the final book should look, including all artwork. | |
| .tex | This includes the text for the book |
| .cls | The document class file; this may be one supplied to you by OUP, or your own creation or template. |
| .sty | These are usually short add-on style files containing additional code for things such as artwork, or for changing the design slightly. They overwrite any instructions contained in the class file. Please supply your versions of any of these files used. |
| .log | Contains information such as which version of TeX you are running, and whether you encountered any problems such as missing files |
| .bbl | Please create your bibliography using the Bibtex format, and provide a .bbl file for the references |
| Artwork | Supply all artwork following the Artwork guidelines. For any artwork not created within the LaTeX program you must supply a separate high-resolution figure file (eps, tiff, jpeg) |
Table 7: The files required on submission of a LaTEX manuscript.
Production
All files submitted in LaTeX will be professionally copy-edited. The copy editor’s role is to:
- check that the manuscript is complete
- read through the manuscript for sense, continuity, and consistency
- check for spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes
- implement OUP house style
- mark up the components such as headings, equations, and quotes.
Once copy-editing is complete, there are two avenues your manuscript may take. This will have been decided in advance, in conjunction with your OUP editorial contact.
Option one: You implement the copy editor’s corrections and supply us with print-ready files that meet our specifications (see ‘Preparing print-ready files’).
Option two: The copy-edited manuscript and electronic files are sent to a professional typesetter to implement the corrections and layout changes as required.
Send your OUP editorial contact sample PDF pages as early in the writing process as possible. This will enable OUP to assess whether your files need to be professionally typeset.
You will be asked to check page proofs carefully, answer queries, and mark any corrections either on a hard copy of the proofs or electronically (although not in the LaTeX files themselves). OUP will check corrected pages before the typesetter prepares the final files for printing.
Only essential, minor corrections can be made; extensive corrections at this stage need approval from OUP and the incurred re-typesetting costs may be charged to your royalty account.
Indexing
We can only use your index if the terms are fully coded before the manuscript is submitted; there will not be an opportunity to code your TeX files at the page proofs stage.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to my TeX files at the typesetters?
The typesetter will create a template (class file) based on the specification provided by OUP. Your TeX-coded files are converted to the typesetter’s TeX processing format which enables the typesetter to flow your TeX file into their template.
I have coded some terms in my files—what will happen to them?
If your TeX file has special coding (e.g. so certain terms appear in a different font), this can be brought into the typesetter’s TeX version.
*Tip: Although any tagging should appear automatically in the typesetter’s TeX version, it is useful if you can advise OUP upon delivery if you have used any unusual tagging.
Why do I have to make corrections on a PDF or hardcopy? Why can’t I receive the source files of the proof?
OUP only supplies PDFs and hardcopies for proofing. Providing TeX files at this stage can cause problems for the following reasons:
- Because the files you submit will be converted in the typesetter’s own standard format, this may make them unusable by you. Were you to convert the typesetter’s files into your own format, the typesetter would then need to re-convert them, and we will need to reproof the whole text again. This incurs additional cost and time and is the least efficient means of making corrections.
- When creating the first proofs, the typesetter may integrate figures within the text in EPS and TIFF formats, which may cause difficulty for some authors.
- You may not have the fonts used in the specification provided by OUP.
- It is difficult for the typesetter to track corrections in TeX files.
- The copy-edit occurs only once, before you receive the page proofs. Thus, any inadvertent changes introduced in the source file may not get picked up.
