Institute Update Issue 2 - May 2002

‘In-house’ publishing

By Mike Judge

Can you imagine the mail that an MP gets? Can you picture the post that floods a national newspaper? That is why we work hard to make sure our publications are as professional and eye-catching as they can be. Here, in his own words our Publications Manager, Mike Judge, tells us about his work.

The content of our publications is of paramount importance. But how our publications look is important too. Often Christian views are by default dismissed as out of date. In many ways Christians have to be more professional and more creative than others in the way we publish material. The fact is, if a publication looks amateurish then most people assume the same about the content.

We design and lay out our publications ‘in-house’. This keeps costs at a minimum. It also means we retain complete control over our image. And it means that we can respond quickly when an unforeseen issue arises.

Most of the text is written by our hard-working team of researchers. When a first draft has been prepared it is read, re-read and usually goes through several drafts before it is complete. Then a rigorous check of the research material is undertaken to produce a reference file. All our reference material for each publication is kept easily at hand so if, for example, a journalist challenges one of our points we can fax the relevant documents in an instant.

While the final text is being made water-tight, I get to work. I design the publication with computer software known as ‘desktop publishing’ (DTP). We either buy images from professional image libraries or reproduce our own photographs. On occasion we may hire a professional photojournalist. I produce a mock-up copy of the publication using our own colour printer. The mock-up gets handed around the office, and the staff aren’t slow to share their aesthetic views. Their initial reaction is actually a vital part of the process.

When everything has been checked and double-checked a publication can be saved to a disc and collected by our printers. Proofs need to be checked thoroughly – there are numerous technical errors which can creep in at the last moment. When everything has been given the all-clear our printers are given the go-ahead. Days later dozens of boxes of ‘hot-off-the-press’ publications arrive in our cramped offices and a team of mailing volunteers arrive to send them out to journalists, politicians and supporters.

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