Organization and administration of journal production in commerical publishing

Two basic systems of organization and administration of a journal production department will be discussed. The first deals with specialization of staff: artists judge and scale art; proofreaders check (but do not read word for word) proof; copy editors with science backgrounds mark manuscripts; production assistants handle traffic and production. Control of schedules and performance is more easily attained under this system, but staff interest lags and frequent turnover results, under the second system, a production editing staff is trained in each of the above areas, thereby enlarging the individual´s scope. The main disadvantage is that considerable increase in staff is required to permit adequate control and coverage. Combination and modification of the two systems are now underway. Other organizational aspects considered are selection of suppliers, cost control, shipping issues by air freight, editorial liaison (in-house and outside), and annual budgets.