Hi all,
I want to change the wording of a few sentences as well as correct a couple of typos, and add in an endnote.
Is this too much at the stage where you are sent the proofs?
How much can you change at the article proofing stage?
(10 posts) (7 voices)-
Posted 3 years ago #
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Correcting typos is fine. The other changes you have in mind are pushing it. If the changes to wording are very minor, such as replacing one word with another, a couple of those should be o.k. Completely rewriting a sentence and adding a note generally would be viewed as over the line. But...on the last page of your proofs, is there space left, or do you fill the whole page? If there is space, then you can very nicely and very apologetically raise the issues of the sentence changes and the new note. They may say no, but you can try. If your changes would alter the article's length, I think you really shouldn't ask them.
Posted 3 years ago # -
If it's their fault, things could be more flexible. I once insisted on, successfully, adding (back) an entire acknowledgment (5-6 lines of words in Footnote 1) they somehow managed to drop during copy-editing and typesetting.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Well, it would work out to an additional 17 words (spread throughout the paper) ..is that considered unreasonable?
As for the space thing - i don't know yet, i contacted the journal asking if changes are possible at this point. It's in production however, so i figured the next opportunity is at the proof stage.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Just a note from inside the publishing circle. The proofing process is expensive; especially at the point which you indicate your manuscript currently is. Further, as Gaspar noted, pages in the journal are limited, and are also expensive. Admittedly, typesetters make errors when proofing, so you will almost always need to have some minor revisions made regardless (formal modelers and Tex users take special note here). However, you're also indicating that the reader approved the work prior to proofing. If the changes are not in reference to an error made by the typesetters and are simply stylistic, you should tread very carefully when asking. If for instance, there are no other changes required when you get your proofs and you want them to re-run it for 17 words, that's quite unreasonable. If the manuscript is full of errors and your requests are just part of a laundry list, that's something else.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Does the same apply if the word count actually decreases by some as a result of changes?
I.e without adding the additional endnote, my changes make the paper now 10 words lighter than previous
Posted 3 years ago # -
How hard to push depends on what oversight you're trying to correct. A copy editor is a better person to **** off than a tenure letter writer because you were excessively critical of their work. But if you just want to make the argument platonically perfect it probably doesn't matter.
Posted 3 years ago # -
In my experience, it's all about pagination. As long as your changes don't alter the pagination (including not only the length of the piece, but also, for example, shifting notes from one page to the next), then you should be ok.
Posted 3 years ago # -
The journal is probably typesetting your piece with software that does not naturally handle footnotes. Avoid modifying anything that would add or move footnotes/endnotes throughout the document if you do not want the DTP guys to make a voodoo doll for you.
Posted 3 years ago #