When a product contains illustrations, graphs, and other visuals, a separate file containing them and their related instructions is submitted along with the manuscript. This separate Figures Manuscript can then be shuttled along to the art, permissions, and production departments to do their magic.
Figures might be technical art like a graph, an illustration, or a photo (from a stock agency or original source). The terms figure and visual are often used interchangeably. For each visual in the product, there will be a separate entry in the figures manuscript. Each entry will contain this information:
- a code for the visual or approximate placement
- a description of the content
- a description of the style — photo, tech art, or illustration as well as tone (e.g., cartoon or a realism)
- the approximate size of the finished visual (either in mm or fraction of “page”)
- a sketch, sample or reference visual
Editors work on all manner of “products” including product packaging, books, journals, magazines, clothing, branded swag like pens, patient information sheets, websites, ads, lesson materials, slide sets for speeches and presentations…
Basically, if it has words, editors help with its quality control.
Who Makes the Figures Manuscript?
If the author doesn’t provide one, the developmental (structural or substantive) editor should start it. Sometimes this task is assigned to the copyeditor or member of the production department. When picture research and permissions seeking are needed, the figures manuscript should be provided to those doing the work as early as possible. It can take months! The developmental editor or acquisitions editor will want to contain the art expenses as early as possible in consultation with the author and the production department.
Bottom line: start early!!
What’s in the Code?
This unique code helps everyone involved keep track of the many visuals in production. The code should be unique among all projects. One way of doing that is to include the name of the project in the code, in acronym form. The Science 4 book for North Carolina might then get a code that starts with Sci4NC.
Some production departments like to add a designation to this code that identifies the visual as art, tech art, or photo (a, t, or p). Other production departments create a separate figures manuscript for each type of visual so that they can send separate packages to the artist and photographer—that is, one for photos, one for illustrations, one for pick-ups from other editions/holdings, etc. “Tech art” includes things like bar graphs and flowcharts.
Then, add a number to the code to identify the individual visual. These can simply be assigned in sequence, or divided by chapter: C12.01, for the first visual in chapter 12.
In the end, a code could look like this:
Sci4NC-a-C12.01
What’s in the Rest of the Details
Details save effort (and money) as well as frustration.
Sample or Reference Image
The sample art is the most important content here. Editors need to remember that they are communicating with a visual person in the art/production department, not a word person. The artists will follow the sample more closely than the written description. So be sure to mark up changes on the sample.
The artist or image researcher is not expected to be a content expert! Accurate description (especially if it contains jargon or thechnical terminology) is not as helpful as an accurate sample. They may not know the difference between a plastic and fiberglass kayak, or between a server/waitress and a computer server. Help them by showing what you want!
Size Matters
Include the size of the finished art to avoid getting a full page of detail when there is only room for a quarter-page image, or getting a photo with only enough resolution for a thumbnail.
Content Specifics
Be specific about the content, especially if you’re making an effort to have a balance of genders and ethnicities represented in the book, or if technical precision of the content is important to support the narrative.
| Sample Figures Manuscript |
|---|
| The Really Big Book, by Adrienne Montgomerie |
| Figure RBB01.a.01 — realistic illustration of a Black woman about 40 years old, wearing business attire, typing on her laptop in front of scomputer ervers. ¼ page. Sample provided: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wocintechchat/25392641583/ |
 |
*Note this stock image and many more of women-of-colour working in/with technology are available from WOCinTech Chat free (via CC license) on Flickr.
| Sample Figures Manuscript as Table/Matrix/Spreadsheet |
|---|
| The Really Big Book, by Adrienne Montgomerie |
| Figure code | Photo, tech art, or illustration | Description | Placement | Size | Reference sample | Source | Status |
| RBB 01.a.01 | illustration (realistic) | Black woman about 40 years old, wearing business attire, typing on her laptop in front of computer servers | Ch 1 | 1/4 page |  | https://www.flickr.com/photos/wocintechchat/25392641583/ | need |
| RBB 02.a.01 | illustration (rough comic) | Outline of right-angle triangle with angel wings | Ch 2 | 1/16 page |  | author | provided |
*Production will update the status column as the project progresses, including the status of permissions requests.
Learn more about the steps in the publishing process in the Client Kit.
Cover image of a strip of slide film by jorono from Pixabay.
Do your figures manuscripts handle things differently? Join the discussion over on Bluesky, LinkedIn or one of the many professional editors groups on Discord and Slack.
