Manuscript Proofing

Preprint Review of Your Grolier Club Publication, June 2026 

Authors are responsible for ensuring that the print-ready text is as accurate and free of errors as possible. To assist you in this process, the Grolier Club has put together this checklist. Please note that this is not intended to be exhaustive. You should read the entire text carefully. It is very easy and common for things to get missed, or to be dropped off, during the design process.  

If possible, have someone you trust proof the copyedited and formatted text, as it is difficult to proofread your own work. 

Front and Back Covers 

N.B. You must send the front and back covers of your book to the Publications Manager and Arnold Hirshon (ahirshon@bookartisan.com) before your book goes to the printer. 

Before signing off on the cover, check the following: 

• Are the title and author(s)’ names spelled correctly? Has anything (e.g., a coauthor’s name or a middle initial) been omitted? If the author(s) and title are included on the spine and back cover, as well as on the front cover, are they correctly spelled in all 3 places?

• Has the barcode been incorporated into the design of the back cover, or have you arranged with the printer to have it affixed to the back cover using easily removeable labels?

• Are all elements, such as a descriptive blurb or endorsement, free of errors?

Frontmatter 

Before signing off on the frontmatter, check the following:

• Half title and title pages: Are the author(s)’ names (including the presence of a middle initial), the book title, and any other relevant information included and spelled correctly? 

• If the Grolier Club is publishing your book, is that information included in the frontmatter? If the book is a copublication, are both publishers identified? 

• Has the ISBN been added to the front matter? Usually, it is placed on the copyright page, but if your book does not have a traditional copyright page, it may be added to the title page or some other page in the frontmatter. 

• Dedication: If the book has a dedication, has it been included? 

• Table of Contents: Is this complete, that is, does it include not only the chapter titles but any other elements, such as a bibliography or index? Does the spelling of the chapter titles and authors’ names match those in the main text exactly? Do the page numbers in the table of contents correspond to the text? 

Text 

Continuity

• Check the page-to-page continuity, making sure that one page leads to the next, with no text deleted or repeated.

• Check the page numbering. 

Illustrations

• Are the illustrations all included and numbered sequentially? Are they placed on or near the page on which they are discussed? 

• Has the correct caption been placed with each illustration? 

• If an illustration is cross-referenced in the text, is it identified by the correct number? 

Footnotes and Endnotes 

• Are both the note references and the notes themselves numbered sequentially? 

• Do the notes and the note references correspond? 

• Is the citation style consistent throughout? 

Bibliography/Works Cited and Index 

• Do the spellings of authors’ names and titles in the bibliography and index match the text? 

• For Works Cited, have you included everything referenced in the text? 

• Do the page numbers in the index correspond with the text? 

• Is the citation style consistent?