For those of you who have heard the term "galley" but aren't sure what
it means, I am going to answer these burning questions: What is a Galley?
Why do I need one? Where do I get one? What do I do with one?
Here goes...
A galley is basically an advance reading copy of your manuscript. It can
be unbound or bound into book form. Bound galleys are usually prepared
after a manuscript has been typeset, but before proofreading. Galleys are
used for promotion and are sent to book reviewers and distributors before
the manuscript is published.
There is essential information that should be included in the galley:
The title, author, publication date, ISBN, number of pages, number of
illustrations, trim size, publisher name and contact information,
distributor name and contact information, publicist name and contact
information, price. It should also state, "Uncorrected proof: do not
quote without prior permission from the publisher". This information
should be on the cover or on the first page.
If your book is not likely to be reviewed by the major media, you
probably do not need a galley. It will depend on the type of book you
are publishing. If your manuscript is such that you want reviews from
major publications you should send copies to trade magazines in
your topic area, book clubs tht deal with your genre, and to
anyone else that might have an influence on the sales of your book.
To obtain galleys for your manuscript, check with local printers to see
how much they would charge to produce bound galleys for you. Generally
speaking, you would want 25 to 30 copies. Keep in mind, most reviewers or
distributors will require galleys three to four months before the
publication date.
©2002 Diane Thomas
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