The Galley FAQ
What bound galleys are, why you need them, where to get them, and who to send them to.
What is a Galley? What is a Bound Galley?
A galley is simply a collection of unbound signature
pages. A bound galley is a galley that has been bound into book
form. Bound galleys are generally produced
after a manuscript has been typeset but before
proofreading, and are used by publicists
to send to book reviewers, distributors and
book clubs that like to see a copy of the
book three or four months before its official
publication date.
Why are galleys sometimes called Crane's?
The first company to specialize in the production of bound galleys
was Crane Duplicating. The company's site explains
"Priscilla Crane, an imaginative woman
with a background of more than 35 years in
the book publishing trade, set up a small
print shop on Cape Cod and manufactured 15
advance copies of a book for Viking Press.
She was the first to do this, and Crane Duplicating
became the first company whose sole function
was the printing and binding of 'advance
review copies'."
What information should be included in a
galley?
Make sure the galley or bound manuscript
includes information
essential to the book reviewer either on
the cover or first page:
- title
- author
- publication date
- ISBN
- publisher name and contact information
- price
- number of pages
- number of illustrations
- trim size
- distributor and contact
- contact name and information for the publicist
- "Uncorrected proof: do not quote without
prior permission from the publisher."
What's the difference between a bound galley
and an advance reading copy?
When should I send out bound galleys?
How many bound galleys will I need?
For all intents and purposes they are the
same, but some reviewers classify books with
full color covers as ARCs, and those with
plain cardstock covers as galleys.
Most publications require galleys three or four months before the publication date.
Where can I get bound galleys made?
Check with your printer to see how much they
will charge to produce bound galleys for
you. Often they can offer a good price for
galleys. Other companies that can produce
galleys for you are listed below:
www.podwholesale.com
www.deharts.com
www.121direct.net
www.boundgalleys.com
www.netudoc.com
www.countrypressinc.com
www.galleycompany.com
That depends on your book. If it's not the
type of book likely to be reviewed by major
media, you may not need any at all. At the
most, you'll want 25 to 30 copies to send
to prepublication reviewers.
Where should I send them?
Where you send bound galleys depends on the
type and topic of the book you're publishing.
You'll want to send a copy to the major book
clubs in your genre, to major trade magazines
in your topic area, and to any 'movers and
shakers' who might influence sales.
Here are some other likely recipients of
your bound galleys:
by Wendy Woudstra
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