Master Working Spreadsheet
Understanding our very large spreadsheet
Last updated
Understanding our very large spreadsheet
Last updated
Currently, we manage the editorial process using a Google Sheets spreadsheet. It contains all the information you need to know about who is assigned for each piece, what the deadlines are, author payment information, and article status. See below for an example from the PGND collective (click to expand):
Yes, it's huge, but fairly simple if we break it down into parts! Each row of the spreadsheet corresponds to a specific article. In this section of the spreadsheet, you'll the names of everybody associated with that particular article: lead and co-editors, proofreaders, fact-checkers, and so on. To find their contact information, check out the roster. This is your team! Get to know them well, and communicate early and often.
If the article has been selected for translation, you'll find information on who will be translating the article in the rightmost column shown above. Translations are decided upon collaboratively by the editorial collective, the translation working group, and authors. Typically, we aim to have 3-4 translations of features per issue. Articles can be sent to translators once the fact-checking process has finished.
Lead editors are responsible for keeping their article's row up-to-date. This is done by updating the detailed status column and the status drop-down menu as the article progresses through the editorial pipeline. The drop-down menu has options like "in edits", "sent to EAL review", or "in proofreading". The detailed status cell is the place to write updates like "sent second draft to authors on 6/27" or "waiting for edits due 5/23". Remember, if you have any problems during the editing process, always contact the EAL and ME in addition to updating the detailed status.
The ME will work with the collective to set initial deadlines for each article. Sometimes articles are delayed (or, if we're lucky, early!). In this case, the lead editor should check with the ME or EAL in order to set appropriate deadlines and update the spreadsheet. This is very important as it helps the ME keep tabs of how articles are progressing in order to coordinate between the different stages of the editorial process.
In this spreadsheet, you'll also find details on article types and lengths. It is very important that authors adhere to the word limits, especially if we're going into print. Word counts set the number of pages each article takes, so the page count of each issue depends on word counts for individual articles, as well as the number of articles we're publishing in total.
Articles are typically grouped by type (working group/chapter reports, features, etc). For more information on the magazine departments, see here.
We are always looking to improve this part of the process. If you have any suggestions on how to make this more clear, email the ME (editors@scienceforthepeople.org).
