12:46 pm, March 7, 2008
WHAT a week. I knew press week for the first issue was going to be tough, but this tough? Give me a break! Days have started at 8am and finished around midnight. The fact I’m writing this at 6.15pm on a Friday night is because I feel I should be doing something.
I’ve spent the day proofing pages, uploading documents to the printers, checking and double checking PDFs and eventually signing off the final proofs. It’s all done online via a fancy system – but uploading 88mb of pages took a while!
About an hour ago, I uploaded the very final corrected PDFs (I spotted a couple of minor problems in the final stages) and then I called the printer. Uttering the words I never thought I would: ‘I’ve just signed off the last pages for the first issue of Car Dealer’ It was done.
I should be relieved, but now the worries have set in. Have I done everything? Did I check every last thing? As with any printed product there’s always the chance that errors slip through the net, but I can try and rest easy in the knowledge there’s nothing more I could have done to stop it!
Anyway, I’m rambling (again). What you really want to know is when you’ll get your first issue. Well, because it’s the first issue my printers have built in a bit of extra time for ‘complications’, so the plates will be made up over the weekend, and the presses roll on Tuesday.
It then has to be perfect bound and bagged with the address carrier sheet over the following two days and is sent out next Friday. You’ll see your issue sometime the week beginning March 17.
I don’t have to send over the subscription database to the printers until Monday, so if you want to fill in your details before 11am on Monday I’ll make sure they’re added and you’ll get the first issue. Remember, it’s completely free!
Right, now I’m going to have my first Friday night off for a month and celebrate with the boss (wife) at the local Chinese with some crispy duck and cold beer. They’ll have to kick me out.
Have a good weekend.
James
