The purpose of this article is to review the past and not to praise the things I have written.Technological progress has rendered what was written in the past outdated, it is merely a trivial mark in a process.——The author speaks
Mao Huayang, edited
Chongqing Publishing House, March 1990
ISBN 7-5366-1009-2/F.46
This is the first book I wrote, totaling 280,000 words.
The book was completed on July 9, 1988, and published in March 1990 after being submitted to the publisher.
In 1987, I had the idea of publishing a book. In that era, publishing a book was extremely difficult. As others said, I was daring to think. At that time, the average speed from submission to publication was 3 years.
I bought more than 40 copies of 200×200 square paper and started writing. At that time, the text was written on square paper, and the programs were printed out on the computer, pasted on top, and the illustrations were hand-drawn.
Halfway through writing the book, I copied the outline many times and sent it to more than 10 publishers, most of which fell silent without feedback. Coincidentally, Chongqing Publishing House was organizing a series of books on the application of computers in management, and upon seeing my submission letter, they replied. After a face-to-face meeting, we confirmed the publishing. The original title was “The Application of Microcomputers in Accounting,” which was changed to “The Application of Microcomputers in Accounting Statistics” based on the publisher’s suggestion, and the content was adjusted accordingly.
After writing intermittently for several months, I finally completed it in July 1988. The book only came out in 1990. This is my first book, very hard work, 280,000 words, rewritten three times on manuscript paper, each time was a complete rewrite. I drew all the illustrations myself; at that time, the illustrations needed to be drawn on tracing paper with a drawing pen, and the text above needed to be recorded separately, then taken to a special place for typesetting, and the resulting text was like a photograph, then cut out from the photo paper and pasted onto the drawing’s tracing paper. The printing plant used this illustration for typesetting, and when typesetting the book, the illustrations were embedded in the relevant text positions. I truly experienced the cumbersome and inconvenient nature of movable type printing. Since the content involved programs, there were many English letters, and the typesetters were reluctant to typeset; I stayed at the Chongqing Xinhua Printing Factory for a week before the book was finally typeset.
Below is a detailed explanation on one page:
The three lines above and the five lines below are typeset according to the main text, which is arranged one by one with lead letters.
The middle part is the illustration.
The basic steps for the illustrations are as follows: ① First draw a standard illustration on paper, which is similar to the effect of the above illustration. ② Record the Chinese, English, and symbols in the illustration on a separate piece of paper. ③ Collect all the Chinese, English, and symbols in the illustrations, for example, how many “is” are needed, how many “work” characters are needed, how many “?” marks are needed, and so on. Then go to the 7th Printing Factory in Chongqing to have them typeset, just like taking a photo, for example, giving you 23 “is” characters, etc. I remember it was either 5 cents or 1 dime per character. After giving it to them, I would go back a week later to pick it up. ④ Buy special tracing paper for drawing and related drawing pens, and special ink. Then draw the illustration on the tracing paper, only drawing the illustration without text or symbols. ⑤ After completing the drawing, cut and paste the retrieved text (the text is like a black-and-white photograph) onto the drawing; once pasted correctly, the illustration is complete. If a character is missing, I have to go back to the printing factory to have it typeset again. There is a number on the top to determine where it should be placed. ⑥ The printing factory processes each illustration separately, using photography, sulfuric acid, or some other acid to corrode the areas without lines or text, leaving the lines and text unchanged, thus completing the illustration’s typesetting.
During typesetting, the illustrations are placed in the determined positions in the manuscript, and the main text and illustrations are typeset together.
After all the typesetting is done, a test print is carried out, and the printed version is compared with the original manuscript. Any errors require changing the relevant characters. The typesetting work is considered complete only when it is correct.
Then, the paper shape is poured, which involves pressing a specially prepared paper onto the typeset version, essentially leaving an embossed impression. The first printing uses the typeset version for printing. For reprints, lead water is poured into the paper shape, and once solidified, it becomes the printing plate.
The terms I used to describe this are certainly not professional; it’s roughly like this, but in reality, it is much more complex.
Therefore, it is extremely difficult for a book to come out, and it is very natural that publishing is hard. Moreover, the workload is large, and the cost is high. This process was later replaced by the Peking University Founder System, greatly improving efficiency.
This book of mine was published using the movable type printing method invented by Bi Sheng. Subsequent books have all been typeset by computer. This experience is unforgettable for a lifetime.
Before this, I had never written a book. After completing the first draft, I gave it to editor Zhao Wenlin, an experienced colleague who carefully guided me on how to use editing symbols. I am really grateful to him. Through this publication, I mastered the basic writing methods, editing methods, and other things that I previously did not know.
Editing, like teaching, is also a human ladder, achieving others while burning oneself. Salute to publishing workers who work in editing jobs.
Below are these symbols for reference. Now when I look at others’ edited manuscripts, I can tell if they have been trained just by looking at the symbols they edited. Editing symbols are the universal language of manuscript revision.
Looking back at this book now, I have mixed feelings, and that’s it…