Location
San Francisco, CA
Team Size
Sublime Designs Media
2 Editors
2 Proofreaders
Megan Lynch
The State Bar of California
1 Project Manager
25+ Authors
10+ Member Editorial Board
Timeline
January-December, 2008
Services
o Organization & Coordination
o Editing
o Proofreading
o Layout & Cover Design
o Print Management
o Postcard Design
o Advertising Design
The California Guide to Opening & Managing a Law Office is a comprehensive guide for California attorneys. The 600+ pages provide essential information on all aspects of running a law firm, from finances to ethics.
Challenge
As a multi-section project, this book was written by more than 25 authors, all representing different Sections of the State Bar of California. Each author had his/her individual style and approach to writing, making for an uncohesive storyline.
Solution
Megan worked with Tricia Horan, Manager at the State Bar of California, to develop an efficient system of tracking articles and organizing information about each author. In order to stay on top of the book's progess, they established a weekly meeting system. Megan then assembled a team of expert editors, including a substantive legal editor, to comb through the text. After numerous rounds of editing, they were able to to create a consistent style and voice for the book, which brought individual chapters together as a cohesive whole.
Next, Megan created a template for the layout (in additional to designing the cover) and created an inital proof of the book. Her team then proofread the book backward and forward to ensure accuracy and perfection. Megan also worked with the printers to ensure the printing process ran smoothly and according to plan.
The final step was to create marketing materials for the book, including a postcard and print ad that would appear in various State Bar publications.
Results
"I recently had the pleasure of working with Megan Lynch on a very challenging project involving the coordination of over 25 authors. Megan was much more than the designer and editor I thought I was hiring. She was a partner on the project from start to finish; providing me guidance and invaluable assistance working with the authors. She put her heart and soul into the entire project and I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish it without her!"
-- Tricia Horan, Manager
Section Education & Meeting Services
The State Bar of California