NAVY CRUISE BOOKS - U.S. Navy Cruise Book Publisher

The following is a basic overview on how to successfully plan your cruise book. To view a more detailed version download the Cruise Book Central Manual in PDF format.

(Note: You must have the free Adobe Reader program installed on your computer in order to view the manual.)

Creating a production timeline for your cruise book will eliminate “last minute mania” and potential production problems. Begin by deciding what date your books must arrive for distribution. This date will determine what date your book must be submitted to the publisher for production.

Keep the timeline simple. It is best to choose a publisher with the fewest deadlines. The fewer the deadlines, the less stress there is. Walter’s Publishing has two submission dates: one to submit the cover design, and one for submitting the pages of the book.

The cruise book is nothing more than a report that includes both text and graphics. Outlining what is to be included eliminates time spent on information that won’t be used. Outlining assures that all the information, memories and crew members are included in your cruise book.

Walter’s Publishing recommends the use of a “Page Ladder” to outline your cruise book.

Start filling in the Page Ladder as early in the cruise as possible. It can be started as soon as the Cruise Book Committee is selected.

The Page Ladder is a very simple device.
See sample to the right.

Page Ladder

Sample Page Ladder

Assign each member of your Cruise Book Committee a book topic for which he or she will be responsible. Splitting responsibilities for assembling appropriate materials for a topic will keep production time to a minimum for everyone on the committee (you can also split editing and
proofing responsibilities to further limit needed man hours for everyone involved).

When a topic is assigned, a completion deadline should be given at the same time. This will stagger the work load for the graphic designer, allow for a smoother work flow and eliminate backlogs of work. Staggered deadlines also will allow a smoother timeline for completing the proofing of the book prior to submission.