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After an Article or Letter is accepted for publication, it is processed bysubeditors (sometimes called copyeditors), production and art editorsbefore it is published. This document describes what happens duringthis process. In so doing, it identifies common factors that can delayprocessing of manuscripts. If an author can anticipate these factors beforesending the final accepted version of the manuscript, time will be savedand the likelihood of errors reduced.

Titles and first paragraphsSubeditors will change these substantially if they are not in Nature style.They clear changes with the author, but it saves time if the author hasalready written the first paragraph so that someone from another fieldof science would understand it, including sentences of introduction,background to the field, main result, significance of result to the field,general context of the new result (see the information sheet 'How to

construct aNature

summary paragraph').Format and layout of artworkProblems with artwork can occur and can hold up manuscripts whilethey are dealt with, particularly if the person who prepared the figuresand can deal with format queries (often not the corresponding author)is not readily available. Authors can help by ensuring that artwork is incorrect style and format at final submission (see the information sheet'Guide to preparing final artwork'), and that the appropriate contactperson for artwork queries is identified.

Manuscripts with unusual material, such as roll-fold figures, are preparedwell in advance of the proposed publication date, as they can take extratime to process. Authors can help by providing us (at acceptance) withthe contact details of their art department (or other appropriate contact)so we can work with them on production and presentation.

Why we subedit a paperNature and the Nature research journals copyedit (subedit) scientificresearch papers for the following reasons:Tomakethepapermorecomprehensibletothosenotinthe

immediate field.Toensurethatscientifictermsandconceptsareaccurate.Tomakethepaperreadwell,andincorrectEnglish.ToimprovetheclarityofpaperswhoseauthorsarenotnativeEnglish

writers or who are not able with language.Toensureindexingandwebsearchesusingterms,nomenclatureand

citations in the paper are maximally effective.Toenhancereadersexperienceandperceptionofthejournal.Toprovidethebestpossiblepublishingservicetoauthorsamongall

scientific journals.Togivethejournalacohesiveness,asapplyinghousestylegives

regular readers a sense of familiarity in knowing how to expect papersto be presented, and hence aids understanding of papers in unfamiliardisciplines.

Toincreasetheindirectreadershipofdownloadsofthepaperfromexternal databases and search engines by rewriting the abstract to amore accessible form.

Toincreasethereachofthepaperbymakingtheitmoreaccessibleand readable (more people will read it, cite it, more journalists will beinterested in covering it in the media, and so on).

How we subedit a paperFirst we check that we have the correct version to be worked on, and thatfigures,ExtendedDatafiguresandTables,SupplementaryInformationand relevant forms, declarations, and accession numbers are present.Then, the text is edited to house style, ensuring grammatical correctness,

accessibility and clarity, and that acronyms/abbreviations are minimized.Passive voice is edited to active voice if used excessively. Simplicityis introduced where necessary, for example convoluted sentences aresimplified and multiple adjectives deconstructed. References are editedinto style and the order checked.

Checks are made that discrete items of Supplementary Information (forexample, videos) are mentioned at appropriate points in the main text ofthe paper. Checks are made that each figure legend (print-only figuresandExtendedDatafigures)beginswithashorttitle,thatpartlabels(a,b, etc.) correspond to the figure, and that figures and tables (print-onlytablesandExtendedDatatables)arementionedinthetext.Print-onlyfigures(butnotExtendedDatafigures)areeditedtoensuretheyareclear,in style, that any keys are present and that information is not repeated.

After this process, the edited Word document (without figures) is sent tothe author for response to queries and for validation. The corresponding(or other identified) author coordinates the response from all co-authors,and sends us one agreed version. After receipt of author response, thesubeditor inputs the changes and sends the file to the typesetter.

Artwork

Production quality (high-resolution) artwork is required at acceptance(note that prior to acceptance we prefer lower-resolution, smaller filesthat can be easily sent to referees). Art editors work on the electronicartwork(printfiguresonly;ExtendedDatafiguresarenoteditedin-house) according to the mark-up from the subeditors and any authoradvice. Print-quality figures are sent to the typesetter to be combinedwiththetext,andtogethersenttotheauthorasaPDF.

ProofsThecorrespondingauthorreturnsthePDFtoNature after coordinatingwith co-authors. Authors can help by requesting only essential changes (forexample, typos). Authors might think their figures are too small and requestthey are enlarged. This involves negotiation (it is sometimes not possiblefor reasons of space and/or layout), which introduces delay. After thecorresponding author and Nature have agreed all changes, a subeditor reads

the whole proof again and cycles with the typesetter until finally correct.Iftheauthorwantstomakeachangeafterreturningtheproof,anoteaddedinproof ispossibleifthechangeisimportantandiftheproofhasnot been signed-off, but significant changes have to be agreed with thehandling editor so inevitably cause delays.

ExtendedDatafigurelegendsandtablefootnotesaresubeditedtohousestyle and for consistency with the main text and figures; however, the imagescomprising the figures and tables are not edited byNaturesartdepartment.ExtendedDatafiguresandtablesareincludedattheendoftheproofforchecking; the author may resupply these items once when returning proofcorrectionsifthereareinconsistenciesinpresentationbetweentheExtendedDatafiguresandtablesandtheNature-edited print-only figures and tables.

Supplementary Information is not subedited and proofs are not sent outfor checking, so authors should ensure that it is clearly written, succinctly

presented and that the style of terms conforms with the rest of the paper.Duringprocessingforonlinepublication,standardhouseformattingwillbe applied but the contents will be unchanged.

Scheduling for publicationManuscripts are not scheduled for publication until the author returnsthe proof. The editors select the issue from all returned proofs at ameeting two weeks before the publication date. A few manuscripts perweek are scheduled ahead of this meeting if they are part of the advanceonline publication process (authors will previously have been informedif this is the case). For all manuscripts, authors are informed of thepublication date as soon as the paper is scheduled.

Afterscheduling,theissueiscollatedandchecked.Thepagesaresignedoffoneweekbeforetheissueispublished,andnochangesarepossibleafter that time. (Any essential changes will be published in a subsequent

issue as a correction.) The day before publication, the SupplementaryInformation is uploaded and checked. Corresponding authors are sent acomplimentary copy of the printed issue ofNature containing their paperabout 23 weeks after publication.

What happens after acceptance and before publication

Nature guide to authors: Acceptance to publication (Nov12) Information sheet 1b

www.nature.com/nature/authors/get_published

http://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/2c_Summary_para.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/2c_Summary_para.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/2c_Summary_para.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/2c_Summary_para.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/2c_Summary_para.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/3c_Final_artwork.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/nature/authors/get_publishedhttp://www.nature.com/nature/authors/get_publishedhttp://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/3c_Final_artwork.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/2c_Summary_para.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/nature/authors/gta/2c_Summary_para.pdf