The only way to start on page one is to make the first page active with the type tool. Then be sure you’re searching forward.

Is your entire document threaded? Or are there pages that aren’t threaded? If all threaded, it should go forward and not jump around. If it’s jumping around to various pages, then it seems something is not threaded.

If some are not threaded, search by “story” in the threaded section and not “document.” Then when all those are fixed, search by document for the unthreaded ones.

It shouldn’t be bouncing back to find the next one though, though it should find the next one.

Single document is much easier to me. I frequently do 800+ page books.

Allan–I think they want one document for archiving purposes and also for when they make the eBook. I’m not sure if this is the norm or not, but it’s the rules of some of the major publishers we work with.

I wouldn’t waste money on a 2013 Mac Pro (those are the cone shaped ones, right)?

The new 2017 iMacs are quite the beast. I got the 3.8 ghz one, and popped in the extra ram). I’m surprised that your 2014 Mac Mini was so slow. A gal at work has a Mini (maybe a 2015 or something) and that thing is pretty quick.

I’d go with the iMac (don’t get the low-end one). Go the top tier preconfigured one (the 3.8).

But that’s just me.

I haven’t used a PC or Windows since the 90s.

Joel–unfortunately my boss is on vacation for a week (actually five days), so I may not have a ball park figure.

What kind of computer are you using for InDesign? PC or Mac? How much ram?

At work I only have a mid-2010 iMac with 12 gigs of ram, but it easily handles 400+ pages with hundred of pieces of art.

My home machine (2017 27-inch iMac (48 gigs of ram) is a monster and is amazing.

I know what you mean about the “assisted freelancing.” I did that for a few years and said screw it. I would work 10 hours on a Saturday and see a lousy hundred bucks after taxes. Wasn’t worth my time and effort.

Speaking of Adobes recommended requirements–we have a gal at work who unfortunately on a 2007 iMac with only 2 gigs of ram (max is 3 gigs). Gets stuff done, though it takes 10 minutes to launch ID. Trying to convince the owner to buy her a new iMac.

That’s a good question, Joel.

I freelanced in the past (through my company for some projects) but I got paid hourly (and it wasn’t great money). (I think I only got $20 an hour and after US taxes, the government took almost half, so I quit doing it. Not worth working 8 hours only to see 80 bucks after taxes.

To me, the first thing you want to do is see the design file and the Word file from the author. See exactly what is involved so far as various elements and stuff). Then figure out how many days/hours it would take you do it (approximate).

By the way, do they have an approximate page count?

Then, maybe divide the time you estimated into a certain price per page. It’s kinda like a flat rate, but it’s per page. So if the book ends up bigger, you get more because it’s per page.

Now–what about 2nd, 3rd, and/or 4th passes. You know the authors and editors always make changes.

1) First pass–figure out a price per page. And that price is ONLY for first pass pages.

2) Subsequent passes–either per hour or per correction.

Normally more money is made for the subsequent passes than the first pass. I’m only saying that because first pass is easy compared to when the editors and authors add and delete and change stuff and you have to totally repage the book.

I’ve done first pass pages (from tagging the Word file to laying out and putting in the artwork) in 8 hours. But when it comes back for 2nd pass, it takes me 16 hours to input the changes and repage the damn book.

You want to get paid for subsequent passes!

The company I work for has some pricing stuff, but we work with major publishers. I can check to get you a ball park figure, but we bid on individual jobs at times and they all vary. I can check if you want, just post back and let know.

There shouldn’t be a major reflow issue of reflowing one line. Sure it may reflow for a few pages, but one can easily lose a line by tracking or make a line (depending upon whether the book is going longs or shorts for bad breaks) and get the page break to it’s original break.

I don’t understand why you have problems with running headers on that many chapters. Using the running head variable makes it super-easy.

But I don’t do academic books, so it’s possible you face different challenges.

To Allan: At my company we have to make out file one long document. No books. No separate files. Just one file. That is what many of the major book publishers I work with want and demand. I don’t do many 1,000 page books, but have done a lot of 800+ page books. Sometimes, and I mean sometimes, the publisher will let us break it up into two files. But we have to get permission first.