Hi everyone,
        Remember a month or so back when  MJ posted a note from Prentice Hall about
categories of scientific illustration they needed artists for...
        Today I received a phone call from Prentice Hall as an invitation to bid on
a book.
I have never bid on a book, and I'm not exactly sure what I'm dealing with
here.

        They faxed me many sheets of terms and conditions, it's a "work for hire" so
they keep all rights.  When a publisher sends out bids, how many people are
usually competing? What do publishers think like?  What's the view from their
side of the table?
        They have  a seemingly complex system of categorizing drawings, from simple
new art to very complex new art.  Not having received a portion of the
manuscript yet for a sample, I wonder, how do those of you who work with the
publishers even start to make an estimate?  The book has some 250 drawings,
turnaround time about a month.
        Do you work directly with the author, or is it through middlemen?
        Do you have any general feelings and guidelines about these kinds of large
projects?  I asked Cindy, she said it seemed that somehow we are supposed to
be inherently able to understand these jobs, but I'm one who doesn't...
        Thanks-
Darcy