Different Workflows for Different Folks

Trade Case Study - Hachette Look beyond the printed page Plan for all types of formats at the beginning of the process Incorporate contextual tagging Extend traditional editorial mark-up to include EPUB/XML

Look beyond the printed page

Plan for all types of formats at the beginning of the process

Incorporate contextual tagging

Extend traditional editorial mark-up to include EPUB/XML

Hachette’s Mark-up Chances are you’re already doing some kind of standard mark-up in copyediting and editorial EPUB/XML is just the digital equivalent XML is text!

Chances are you’re already doing some kind of standard mark-up in copyediting and editorial

EPUB/XML is just the digital equivalent

XML is text!

Hachette: If It’s So Easy, Why Isn’t Everyone Doing It? Editorial is still mostly paper-based Training editors is a difficult prospect Copyediting is outsourced to freelancers Production design is outsourced/offshored General lack of tagging expertise across the board Not many good tools out there

Editorial is still mostly paper-based

Training editors is a difficult prospect

Copyediting is outsourced to freelancers

Production design is outsourced/offshored

General lack of tagging expertise across the board

Not many good tools out there

Hachette’s Conclusion: Standardize, standardize, standardize Do a pilot program first Make Word your friend Use track changes Ask authors to work digitally Test to find a combination of manual and automated tagging processes

Do a pilot program first

Make Word your friend

Use track changes

Ask authors to work digitally

Test to find a combination of manual and automated tagging processes

Results of Hachette Pilot Structurally tagged, EPUB-ready documents result in cost savings/increased efficiency First pass pages are cleaner with the new workflow Freelance copyeditors who work digitally are more expensive Structural tagging in Word is tedious (MS Word templates are not very effective)

Structurally tagged, EPUB-ready documents result in cost savings/increased efficiency

First pass pages are cleaner with the new workflow

Freelance copyeditors who work digitally are more expensive

Structural tagging in Word is tedious (MS Word templates are not very effective)

Hachette Pilot Findings Con’t Need a standard vocabulary for context tagging Better tools required – XML writers (DocBook, etc) are too complicated Track changes as an editorial tool produces mixed results Some authors not willing to change Difficult to standardize

Need a standard vocabulary for context tagging

Better tools required – XML writers (DocBook, etc) are too complicated

Track changes as an editorial tool produces mixed results

Some authors not willing to change

Difficult to standardize

Scholarly Case Study - Wiley Wiley have found that MS Word Templates are effective for them Not highly technical Decoupled from other technology Structural and semantic tagging can be expressed in Word Macros speed up formatting

Wiley have found that MS Word Templates are effective for them

Not highly technical

Decoupled from other technology

Structural and semantic tagging can be expressed in Word

Macros speed up formatting

Wiley Transform to XML Compositors do the converting Add additional tags – rights data, metadata – drawn from Wiley’s own systems Linking between elements Generates an EPUB file and a clean Word document

Compositors do the converting

Add additional tags – rights data, metadata – drawn from Wiley’s own systems

Linking between elements

Generates an EPUB file and a clean Word document

What Works for Wiley Collaboration between Editorial and Production to standardize styles and tags Heavy communication – between departments, among authors, “putting it out there” Monthly roundtables Focusing early efforts on series titles

Collaboration between Editorial and Production to standardize styles and tags

Heavy communication – between departments, among authors, “putting it out there”

Monthly roundtables

Focusing early efforts on series titles

Wiley’s Upsides Workflow efficiencies Clean manuscripts at the end of the process Many points of entry and collaboration in the new workflow

Workflow efficiencies

Clean manuscripts at the end of the process

Many points of entry and collaboration in the new workflow

Recommendations from Wiley Get your head out of the print space An ebook is not a print book Books are not just books – they are paper books, ebooks, chunks, and websites Understand how your compositors work with the EPUB DTD – that will affect how (and what) you deliver to them

Get your head out of the print space

An ebook is not a print book

Books are not just books – they are paper books, ebooks, chunks, and websites

Understand how your compositors work with the EPUB DTD – that will affect how (and what) you deliver to them

Best Practices for EPUB Begin with the end in mind Commit to sustained change Vision, purpose, execution, refinement It’s not (just) about EPUB

Begin with the end in mind

Commit to sustained change

Vision, purpose, execution, refinement

It’s not (just) about EPUB

Begin with the end in mind … Planning Implementation Establish and evaluate end-user requirements Assess your processes across functions and handoffs Model both current (operational) and future (strategic) benefits Solicit senior-level support for sustained change Determine the point at which you want to implement EPUB Obtain and maintain operating buy-in, support and dialogue Rank your key business benefits and measure progress openly Plan for early wins, ideally spread across multiple functions Exploit the value of prototyping Capture and share deep editorial knowledge Foster and communicate objective measurements Capitalize on the value of new, downstream uses

Establish and evaluate end-user requirements

Assess your processes across functions and handoffs

Model both current (operational) and future (strategic) benefits

Solicit senior-level support for sustained change

Determine the point at which you want to implement EPUB

Obtain and maintain operating buy-in, support and dialogue

Rank your key business benefits and measure progress openly

Plan for early wins, ideally spread across multiple functions

Exploit the value of prototyping

Capture and share deep editorial knowledge

Foster and communicate objective measurements

Capitalize on the value of new, downstream uses

Commit to sustained change … Planning Implementation Establish and evaluate end-user requirements Assess your processes across functions and handoffs Model both current (operational) and future (strategic) benefits Solicit senior-level support for sustained change Determine the point at which you want to implement EPUB Obtain and maintain operating buy-in, support and dialogue Rank your key business benefits and measure progress openly Plan for early wins, ideally spread across multiple functions Exploit the value of prototyping Capture and share deep editorial knowledge Foster and communicate objective measurements Capitalize on the value of new, downstream uses

Establish and evaluate end-user requirements

Assess your processes across functions and handoffs

Model both current (operational) and future (strategic) benefits

Solicit senior-level support for sustained change

Determine the point at which you want to implement EPUB

Obtain and maintain operating buy-in, support and dialogue

Rank your key business benefits and measure progress openly

Plan for early wins, ideally spread across multiple functions

Exploit the value of prototyping

Capture and share deep editorial knowledge

Foster and communicate objective measurements

Capitalize on the value of new, downstream uses

It’s not (just) about EPUB … Planning Implementation Establish and evaluate end-user requirements Assess your processes across functions and handoffs Model both current (operational) and future (strategic) benefits Solicit senior-level support for sustained change Determine the point at which you want to implement EPUB Obtain and maintain operating buy-in, support and dialogue Rank your key business benefits and measure progress openly Plan for early wins, ideally spread across multiple functions Exploit the value of prototyping Capture and share deep editorial knowledge Foster and communicate objective measurements Capitalize on the value of new, downstream uses

Establish and evaluate end-user requirements

Assess your processes across functions and handoffs

Model both current (operational) and future (strategic) benefits

Solicit senior-level support for sustained change

Determine the point at which you want to implement EPUB

Obtain and maintain operating buy-in, support and dialogue

Rank your key business benefits and measure progress openly

Plan for early wins, ideally spread across multiple functions

Exploit the value of prototyping

Capture and share deep editorial knowledge

Foster and communicate objective measurements

Capitalize on the value of new, downstream uses

Steps for getting started Needs analysis: establish your current capabilities, needs and long-term goals Gap analysis: identify the gaps between where you are and where you want to be Request for information: Solicit more detailed information about vendor capabilities and costs necessary to accurately determine the scope and budget of your EPUB implementation Vendor evaluation: Review the various products and services on offer and map to your needs

Needs analysis: establish your current capabilities, needs and long-term goals

Gap analysis: identify the gaps between where you are and where you want to be

Request for information: Solicit more detailed information about vendor capabilities and costs necessary to accurately determine the scope and budget of your EPUB implementation

Vendor evaluation: Review the various products and services on offer and map to your needs

Helpful Tools Calibre BookGlutton eCub EPUB Check

Calibre

BookGlutton

eCub

EPUB Check

Calibre Open-source tool Cross-platform – Windows, OS X, Linux TXT and HTML  EPUB conversions Ebook cataloguing system Supports many other conversions 14 input formats 3 output formats Can do bulk conversions Website is difficult to navigate/understand

Open-source tool

Cross-platform – Windows, OS X, Linux

TXT and HTML  EPUB conversions

Ebook cataloguing system

Supports many other conversions

14 input formats

3 output formats

Can do bulk conversions

Website is difficult to navigate/understand

BookGlutton API on the BookGlutton.com website HTML  EPUB conversions Word  HTML  EPUB conversions Accepts only one file at a time – no bulk conversions Extremely simple to use

API on the BookGlutton.com website

HTML  EPUB conversions

Word  HTML  EPUB conversions

Accepts only one file at a time – no bulk conversions

Extremely simple to use

eCub TXT  EPUB (and mobi, with the mobigen application) XHTML  EPUB (and mobi, with the mobigen application) Downloadable app Windows Linux Solaris OS X Unencrypted files only – no DRM

TXT  EPUB (and mobi, with the mobigen application)

XHTML  EPUB (and mobi, with the mobigen application)

Downloadable app

Windows

Linux

Solaris

OS X

Unencrypted files only – no DRM

EPUB Check Validates EPUB files Available from Google Code http://code.google.com/p/epubcheck/

Validates EPUB files

Available from Google Code

http://code.google.com/p/epubcheck/

Vendors that support EPUB Mobipocket (Amazon) Stanza (iPhone) Bookworm Sony Feedbooks O’Reilly’s Safari Fictionwise (Barnes & Noble)

Mobipocket (Amazon)

Stanza (iPhone)

Bookworm

Sony

Feedbooks

O’Reilly’s Safari

Fictionwise (Barnes & Noble)

Useful Resources http://www.idpf.org http://www.epubbooks.com/ http://www.bisg.org http://www.booknetcanada.ca

http://www.idpf.org

http://www.epubbooks.com/

http://www.bisg.org

http://www.booknetcanada.ca

In-Depth Build a digital book with EPUB seminar EPUB resources and guides – comprehensive list from O’Reilly Liza Daly/ThreePress tools

Build a digital book with EPUB seminar

EPUB resources and guides – comprehensive list from O’Reilly

Liza Daly/ThreePress tools

[email_address]