XML for the smaller publisher

Cambridge University Press – Case study

Andy Williams

Manager Content Services & AcPro Production Director - Europe

Context – Academic & Professional books

• • • • • Approx 1500 new titles per annum XML first workflow for as many as possible – not author-supplied LaTeX – Probably about 65% of the frontlist Since 2001 Single dedicated Academic books DTD (CBML) All front list to Adobe eBooks, bulk of XML titles to Mobi/HTML eBooks

Books workflow

Author files Typesetter for conversion to ‘XML’ Typesetter ouputs files for copy editing -- PDF -- Word -- XML Copy editing Text correction; Page make up; Proofing Final content approved in typesetting engine Preflight and link checks Source files for Adobe eBooks Preflight PDFs Print files XML QA XML files

Context - Journals

• • • • • • 231 journal titles; approx 1,000 issues/annum 204 as XML workflow for full text

All

require XML headers for online platform Scanned archive – references as XML Dedicated journals DTD (informed by NLM but more granular) – CJML NLM used as the ‘transfer’ format to hand to our online platform plus 3 rd parties

Journals workflow

Author files Copy editing Typesetter for conversion to ‘XML’ Text correction; Page make up; Proofing Final content approved in typesetting engine Preflight PDFs Print files Cambridge Journals Online Preflight PDFs Web PDFs XML QA XML files -- CJML Convert to NLM XML Convert to HTML full text + NLM headers 3 rd parties, e.g. Portico

Context – what we’ve already changed

• • • • Single DTD for books and journals didn’t work Single DTD for books doesn’t really work… (monographs, textbooks, MRWs) ‘Standards’ are open to interpretation (e.g. NLM) ‘XML editing’ environment – make more user friendly • Clear, informed, decisions need to be made

Decision points

• • • • • •

Why

– what are the objectives?

What

do you want to get?

When

in the workflow is best for you?

Where

will processing & control be handled?

Who

will do the work?

How

– what workflow, tools and processes?

Why

• • • Benefits to the production process End (and interim) deliverables – Direct -- XML – Indirect -- linking within PDFs Buy in… and understanding – XML is not a magic bullet – There’s XML and there’s XML

What

• • • • • • • Bespoke DTD Standard DTD (TEI, docbook, NLM) No DTD Schema How many?

Who to maintain?

Just XML? Application files, style files?

When

• • • • At start, early, late or back end?

CUP books – before copy editing CUP journals – after copy editing (

cf

RSC) Constraints – Editorial tools – Tradition – Authors – Additional QA – costs

Where

• • • • • In house Out house Offshore Map where you stand today, future reality and draw a route plan Take it steady

Who

• • • • • • XML coding Typesetting/pagination QA Archiving DTD maintenance Associated tools – automated QA and transformations

How

• • Put it all together Do you predicate the supplier workflow and tools, or just the outputs you want?

– InDesign and InCopy – Word templates – LaTeX; 3B2 • Return to beginning – why? Monitor and review and

change

Other lessons learnt

• • • • • • • Drivers and buy in Disruptive Traditional publishing models may not be ideal Support and infrastructure People and cultural issues bigger than technical issues Still need a decent user-friendly editing tool Don’t forget the non-XML titles

Conclusions

• • • Full cost/benefit analysis first – Be clear on the implications (technical resources etc) – “Automated not automatic” Get your ‘customers’ on board Small scale experiments?

• Would we do it now (if we hadn’t already)… – Journals – definitely – ELT – trying to catch up – Academic books – perhaps more selectively

Questions?

Andy Williams

Manager Content Services

&

AcPro Production Director – Europe

[email protected]