New Editorial and Publishing Technologies

Carolyn Brown, CPEPUBLISHING CONSULTING

New Editorial and Publishing Technologies

Why should editors care?• Remember when you had to learn to

use a fax machine? Edit on computer?

• The landscape for publishing is changing, and we need to learn and adapt

• You may be a publishing manager, and you want to go in the best direction for the publications you manage

A changing landscapeFrom documents to contentFrom linear processes to collaboration

and repeated loopsFrom one use to reuseFrom print product to multi-platform

delivery

And a transition for content producers

• Content producers — traditional publishers and many non-publishers now producing content — have had to adapt

• Many have some elements of – traditional print-based systems– emerging content-based systems

Traditional print-based systems

• Word document• Circulated by email

Traditional print-based systems

• Revised and commented by others

• Versions saved manually in folder on network

Traditional print-based systems

• Finalized document laid out manually in desktop publishing software

• Images and tables from database data incorporated manually

Traditional print-based systems

• Proofread manually (on paper or PDF)

• Further revisions made manually to page layout

• Printed

Traditional print-based systems

• Cut-and-pasted manually into Web content management system (CMS) or coded manually in HTML

• Further manual revisions in CMS or HTML

• Published on Web site

Emerging content-based systems

• Collaborative Web- or server-based authoring and revision

• Routing to collaborative users andtracking of versions

Emerging content-based systems

• Structured content — text, data, images

• Structure invisible to users• Changes are made to a single,

definitive, updated version• Data and

images updated dynamically

Emerging content-based systems

• Automated, rapid publication to all formats

print layoutPDF

Content HTML e-book mobile

Challenges for content producers

• Content producers need to start or accelerate the transition for many reasons– Complex authoring and revision processes– Remote authors and editors– Speed up production– Avoid errors– Incorporate just-in-time data–More content to produce

but no increase in budget

Common requirements• Documents from many sources need

to be put into a common structure

Common requirements• Writers, reviewers and editors across

the country and around the world working on the same content…

Common requirements• Versions need to be tracked …

• 1• 2• 3• 4• 5

Common requirements• And routed to users

Common requirementsDocuments need to incorporate images…

Common requirements• Or dynamic data from a database

Common requirements• Final documents need to be

published immediately– In print/PDF• Basic format

Common requirements– In print/PDF• Graphic design

(example supplied by The Conference Board of Canada, used with permission)

Common requirements– On a Web site (via CMS or direct to

HTML)

Common requirements– In an e-book format

Common requirements– In a mobile format

SoftwareThese needs are being met through new types of software• Collaborative platforms

• Content management systems (CMS)– Web site CMS

• Drupal – Enterprise CMS

• Hummingbird, Documentum, Alfresco, Open Text

Software– Component CMS• Organizes documents and chunks of

documents• Content is often structured in XML

or a database• “Discovers” similar text in other documents

and coordinates re-use from a single document

Software• Production based on international standards

for digital publishing• Another session on XML — this standard

format can be used by many types of software and files are therefore software-independent

PDF epub XML XSL XSL-FO

Software• Many new products coming from the

desktop publishing world, automating production in several formats

Arbortext Typéfi• Writers and editors may work in

traditional Word files or in XML-based word-processing software

Outcomes• Speed — production reduced to minutes• Accuracy — no more manual corrections• Transparency — paper trail• On time — easier to meet deadlines• Automate manual tasks• Avoid staff costs or

free up staff for higher-value work• Publish simultaneously in all formats• Reuse content• Ease future software migrations

Editors’ brave new world• Editors will work within these new

systems• May be editing in XML-based word-

processing software• Or may be managing publications

through collaborative, single-source workflows

• May suggest modernization to management

• Be the change!