This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Summary
Digital publishing is fast becoming a critical requirement for publishers. It’s no longer just a desirable capability; it’s a matter of survival. Most publishers associate digital publishing solely with the production of eBooks and fall short of the mark. The crucial point for publishers today is to prepare their content for multichannel delivery where printed books and eBooks represent two possible delivery channels.
In a traditional publishing workflow, each book or document is created by one author using some form of text editor or word processor. This document is created, edited, and published as one entity, or possibly as a series of chapters, and doesn’t interact with anything else.
The in-house publishing workflow is very similar to the traditional publishing workflow with the exception of the production of eBooks. Publishers use the same publishing software they use for print to publish to an EPUB file.
Recognizing the challenges they face in publishing to multiple channels and the proliferation of devices, some publishers are choosing to use XML in their publishing workflow. “XML early” means converting your content into XML early on in your workflow to enable you to produce content for multiple channels and to easily reuse content.
To take advantage of new digital markets, you must reengineer your processes to create a more flexible and sustainable future. This requires a unified content strategy.
More information on the effective design and creation of eBooks can be found in eBooks 101: The Digital Content Strategy for Reaching Customers Anywhere, Anytime, on Any Device, by Ann Rockley and Charles Cooper.