Panelists will address the practical application of XML production methods including evaluating your list, how and when to chunk and tag, and working with authors and editors. (Phil Madans, Hachette Book Group)

1. ing
olv
Ev
The Changing Role of
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Authors and Editors
Start With XML
January 13, 2009

2. Hachette Book Group
• Phil Madans, Director of
Publishing Standards
and Practices
• Hachette Book Group is
the North American
division of Hachette Livre
• Publish 600+ titles a year
– General Trade
– Juvenile/Young Adult
– Business
– Christian

3. Adapting to a content-centric editorial
approach
• Expand the editorial vision beyond the printed
page
• Plan for all appropriate formats of the content at
the beginning of the creative process
• Implement a standardized digital production
editorial workflow
• Incorporate contextual xml tagging into the
editorial process
• Extend editorial mark-up to XML
3
Start With XML -- January 13, 2009

4. Extensible Markup Language (XML) is the
digital equivalent of the traditional mark up of a
paper manuscript
Traditional
My Book
My Book = Title
Key
Marking
Chart
= CN Chapter One
Chapter One
= CT
I am Born
I am Born
Standardized list of
elements
Manuscript
Defines style for each
element Page Layout
4
Start With XML -- January 13, 2009

5. Start With
XML
Multiple formats
from one
master file
My Book
<title>My Book<title>
<title>My Book<title>
<chapter_number>Chapt
<chapter_number>Chapter
er One<chapter_number>
One<chapter_number>
Chapter One
<chapter_title>I am
<chapter_title>I am
born<chapter_title>
born<chapter_title> I am Born
My Book
My Book
XML
XML
My Book
Chapter One Page Layout
Chapter
Chapter One
One
I am Born
I am Born
I am Born Web
Phone
Dedicated Reader Large Type
5
Start With XML -- January 13, 2009

6. Challenges presented by Start With XML
• Traditional editorial workflow
– Paper-based
– Non-standardized digital editing on a fraction of manuscripts
– Digital editing skills varies widely
– Standard key-marking charts in use
• Control of key processes, but no ownership
– Most copyediting work outsourced to freelancers
– Most design work done by compositors or freelance designers
– Standard design templates for interior no yet adopted
– Lack of file tagging expertise
6
Start With XML -- January 13, 2009

7. Digital workflows work best with
standardized processes
The goal is a process as
ordered as seven card stud
poker.
The reality is commonly something
closer to fifty-two pick up.

8. Start With XML Pilot Program
• Production Editorial
– Tested several combinations of manual and
automated copyediting and structural tagging
• From current manual process to delivering digital copyedited
and structurally styled Word docs to the compositor
• Editorial
– Piloted digital copyediting using MS Word track
changes
• Authors were asked to work digitally
• Editors testing pen editing on tablet pc’s
8
Start With XML -- January 13, 2009

9. Pilot Findings: Editorial Production
• Editorial Production
– Delivering fully corrected and structurally tagged
manuscripts will result in cost savings and increased
efficiencies
• Design templates for text interiors crucial
– First Pass Pages cleaner than current practice
• Workflow unaffected after ms goes to compositor
– Limited number of freelance copyeditors work
digitally
• More expensive
– Tagging structure in Word a tedious process
• Not an effective use of PE talent
• MS Word Templates not currently an option
9
Start With XML -- January 13, 2009

10. Pilot Findings: Editorial
• Content-centric approach calls for contextual
tagging which should be done by the editor
– Not a radical shift in process
• Editor still shaping content
• Need standard vocabulary for context tagging
– Editorial tagging of files call for better tools
• XML editors are too complicated
• Need ease of use of Word
• Track changes produced mixed results
– Dependent on author’s willingness to use and/or
learn Track Changes
– Difficult to standardize
10
Start With XML -- January 13, 2009

11. Pilot Drove Implementation Roadmap
Content Centric
Print Centric
t
en
m
ple
Im
o
et Content Centric
im
--T
y Design
it
lex
p
m Standard
Co
Contextual
Digital Editing, Vocabulary/
Structural and Taxonomy
Content
Roll out XML
Editorial Tagging
Tagging
Prod
of Content
Design Workflow
Templates
11
Start With XML -- January 13, 2009

12. In Conclusion
• Structural tagging is not an issue
– How much is outsourced or kept in-house depends
on what works best for the Publisher
– Move towards a digital standard is an evolution, not a
revolution
• Editorial must adapt to new environment
– Changing point of view from print-centric to content-
centric is the key
• Books are not defined by their medium
– In digital world, formats do not need to mirror each
other
• Simple, straight forward tools for tagging
content are needed for transition
12
Start With XML -- January 13, 2009

13. Thank You!
Phil Madans
Hachette Book Group
www.hachettebookgroup.com
phil.madans@hbgusa.com