XML for the smaller publisherCambridge University Press – Case studyAndy WilliamsManager 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

Print files

XML files

Source files for Adobe eBooks

Final content

approved in

typesetting engine

XML QA

Preflight PDFs

Preflight and link checks

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 3rd parties

Journals workflowAuthor files

Typesetter for

conversion to ‘XML’

Copy editing

Text correction;Page make

up;Proofing

Print files

XML files-- CJML

Web PDFs

Final content

approved in

typesetting engine

XML QA

Preflight PDFs

Preflight PDFs

Convert to NLM

XML

Convert to HTML full text +

NLM headers

3rd parties, e.g. Portico

Cambridge Journals Online

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 WilliamsManager Content Services

&AcPro Production Director – Europe

awilliams@cambridge.org