XML for the smaller publisher Cambridge University Press – Case study Andy Williams Manager Content Services & AcPro Production Director - Europe Simple overview of what we do Some lessons we’ve learnt and hence changes from our first model Decision process we’d recommend if starting from scratch Internal review – we need to be asking ourselves the same questions

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 Early adopter Many 1,000s of books now stored as XML

Books workflow XML pre copy editing Use the typesetter/coder to pre-edit and mark up Attempt to link bibliographic and other references so copy editor merely spot checks Theoretically reduce the copy editors ‘tedious’ tasks Delivers ‘linked’ PDFs as well as print PDFs It has its problems – copy editorial ‘environment’, apparent delay to the author of getting to copy editing etc

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 NLM main DTD and header DTDs both used as transfer formats

Journals workflow Out house copy editing of author files

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 CamML – single DTD – too unwieldy and so flexible that no longer imposing a structure Books come in many different forms Driven by ELT developing wider range of DTDs to suit their content needs, which overlap with Academic textbooks NLM as interpreted by Highwire not as we interpret

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 Some benefits of creating a standard process for the ‘factory’ even if not using the final output e.g. all operators and processing with in the typesetting workflow using a standard input (once XML created)

What Bespoke DTD Standard DTD (TEI, docbook, NLM) No DTD Schema How many? Who to maintain? Just XML? Application files, style files? Bespoke – CBML; CJML Standard – TEI very broad; NLM for journals No DTD – ELT and ‘dirty XML’ from InDesign – well formed – minimise pain and disruption now and put off till actually need, and know what doing with it Schemas for publishers… probably too complicated for our poor brains Who – outside consultants (costs and knowledge); in house (costs); flexibility to change, response to queries Do you want the typesetting style files as well so that able to re-use the XML directly for a 2nd edition etc?

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 Constraints Word the standard authoring tool; maybe nearer to real XML handling Copy editors functions – are they happy to devolve the ‘tedious’ stuff ‘Structuring’ function – doesn’t currently exist QA – need to be able to monitor and assess supplier performance

Where In house Out house Offshore Map where you stand today, future reality and draw a route plan Take it steady Cambridge triple whammy – from in house typesetting to offshore and XML at once! Likely to be offshore for cost Perhaps learn lessons of offshoring first – get current process working before moving to XML workflow ELT experience – using our major AcPro book supplier still big struggle to develop the functional relationship without XML

Who XML coding Typesetting/pagination QA Archiving DTD maintenance Associated tools – automated QA and transformations Considerable infrastructure may be associated Especially QA of suppliers Ensuring the XML is worth having Storing the XML Responding to coding queries, adapting DTD Understanding and maintaining software tools needed to run QA etc Cambridge have dedicated team in Content Services

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 Choose your pathway Keep checking why you are doing it, and hence whether what you are doing is relevant Modify/change Don’t let the delivery of XML become an end in itself

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 Where Cambridge got it wrong Driven by a ‘vision’ and technical ability – but customers (editors) not ready Impacts the WHOLE publishing process (not just behind the closed doors of production) and so get entire company buy in If setting up a publisher now and writing job descriptions probably not the same as we currently have Those titles or journals not suited to XML workflow mustn’t be forgotten, solutions for processing and hence not disenfranchising them need to be kept in mind

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 awilliams@cambridge.org