I can write a book about it!

Finding balance

I like to think along with publishers about how they want to format their books. I see a clear trend: costs must be reduced, freedom and creativity must be maintained and, above all, the quality must be impeccable. The key question is often: how do we get this done?

Formatting automatically then? From my experience within Crius Group I would like to tell you more about this. After all, I have noticed that there are many misunderstandings in this area. But also because I am sure that it can really contribute to what you are looking for.
But ... how far do you want to go? This does not necessarily mean that your pages are completely formatted without manual work. Partly is of course also possible. It's about the balance.

What does this mean exactly?

Traditions need to be honered

Many still work in a more or less traditional way. It works some or how like this:

• The preparation of the manuscript often still takes place by means of formatting codes. These determine the function of a paragraph (titles, body text, quotes, etc.).
• This manuscript, together with the publisher's instructions, are the guiding principle for the proof layout.
• After approval of this, the typesetter will prepare the manuscript manually. This results in the first proof being sent to the publisher.
• Any corrections are indicated by the publisher on the first proof and sent to the typesetter. He will then process the corrections in the open file. This cycle can be repeated several times. We then speak of a second, third and / or multiple proofs.
• If the proof is error-free, the editor requests a print-ready file.

If desired, a conversion to ePub can also be made. The PDF is usually taken as the basis for this conversion.

For the record, there is of course nothing wrong with this way of working. Certainly not if the production costs fall within the budget and everyone is satisfied with the quality.

It could go different!

The range of books with different types of content is of course huge. In addition, each publisher looks different at the way in which a book should be created. Streamlining a production process does not always mean a 100% automated process. Sometimes we have to be satisfied with a result of 60, 70 or 80%. This is for the creativity or simply because the costs do not outweigh the benefits. This consideration must always be made. Books with many images, frameworks, footnotes, quotes, registers, etc. are more difficult to automate than, for example, a novel. But the basis remains the same every time. It must be cheaper, more efficient and without loss of quality.

For every publisher there is a suitable way to streamline the layout process. But there is no uniform process that works for all publishers. Everyone works in a different way and has their own objectives. This is why there are always differences. Brepols Publishers is a good example. We have worked out a joint process here that takes into account the specific content and the way in which it must be shown.

And then there is Core

For publishers of primarily fiction books, it is a different story. A more or less similar approach is possible here. That is why I am so enthusiastic about Core. With Core you can realize a significant saving. The solution was developed by Crius Group and facilitates all the steps of traditional putting into one online system. The editors can do a lot themselves with CORE. This has already been proven at Overamstel Publishers, for example, and later also at VBK Uitgeversgroep.