XML for Editors: What you need to know and why you should care

1
XML for Editors What you need to know and why
you should care

• Mike Shatzkin, Laura Dawson,
• and Brian OLeary
• May 28, 2009

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Overview of todays discussion

• What is XML?
• What makes XML useful for publishers?
• How is XML used by publishers?
• What are XML emerging best practices?
• How do we get started with XML?

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In a nutshell, if you need to

• Reduce direct or indirect content costs
• Improve content storage and retrieval
• Make greater use of large-print, POD or ebook
  formats, or
• Get ready for a more robust content marketplace,
  then
• XML can help

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So what is XML?

• Short for extensible markup language
• Uses elements the building blocks of content
  to define the structure of a document
• Can create or adapt elements to capture specific
  niche structures or taxonomies
• Allows publishers to customize the presentation
  of elements across multiple uses

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XML separates content from design
Traditional Print-Centric Approach
Three LinkedElements
Content
Structure
Design
Content and Structure are Linked
Content-Centric Approach
Design is Separate
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Disengaging design increases agility
Book
Structural components of the work are identified
Using DTDs, transforms and style sheets, multiple
formats can be generated from a single source
(file)
Web page
Excerpt
and connected to the content
Aggregation (annual best of publication)
Syndication, more
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So why consider using XML?

• Old channels atrophying, dying
• New channels rising
• A Copernican shift, with IP at the center

• Significant transform costs
• Demand for web-ready marketing content
• Recombinant and chunked content
• Can better link IP and rights

• From process complexity to content agility
• Cost management AND revenue growth
• Different models for different kinds of books

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From process complexity to content agility
Starting point XML transition
Relative process complexity
Write once, read once (single-format delivery)
Relative content agility
Write once, read many (supporting
multiple formats and uses)
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The XML transition challenge

• An investment in content agility
• Requires advance planning
• Requires changes in processes, technologies and
  organizational structures and roles
• Must learn and apply new tools in new ways

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So what should we do?
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History and tradition can guide us

• Editors always owned reader relationships
• Now, tools support more direct engagement
• New tools, (some) new rules
• What should a future workflow look like?

But
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We know where we start
Editors are adept at cultivating the author and
serving as a proxy for the reader
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and what were worried about
New channels and technologies are challenging the
traditional editorial role
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Theres value in an updated model
As tools evolve, editors are finding ways to use
those tools to foster conversations and
engagement around content that had once been
limited to the book.
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We say keep editors at the center
Maintaining and growing the connection between
author and reader remains an editorial role, but
the tools that make that possible are moving
upstream from production, marketing and sales.
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And give them the tools to manage
Migrating to workflows built around XML will make
it possible for editors to manage effectively
across multiple formats, uses and reuses of what
was once the book.
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Estimating XMLs potential benefits
Many


Cookbooks
Religion (esp Bibles)
STM
Education
Business
Travel and tourism
Author or annotated editions
Reference
Tests
Chunks
Fictional series
Travelogues
Historical fiction (opportunity to capture
people, places, events)
Scholarly monographs
Novels
Few or none
Frequency of or potential for reuse
Low
High
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Estimating XMLs potential benefits
Many


Cookbooks
Religion (esp Bibles)
STM
Education
Business
Travel and tourism
Author or annotated editions
Reference
Tests
Chunks
Fictional series
Travelogues
Historical fiction (opportunity to capture
people, places, events)
Scholarly monographs
Novels
Few or none
Frequency of or potential for reuse
Low
High
19
Estimating XMLs potential benefits
Many


Cookbooks
Religion (esp Bibles)
STM
Education
Business
Travel and tourism
Author or annotated editions
Reference
Tests
Chunks
Fictional series
Travelogues
Historical fiction (opportunity to capture
people, places, events)
Scholarly monographs
Novels
Few or none
Frequency of or potential for reuse
Low
High
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Why take this on now?
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From our industry survey

• Everyone sees a value in more formats
• Multiple formats far from under control
• Storage and retrieval is not a science
• Increasingly, editors are looking for the
  flexibility and control that XML can provide

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Content re-use views vary by type
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An upside for more agile content
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A range of views on repurposing
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Expanded edition activity
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Editorial points of view
Findings that Responses
Favored a move to XML 100 noted some or a lot of problems with storage, retrieval 89 note that additional formats take more work 71 plan for more than one use of content 62 get files back from printers to edit or update 53 think about chunking or recombining content No editor felt everything was fine no need to change
Might get in the way Only 12 saw digital publishing as very important to their work Less than a third make all book content searchable online 80 dont know if rights information is part of their XML file 85 dont know if or why they use XML
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How do we get started?
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Migrating to XML Best practices
Acquisition Contracts agreements Editorial Production editorial Operations Marketing sales
Author guidelines Word using XML functionality Keywords (book, chapter) Work with editor to tag and chunk Integrate rights information with content With authors, tag for meaning Confirm additional downstream uses Develop author guidelines Version control Apply style sheets Manage and apply transforms Work with solutions providers to render content Use tags to help target audiences Title-specific SEO/SEM
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Begin with the end in mind
Planning Implementation
Establish and evaluate end-user requirements Assess your processes across functions and handoffs Model both current (operational) and future (strategic) benefits Solicit senior-level support for sustained change Determine the point at which you want to start with XML Obtain and maintain operating buy-in, support and dialogue Rank your key business benefits and measure progress openly Plan for early wins, ideally spread across multiple functions Exploit the value of prototyping Capture and share deep editorial knowledge Foster and communicate objective measurements Capitalize on the value of new, downstream uses
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Commit to sustained change
Planning Implementation
Establish and evaluate end-user requirements Assess your processes across functions and handoffs Model both current (operational) and future (strategic) benefits Solicit senior-level support for sustained change Determine the point at which you want to start with XML Obtain and maintain operating buy-in, support and dialogue Rank your key business benefits and measure progress openly Plan for early wins, ideally spread across multiple functions Exploit the value of prototyping Capture and share deep editorial knowledge Foster and communicate objective measurements Capitalize on the value of new, downstream uses
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Its not (just) about XML
Planning Implementation
Establish and evaluate end-user requirements Assess your processes across functions and handoffs Model both current (operational) and future (strategic) benefits Solicit senior-level support for sustained change Determine the point at which you want to start with XML Obtain and maintain operating buy-in, support and dialogue Rank your key business benefits and measure progress openly Plan for early wins, ideally spread across multiple functions Exploit the value of prototyping Capture and share deep editorial knowledge Foster and communicate objective measurements Capitalize on the value of new, downstream uses
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So if you are looking to
Goal Keep in mind
Streamline ebook production Standard formats, particularly EPUB, exist If you support more than EPUB, buy or create transforms that can be reused across titles
Produce more formats Figure out the formats first (large print, POD, library edition etc.) Buy or develop XSLT and XSL-FO tools that can be shared or easily adapted Simplify make XML files that support seamless downstream use
Improve internal processes Catalog pain points (file maintenance, retrieval, versioning, etc.) Be clear where XML helps (versus workflow improvement alone) Focused projects short or prototyped senior and operating support look for early wins
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Growing your content breadth
Goal Keep in mind
Repurpose content Tie plans back to pain points, where applicable Buy/develop XSLT and XSL-FO tools that can be shared, adapted Simplify make XML files that support seamless downstream use
Create related chunks Capture and share deep editorial knowledge Prototype and test (make many small mistakes, not one big one) Play with pricing where you can (not an XML suggestion, but )
Create expanded editions Survey (be mindful that the expressed need may not be there) Engage both editors and marketing/sales staff (break down silos)
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Useful links

• http//toc.oreilly.com/startwithxml (research
  paper)
• http//www.bisg.org (standards and current
  issues)
• http//www.ipdf.org (standards, EPUB)
• mike_at_idealog.com
• laura_at_ljndawson.com
• brian.oleary_at_magellanmediapartners.com