TechBooks

Earlier this week, leading society publisher Blackwell Publishing announced the selection of Techbooks, with whom the company has had a relationship for several years, to digitize hundreds of journals as part of the publisher’s Journal Backfile Digitization Program. Alan Bacon, Blackwell’s head of production systems, spent time with Extra! discussing the role Techbooks will play in Blackwell’s latest ambitious initiative. Extra!: What was involved in the vendor-selection process? What specifically were you looking for and what about Techbooks made for a good fit? Bacon: We moved to offshore typesetting vendors in 2002 of whom Techbooks was one. ... At the time, backfile digitization was very

WASHINGTON -- It’s tough to select the top news originating at Book Expo 2006, held May 18-21 at The Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., especially when you brush sleeves with the likes of Newt Gingrich (who was there signing his new book “The Creator’s Gifts,” published by Integrity Publishing), and Queen Latifa, who gave the keynote address for the African American Book Industry Professionals program ... and when you brush fur with a dancing dog, who pirouetted (really) to help promote the forthcoming book “Dancing With Dogs,” published by Thunder Bay Press. But since it would be impractical to list everything notable, here

Not even a George Clooney sighting could disrupt the 2006 Book Business Conference and Expo, which took place March 20-22 at the Hilton New York. The celebrity was filming his latest picture just feet away from the conference’s registration area and—predictably—attracted all sorts of ogling from attendees and passers-by, but it was the conference and expo that were the stars of the week. Much like the industry it serves, the conference found itself in an unprecedented state of evolution when it kicked off on Monday, March 20. In its 10th year and amid revolutionary changes in the world of book publishing, this year’s conference

As publishers continuously seek to cut costs, many are exploring sourcing work overseas—from manufacturing to content management services, among other tasks. If you're considering this, arm yourself with the information you need to evaluate potential partners and determine whether an overseas partnership will work for you. BookTech Magazine asked industry experts with experience in evaluating offshore partners and working overseas in different capacities to share their tips: Determining if offshoring is right for you. To determine whether you will benefit from manufacturing offshore, consider: 1 If you're publishing one-color trade paperbacks or four-color jobs that can run on a U.S. web press, stay

As publishers continuously seek to cut costs, many are exploring sourcing work overseas—from manufacturing to content management services, among other tasks. If you're considering this, arm yourself with the information you need to evaluate potential partners and determine whether an overseas partnership will work for you. BookTech Magazine asked industry experts with experience in evaluating offshore partners and working overseas in different capacities to share their tips: Determining if offshoring is right for you To determine whether you will benefit from manufacturing offshore, consider: 1 If you're publishing one-color trade paperbacks or four-color jobs that can run on a U.S. web press, stay

No region in the world is safe from piracy. That's the conclusion of Patricia Judd, executive director of international copyright enforcement and trade policy at the Association of American Publishers (AAP) in Washington, D.C. "Piracy is a worldwide phenomenon," Judd says. The AAP estimates losses to its members of more than $600 million a year in about 67 markets across the globe. As more book publishers explore their offshore book manufacturing options, foreign book manufacturers are boosting efforts to lure American publishers. It's all in the name of lowering costs. But does this offshore manufacturing activity put publishers at an increased risk of

Offshoring has taken on new meaning in recent years. The Web, electronic file transfer, advancements in foreign technology and faster, better ways to communicate globally have all stirred the waters of opportunity for tapping the American marketplace from overseas. A global marketplace has swelled beyond what many expected. For some, this means greater opportunity, savings and growth. For others, it means the promise of more jobless Americans, more abandoned factories, more unfair labor competition. For many book publishers, specifically, it means more options for manufacturing books cost-effectively. It means new options for digital content creation, design and editorial. It means increased profitability, growth

Move XML to the front-end of workflows, and your publishing organization will reap the maximum benefit when producing, re-purposing or managing content. Organizations are struggling to produce and repurpose increasing volumes of content. Many use XML to deliver content in an expanding variety of formats required for Internet, Web, wireless and other media. A surprising few are employing XML early enough in the production process to reap the full benefits of this powerful technology. Only 5% to 10% of book publishers, for example, use front-end XML workflows today. That means the majority of publishers using XML do so only on the back-end of their production processes. Their

Frank Romano isn't shy. In fact, Rochester Institute of Technology's chairman of the School of Printing has never been hesitant about putting speeches where his beliefs are. And at BookTech's 2002 conference and expo, he was true to form. During the show's keynote address, Romano argued the provocative case between Random House and RosettaBooks, first as a signal that digital content is becoming increasingly popular, and second, as a way to compare print with e-media. "What's the difference between an e-book and an e-magazine?" Romano asked. "They're both packaged information delivered in some form to you. A Web site is

"Why XML?" is the key to two panel presentations planned by TechBooks' CTO Gurvinder Batra who will moderate the North American Publishing Company's panel on Digital Workflow at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 11 at BookTech 2002in New York. Later in the same day (3 p.m.-4 p.m.), he will participate on a panel about XML as a publishing standard and the key to the industry's future.   A sought after speaker and commentator on publishing technology, Batra says that almost half of all TechBooks' customers are using an XML process to generate new revenue channels and reduce publishing costs.   XML processes speed production and improve accuracy, says Batra,