Pieces

PubPro 2014: The highlights

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On May 24, 2014, managing editors and publication production professions from BC and Alberta converged at Harbour Centre for the second annual PubPro 2014 unconference, co-hosted by EAC-BC and Publishing at Simon Fraser University. This unstructured event allows attendees to come with presentations and discussion topics and has proven to be an excellent forum for experienced pros to learn from one another. From that pool of ideas, we finalized the day’s agenda at the first session of the morning.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posted highlights from the event thanks to volunteers Megan Brand, Lara Kordic and Lana Okerlund, who kindly took notes in the sessions and reported back on what they learned.

Here’s the first of many summaries:

Indexes in Adobe InDesign Creative Cloud
by Lara Kordic; presented by Judy Dunlop

This session focused on the use of the indexing feature in the recently launched Adobe InDesign Creative Cloud (CC) and included a wider discussion on indexing concerns and workflow issues. Judy Dunlop began the session by asking participants to identify indexing problems they have encountered in the past; she then went through the basic capabilities of InDesign CC and how its indexing feature could be incorporated into the digital workflow. Some index concerns mentioned include the challenge of assessing the quality of an index or potential indexer, tight schedules, and the difficulty of estimating the length of an index before it is created. Although these issues cannot be directly remedied by using InDesign CC, there are certain aspects of the indexing process that can be improved through the use of CC.

As in previous versions of InDesign, CC can generate an index using tags inserted into the electronic file. Unlike previous versions, CC allows indexes to be linked in multiple digital formats, such as PDF, EPUB and HTML. In some ways, indexing with CC requires indexers and publishers to work together more closely than before because the indexer is working directly in the live (InDesign) file, as opposed to a PDF, and may be involved in the proofreading and revising of the index. In addition to being proficient in InDesign and familiar with Creative Cloud, the indexer must be working in the same version of InDesign as the designer because they are working in the same file. The indexer may still use dedicated indexing software (Cindex, Macrex, Sky etc.), which is recommended for more complex indexes, but it is also possible to create the index directly in InDesign, with the indexer editing and revising the index while embedding markers into the document. Overall, the indexing feature in CC is considered to be a step up from previous versions of InDesign. With some training and closer coordination between publisher and indexer, this could become a viable option for many indexing projects.

Image by Megan Brand.

Profiled: Leanne Johnson

 

What do you do work-wise?
I have a lot of jobs these days. My main job is making art. I am a text-based artist, which means I work with words, but I work more like a visual artist than a writer. I began teaching in 2010, and I teach publishing and editing courses at SFU and Langara. I also work as a publishing consultant, most recently, with the Banff Centre Press. Making art, teaching and consulting are often like working on a puzzle. That is what interests me. How to make something work, whether it is a story, a lesson or a business plan, curiosity drives me as well as a need to figure out the shape of things.

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Some perils of self-publishing: Part 2

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by Ben Nuttall-Smith

Here is the second part of Ben’s perilous journey through the labyrinth of self-publishing, from design to promotion and everything in between. Your insight?

Blurbs

I asked some of the published authors I’d befriended over the years to read my manuscript. I’ve had fellow authors blurb (endorse) all my books and I will forever be indebted to every one of them. I have since endorsed other new writers. It’s all in the family and good promotion. My name appears on other book jackets and people might look for my books. Continue reading →

Some perils of self-publishing: Part 1

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intro by Anastasia Koutalianos; piece by Ben Nuttall-Smith.

I met Ben at a writing fair last month and asked if he would be so kind to share his self-published trials and tribulations with WCE. He kindly agreed. So here is part 1 of 2, a cautionary but adventurous tale on the realities set before the indie author. The title says it all…

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You’ve written a book and you’d like to get it published. You’ve heard so many discouraging stories about finding a publisher that you’re ready to give up before the rejection letters pile up. You’ve heard exciting stories about doing it yourself so you decide to self-publish. Continue reading →

The ins & outs of hybrid publishing: An insider’s perspective

intro by Anastasia Koutalianos; piece by Bennett Coles, CEO/publisher of Influence Hybrid Publishing Group (IHPG)

Continuing on with our self-publishing series, Bennett Coles speaks to a new approach for authors and publishers alike: hybrid publishing. Unlike the traditional model, authors must pay around $8000 to get signed on; however, with shared risk comes great rewards including more cash in writers’ pockets. Tit for tat in the world of books, or the new way forward? Share your thoughts.

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Ode to the beta reader: An author’s approach to the editing process

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Intro by Anastasia Koutalianos; article by Martin Crosbie

On March 1st, I attended the Federation of BC Writers’ self-publishing fair. Editors, writers, publishers and aspiring authors filled the room, sharing their tales of woe and joy, and the dreaded review process. This is when editors are needed most, however, with changing times come new approaches. Here is writer and self-published author Martin Crosbie’s take on eBooks and how he goes about his edits. What do you think?

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Once I complete (what I believe to be) my final draft, the same thought always goes through my head. I think to myself, “It isn’t going to need much.” I’m always wrong.

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