Simplifying e-book and print production

While XML-based single source publishing is a powerful tool for streamlining the book publishing industry, it may not be the right one for every sector of the industry. For an industry that is part cultural and part industrial, the traditional workflow allows for creativity at every stage and this craft focus still deserves a place in defining how the industry functions. With simple and familiar tools, it can be possible to integrate elements of old and new principles to create a workflow that is streamlined and advantageous without being too radical a shift in practice. This article describes the factors that are important to creating publications in both digital and physical formats.