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New Directions in Scholarly Publishing Seminar

Westchester

by Hugh Shiebler, Director, Client Solutions

Hugh ShieblerAs Alvin Toffler wrote over fifty years ago, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” The ever-quickening pace of change – and the necessity of adapting to that change – was a main theme of the New Directions in Scholarly Publishing Seminar, held October 4-5, 2023 and hosted by the Society for Scholarly Publishing. I attended both days of this year’s seminar, titled “Navigating the Shifting Sands: Managing Disruptions in Scholarly Communications.” The timeliness and depth of the presentations was matched by the quality of the questions asked, resulting in a lively dialogue.

picture of Society of Scholarly Publishing conference attendees sitting at tables in a conference room, looking at pulldown screens containing information about a session topic.Discussions about artificial intelligence (AI) threaded through most of the presentations. Sessions such as “New Directions in Research Integrity: Values to Value in Research Publishing” and “Authorship in the Age of AI” emphasized embracing new technologies as tools without compromising one’s values or losing touch with the human elements that make scholarly publishing what it is. Dr. Rebecca Brendel, the Director of the Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School, delivered the keynote address, “New Directions in Research Integrity: Values to Value in Research and Publishing.” Dr. Brendel reminded all of us that integrity in research depends upon the integrity of individual researchers, administrators, and publishers. And, that core values such as honesty and transparency will be even more critical as AI continues to pervade the research and publication processes. Following the keynote address, Simone Taylor, the Publisher of the American Psychiatric Association, moderated a discussion with Dr. Brendel.

You may have seen our recent blog post on AI or my colleague’s appearance on a recent podcast discussing our view on how to integrate it into publishing workflows. We’re excited about the potential to continue expanding our offerings and ways we can help publishers.

by Tyler M. Carey, Chief Revenue Officer

headshot of Tyler Carey2023 has been another busy year here at US employee-owned Westchester Publishing Services, as we continue to expand our stateside and offshore operations to further support our clients’ editorial and production needs. In addition to our standard editorial and production work, we are supporting numerous clients who are expressing increased interest in scanning backlist titles, print-on-demand file requirements, accessible ePubs, developmental editing, permissions, and author support tasks.  Across our global operations based in the US, UK, and India, we now support approximately 600 clients around the world. We appreciate the feedback from these partners that has helped us better understand how we can work with publishers and content providers to resolve their problems and deliver quality publications to their readers. 

To best support both client growth and the additional services we are providing, we announced two promotions earlier this Summer.  Deb Taylor has been promoted to our Chief Operations Officer, and Christober Masilamani has been promoted to our Managing Director for our Chennai, India production operation.  More information about their new roles can be found in this press release.  Let me know if a discussion with Deb or Christober about incorporating your needs into our plans and direction would be helpful. You can Contact Us anytime to schedule a discussion with your sales point of contact and our leadership team. 

We enjoy having an ongoing dialogue with the market about topics impacting our industry. Here are a few discussions that may be of interest to you: 

  • Last month, I spoke on the Publisher Nation podcast with Digital Book World’s Bradley Metrock – and industry thought leaders Lorraine Shanley (Market Partners International) and Andrea Chambers (NYU Masters in Publishing) – about how publishers are exploring AI within their workflows. You can watch the YouTube feed of our discussion. 
  • On October 10th, I will be presenting on the “Amplifying Impact” panel at Dropbox’s Work in Progress conference in New York City. I’ll be speaking about how we partnered with Dropbox to build out our Client Portal, and how both of our organizations continue to explore ways publishers and media organizations can leverage tools and technology to make their work more efficient.  You can sign up for this one-day event on Dropbox’s site. I’ll also share a blog post afterwards with info about the day’s content and any best practices that may be worth tracking. 
  • Most exciting of all, our next Publishing Now webinar – launched in partnership with Publishers Weekly – is coming up on Thursday, October 26th.  Speakers include Marina Padakis Lowry from Union Square & Co., Diem Bloom from Johns Hopkins University Press, and Bill Rojack from Midland Paper and Two Sides North America. Our panelists will be exploring the ways books are being produced in our new normal, including topics related to AI, workflow, and working with partners. You can sign up here. 

If there are any areas where you have questions, contact us to schedule a brief Zoom. We always like to help, even if that means connecting you with our partners who may be better able to support those needs that are outside our area of expertise. I would welcome the chance to hear from you, and learn more about what you’re exploring with your 2024 publications program. 

by Tyler M. Carey, Chief Revenue Officer

headshot of a bearded man wearing glassesIt’s been a busy few weeks for me, meeting with some of our clients about expanding our support for their lists, this year. During these meetings, two topics have been coming up again and again. Accessibility — and AI.

For the former – accessibility – Westchester has a lot of resources that we can bring to bear to help. If you’re at all looking for further support in making your content — whether upcoming titles or backlist — accessible, please do reach out. Westchester became a GCA-certified vendor in 2021 to help publishers with their accessibility needs for ePubs. We also joined DAISY to further our knowledge and support for accessible content. In an ongoing basis, we’re keeping track of emerging trends in ePubs, Accessible PDF’s and more, including these recent changes for ePub files from the W3C. Personally, I’m on the Workflow Committee of the Book Industry Study Group, where my talented colleagues on the committee recently released this update regarding fixed layout ePubs. We’re helping with tasks from WCAG compliance to creating alt-text entries to large-scale backlist scanning and conversion projects. This recent IBPA webinar I participated in with Michael Johnson from Benetech covers some highlights to consider.

For the latter topic – AI – well, I’m not sure any of us have a clear vantage into how GPTs and emerging tools will impact our business in the long term. The team at Westchester have been using scripts and natural language processing for years to help automate repetitive tasks and run some of our comparisons and checks. Much as indexing software became a tool for trained indexers to use to organize keywords and condense the time it takes to index a book, AI will likely be used to help improve accuracy and create even more efficiencies in various parts of the publishing workflow. The talented publishing professionals at Westchester Publishing Services establish the gold standard in our industry, and using a variety of technologies to provide high quality solutions for our clients is simply part of our DNA. I know we’re already harnessing AI in specifics areas of our toolsets. I’m looking forward to seeing how our team will continue to evolve and develop more solutions that benefit our clients and the industry as a whole.

In case you missed it, this article by Thad McIlroy in the June 6 issue of Publishers Weekly, provides a bit more of a stimulating viewpoint on the subject. And this article exposes perhaps the extreme case of trying to automate as much as possible with AI – and the negative impact it can have on content and the people who collaborate with you on your content.

While these strategic discussions are happening in all of our shops, I still remain grateful that the majority of my time is being spent exploring the editorial and production services the industry has come to expect Westchester to handle with care since the launch of our company in the 1960s. Much like the rest of the publishing industry, we continue to pivot and evolve, but remain steadfast to striking the right balance between technology and human expertise to allow our clients to trust their publications with Westchester.

How can Westchester help you for the balance of the year on your projects? Whether it’s helping with manuscript prep, typesetting, copyediting, or other tasks for your titles and assets, just reach out, we’ll be here for you.

compiled by Nicole Tomassi, Marketing & Conference Manager

In a summer season likely to be filled with “revenge travel” as people catch up on trips that were postponed the last few years, it seems fitting that several of the reading selections made by the Westchester staff explore the travel theme in varying ways. Whether your summer plans take you to far-flung destinations on the other side of the world, as close as the Adirondack chair in your yard or somewhere in between, these books will help you pass the time and transport you to another location. Click on the cover images to visit the Indiebound website, for additional details and purchasing information.

Book Title: Hotel World
Author: Ali Smith
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton (A PRH imprint)

Why I want to read this book: My daughter brought this home from college—she was researching Muriel Spark and Smith quotes (and clearly is inspired by) Spark in the outset of the book, so she bought it, read it, and, as our children do, left it lying around the house. Curious, I picked it up and started reading. I’m only a chapter and a half in, but the first chapter was jaw-droppingly good. Smith experiments with form and language and bends reality in an unsettling but “gotta read more” way. The narrative is told by multiple perspectives, so I’m looking forward to seeing how some of the events unfurl through other characters eyes. If you like post-modernist literature, don’t sleep on this one.

Submitted by: Kevin J. Gray, President and Chief Content Officer, Westchester Education Services

 

 

Book Title: The Lincoln Highway
Author: Amor Towles
Publisher: Viking/Penguin

Why I want to read this book: This was recommended to me by my wife, and it looks like the perfect summer road trip read. It is the tale of four boys making their way from their family farm in Nebraska out west to San Francisco in search of a better life and their estranged mother. This sounds like a coming-of-age story with all of the detours and wrong turns as well as interesting folks they will encounter along the way. Perfect for passing the time while I am not behind the wheel as we head out on our own summer adventures.

Submitted by: Kevin Schroeder, Director, Client Solutions, Westchester Education Services

 

Book Title: The Histories – A Norton Critical Edition
Author: Herodotus
Publisher: W.W. Norton – a Westchester client and fellow ESOP company

Why I want to read this book: When I was young, this book had fueled my interest in history and mythology (Herodotus was a little gullible and believed many of the tall tales he heard during his travels). Recently, I found my old copy of this under a seat in my pickup truck, probably packed for a road trip many years ago and forgotten. I feel the need to reunite with it, and have a nostalgia trip as to why I got so excited about the classics when I was younger. Hopefully the well-worn older printing of the Norton Critical Edition I found in the truck can stand up to a trip or two to the beach this Summer.

headshot of Tyler CareySubmitted by: Tyler M. Carey, Chief Revenue Officer

 

 

Book Title: The Book That Wouldn’t Burn
Author: Mark Lawrence
Publisher: ACE

Why I want to read this book: A lot of times the premise of a book alone can really draw me in. This fantasy includes a huge sequestered underground library, and it follows a character who grew up in the library. As a former librarian, some of my favorite moments were opening the library before any patrons came in. It was very peaceful to be surrounded by the hushed quiet and comforting presence of books. Also, it sounds like this book includes time travel elements and I love time travel!

Submitted by: Christina Jones, Resource Manager, Westchester Education Services

 

 

Book Title: Daisy Jones & the Six
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Publisher: Ballantine Books

Why I want to read this book: Although I enjoyed the ten-episode fictional series on Amazon, I feel there could have been more to the brief interview segments. Since the book is written exclusively in an interview style between each character, the book is likely to add some texture omitted from the episodes. Taylor is a great writer and really captured what was happening in the ’70s music scene in the series. I’m excited to see how she develops the characters in the novel.

Submitted by: Darryl Keck, Pagination Specialist

 

 

 

Book Title: The Book of Form and Emptiness
Author: Ruth Ozeki
Publisher: Penguin Books

Why I want to read this book: “The Book of Form and Emptiness” is a novel by Ruth Ozeki, who is a Professor of Humanities at Smith College. In addition to being a novelist, Ozeki is also a filmmaker and Zen Priest. Her exploration of contemporary topics and themes in the context of the ancient tradition of Zen intrigued me greatly. This book was recommended to me by a bookseller at Broadside Bookshop in Northampton, MA

 

Submitted by: Hugh Shiebler, Director, Client Solutions

 

 

Book Title: National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders
Authors: Lorus and Margery Milne
Publisher: Knopf

Why I want to read this book: I’m a gardener, growing fruits, and vegetables. I need a go-to guide to help me in identifying which insects are beneficial and which are pests. The agricultural extension service used to be a great source of information regarding the latest gardening issues in our area, however, this is no longer the case and I’ve found this guide appears to be the best suited for my purposes.

 

Submitted by: Stephanie Nelson, Proofreader

 

 

Book Title: Little Monsters
Author: Adrienne Brodeur
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Why I want to read this book: I read Adrienne Brodeur’s memoir, Wild Game, shortly after it was released in paperback in the summer of 2020. I found it to be a compelling story about the deceits family members can entrap each other in and the terrible consequences that often result. This summer, the author is returning to fiction nearly 20 years after the release of her first novel, and I’m hoping the story she tells this time around is as fascinating a page-turner as her memoir.

 

Nicole TomassiSubmitted by: Nicole Tomassi, Marketing and Conference Manager

 

Looking for some other interesting books to add to your TBR list this summer? Check out the selections offered up in these lists:

Publishers Weekly Summer Reads 2023

New York Public Library Staff Picks

Kirkus Reviews

Real Simple Best Books Summer 2023 

Elle Best Summer Books 2023

These blog posts feature the titles we selected in previous summers.

 

by Tyler M. Carey, Chief Revenue Officer

headshot of Tyler CareyWestchester Publishing Services has decades of history helping different types of publishers and content providers, including trade publishers, children’s publishers, K-12 EdTech platforms, think tanks, legal publishers, industry trade publishers, and many other types of organizations that create and distribute content.

Whether the project is a manuscript for an illustrated board book for children, assessment items for an online learning platform, or a policy paper intended for presentation on Capitol Hill, Westchester has specialists who can help edit, design, and layout the content for the right audience.

Specialized Publication Programs

Trade Associations – and related organizations like professional societies – often have rather different kinds of publications programs from typical publishers. While some industry-driven organizations have book or journal publishing programs focused on topics relevant to their domain area, many have varied publications from professional development content to white papers to conference proceedings to blog posts, each requiring different levels of support, expertise, and workflow customizations.

Here are examples of recent projects trade associations partnered with Westchester Publishing Services on:

• Helping a trade association modify content from their conferences and annual meetings into WebPDFs and ePubs. This content was then made available on their website for free download by members and for purchase by non-members. Conference proceedings in particular can be an area where professional societies and trade associations have content, but it’s laborious to produce rapidly – and in all the needed formats – once a conference wraps.
• Working with a trade association that provides content to medical professionals in a very specific field to create children’s publications to be used by their industry when working with young patients to help them understand and navigate a specific medical condition.
• Partnering with a bar association to better package updates to state statutes into book publications that allow attorneys to quickly understand changes to the laws in their area of practice, as well as access direct links to Fastcase citations in their digital editions.
• Supporting a medical association with editorial and production resources to help them present the best quality professional development and continuing ed materials to be shared with doctors in their specific discipline.
• Helping an educational industry organization edit and typeset new editions of their backlist titles, updating industry standards and information without writing wholly new manuscripts.
• Ongoing editing for industry journals in topic areas including medicine, mathematics, and social sciences.
• Editing and typesetting titles on subjects including management, business technology, and corporate finance for a prominent organization that tracks trends in these areas.
• Creating abstracts, executive summaries, and even tweets that an organization can share as abbreviated versions of their larger studies and white papers, letting industry executives skim the highlights before diving into 200+ page analytical studies.

Different Content, Different Distribution Channels

If you work for a trade association or professional organization, chances are good that you have historically handled your publications and content in ways that differ from your peer associations. Oftentimes, a trade association’s content grows organically as new distribution channels or newer media for online ingestion of content become available. Westchester’s expertise supporting different types of content and distribution methods for academic, trade, and policy groups, is easily applied to the needs of trade association partners to identify cost-effective solutions that will allow your association to efficiently and affordably build new content and expand your publication program.

The team at US employee-owned Westchester Publishing Services would be happy to explore how we can help you edit, design, and present your content, as well as share our expertise about how other organizations have navigated similar challenges using industry partners, new channels for distribution, and more. Contact us to talk about the content you currently manage, how you’re looking to engage with your association or industry, and solutions we can provide to help you achieve your goals.