Westchester Publishing Services

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Trade Associations and Publishing Programs

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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 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.
• 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, 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.

compiled by Nicole Tomassi, Marketing & Conference Manager

Seasons Readings!

Five years ago was the first time that I compiled these semi-annual posts which are only possible due to my colleagues, who have always been generous about sharing the titles that are on their reading lists and the reasons why the books were chosen. The selections are always interesting, inspired, and range across a wide variety of genres, making the act of assembling these posts so much fun for me and hopefully, enjoyable for you, the reader. Some of the books below are titles that were published by valued Westchester clients, while others come with the added gift of an independent bookstore that’s located near to where our contributors are. If any of the titles below catch your interest, click on the cover to locate an independent bookstore near you who will be happy to ship you a copy of your next read(s).

Story of the Cell coverThe Song of the Cell
Author: Siddhartha Mukherjee
Publisher: Scribners

Why I want(ed) to gift/read this book:
This author has a gift for telling great (nonfiction) stories about medicine, patients, and doctors. I read his earlier book, The Emperor of All Maladies (about cancer) and was just so impressed with his ability to make complicated science interesting and even personable. I continue to recommend that book to anyone who is interested in medicine.  I can’t wait to see what he writes about this tiny, basic human building block. Even his book titles are compelling and poetic.

Sherry Gerstein headshotSelected by: Sherry Gerstein, Production Editor

A Little Life coverA Little Life
Author: Hanya Yanagihara
Publisher: Picador UK

Why I want(ed) to gift/read this book: Recommended many times by friends and family, it had been on my ‘must read’ list for years but I’d always been a little daunted by its length (around 800 pages). I finally started it on day #1 of my summer holiday in Italy and finished it on the plane coming back. It’s utterly compelling; often grim, unsettling, and painful to read, yet still managing to celebrate the unconditional love and loyalty of true friendship.

Tim Davies headshotSelected by: Tim Davies, CEO, Westchester Group UK

It Starts With us coverIt Starts With Us
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Why I want(ed) to gift/read this book: After seeing the punning headlines and the high sales figures in the literary press (‘It Starts With Us hoovers up sales for another week’) I want to see what all the fuss is about! I’ve ordered this and It Ends With Us (this book came first) from Waterstones, using my birthday book token from Westchester UK!

Selected by: Julie Willis, Editorial & Pre-press Director, River Editorial

The Passenger coverThe Passenger
Author: Cormac McCarthy
Publisher: Knopf

Why I want(ed) to gift/read this book: McCarthy has been on my “must read” author list for years.  This brand-new work of his – the first in a two-volume project – seemed like the perfect place to finally start.

 

Hugh ShieblerSelected by: Hugh Shiebler, Director, Client Solutions, Westchester Publishing Services

My Bookstore: Watchung Booksellers, Montclair, NJ

Diagheliv's coverDiaghilev’s Empire
Author: Rupert Christiansen
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Why I want(ed) to gift/read this book: As a long-time NYC ballet fan and season ticket holder, I love any history about the ballet, and this author details the birth of the Ballet Russes and the sphere of legendary artists who were involved. Eager to get my hands on it!

 

Deb TaylorSelected by: Deb Taylor, Vice President, Business Development & Marketing

Liberation Day coverLiberation Day: Stories
Author: George Saunders
Publisher: Random House

Why I want(ed) to gift/read this book: Saunders is an absolute genius, and his entirely unique brand of dark comedy makes me laugh out loud every time. My favorite book is Lincoln at the Bardo, but his very first book, CivilWarLand in Bad Decline (1996) nearly took off the top of my head. I will read absolutely anything he writes—usually more than once—and I’m looking forward to his latest collection.

Christina DeYoung headshotSelected by: Christina DeYoung, Director, Client Solutions, Westchester Education Services

My Bookstore: Mockingbird Bookshop, Bath, Maine

Persian Blood coverPersian Blood
Author: M.G. Haynes
Publisher: Createspace/Amazon
Why I want(ed) to gift/read this book: This is the first of three historical fiction books, the others being the first two in a series entitled Q. Fulvius: Debt of Dishonor and Q. Fulvius: A Pirate’s Life that I would like to read. As an added bonus, they are written by my cousin.

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

Note: In a first for the blog, this book was selected by more than one person in our group

Cloud Cuckoo Land coverCloud Cuckoo Land
Author: Anthony Doerr
Publisher: Scribner

Why I want(ed) to gift/read this book: I have been dying for this to come out in paperback all year, so it is at the top of my wish list for Christmas. Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize winner All the Light We Cannot See is one of my all-time favorite books, and this one sounds like it has the same blend of compelling, intertwined yet distant characters and evocative locations that made his earlier book so engaging. Also I’m a sucker for a hefty, century-spanning epic. Can’t wait!

Ashley Moore headshotSelected by Ashley Moore, Copyeditor, Westchester Publishing Services

My bookstore: Pegasus Book Exchange, Seattle, WA

 

Why I want(ed) to gift/read this book: This novel was a finalist in this year’s Dayton Literary Peace Prize, an annual event held to commemorate the Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnian war. It’s one of many amazing books on the list, and I am hoping to work through several more of them this year.

Selected by: Kevin J. Gray, President & Chief Content Officer, Westchester Education Services

 

My Government cover

My Government Means to Kill Me
Author: Rasheed Newson
Publisher: Flatiron Books (A Westchester client)

Why I want to read this book: As someone who came out as queer later in life, I feel it’s my responsibility to gather a fuller understanding of those who paved the way toward equal rights so that I may honor and continue their LGBTQIA+ activism. This fictional memoir follows Trey, a gay, Black man in 1980s New York City. While facing poverty, prejudice, and the AIDS epidemic, he grows to be active in the Civil Rights movement, community organizing, and the fight for gay rights. It’s an accurate portrait of a time in American history that has been largely forgotten.

Tara Hlavinka headshot

Selected by: Tara Hlavinka, Senior Editor, Math, Westchester Education Services

My Bookstore: Rudolph Girls Books, Westminster, MD

Illuminations coverIlluminations: Stories
Author: Alan Moore
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing (a Westchester client)

Why I want(ed) to gift/read this book: As I read comics in the 80s and 90s, Alan Moore was the literary superstar of a medium that was often written off as superheroes and kids’ stuff. His work has been inconsistent over the years in both graphic novels and more traditional prose, but as an author and a creator he’s always been a figure to attract attention and interest in his next projects with the risks he’s taken and experiments he’s tried. This is the first collection of Alan Moore’s short stories published in his career, and having seen how he’s used individual chapters of his prose and visual work to tell meaningful, compelling tales in a brief space, I’m excited to read this and see what magic he can spin in these tales.

Selected by: Tyler M. Carey, Chief Revenue Officer, Westchester Publishing Services

Mirror in the Sky coverMirror in the Sky: The Life and Music of Stevie Nicks
Author: Simon Morrison
Publisher: University of California Press (a Westchester client)

Why I want(ed) to gift/read this book: I have always enjoyed the music crafted by Stevie Nicks, first in Fleetwood Mac, then as a solo artist. Her career has been devoted to her musical muse, bringing her to the pinnacle of her profession, becoming the first of only three women (so far) to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I’m looking forward to reading the previously untold stories of the formative years of this trailblazing artist who has recorded with a who’s who of musicians and inspired the next generations of women singer-songwriters to follow in her high-heeled steps.

Nicole TomassiSelected by: Nicole Tomassi, Marketing & Conference Manager, Westchester Publishing Services

For additional inspiration, the links below have information about hundreds of new titles across fiction and non-fiction, helping you to find the perfect book(s) for every reader on your list.

National Public Radio: Books We Love 2022

Time Magazine: The 100 Must-Read Books of 2022

Publishers Weekly: Best Books 2022

I hope the holiday season brings you all the books on your wish list and time to read them. Wishing you all the best in the year ahead, including more wonderful books to look forward to reading!

by Tyler M. Carey, Chief Revenue Officer

headshot of Tyler CareyAs 2022 comes to a close, and many of us are in the midst of more holiday travel than we’ve done in years, it occurs to me that 2023 may be a year more like the pre-pandemic business years than we have seen in a while. Attendance was up at Frankfurt this past year, our clients are increasingly having in-person meetings with our teams, and as I’m finalizing my 2023 budget for my sales team we have more conferences planned than in any year since 2019.

Where are you going to be in 2023? Is there a chance you’ll be at any of the following conferences? If so, please Contact Us to let us know.

Where Westchester’s going to be:
  • Home and our Offices – Zoom whenever you like!
  • Digital Book World (DBW), January 16-18, 2023
  • Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC), January 23-26,2023
  • BETT UK, March 29-31, 2023
  • ASU/GSV, April 17-19, 2023
  • London Book Fair, April 18-20, 2023
  • Society for Scholarly Publishing, May 31- June 2, 2023
  • American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), August 5-8, 2023
  • Frankfurt, October 19-23, 2023

The Westchester team would love to see you and learn more about what your publishing program looks like these days – and explore any ways our editorial and production teams could help.  To be clear, many of our staff continue to work from home, and we know meeting up in person isn’t possible for everyone. Let’s meet up soon, however is best for you, whether in a conference room or on a Zoom!

by Tyler M. Carey, Chief Revenue Officer

This past year has been a good opportunity for a lot of us to re-set and reevaluate things, as workplaces, industry events, and more begin to open back up to a ‘typical’ that is more like the pre-pandemic typical. From what it means to work in an office (and why that may not be as important as it once was), to which conferences are worth the flight and disruption to our personal and professional lives, to what we want to accomplish during in-person meetings, this reevaluation and re-set is affecting all aspects of how we work and live.

Meetings I had with clients late last year and early this year tended to focus on “What will it be like when things open back up?” My most recent spate of meetings with some of Westchester’s trade clients in New York City seemed to focus more on, “OK, well, we’re ‘open’ now. We’re back in the office X days a week (or not at all). And here’s what we want to change instead of resume with business as usual…”

This openness to change has been good for both us and our clients. Our discussions with clients over the past several years – but especially since early 2020 – have become less about our what can be seen as commoditized offerings (copyediting, typesetting, and digital conversion) and more about what our clients’ challenges are with trying to get their books to market quickly and within budget. Westchester’s client base now tops 500 clients, and our global staff footprint tops 400 employees and countless freelancers that play specialized roles with everything from developmental edits and permissions management, to managing assets in CoreSource, to writing alt text entries for accessible epubs, and more.

So, rather than pinning down and committing to what ‘the next normal’ looks like, many of our clients are pivoting, trying things, assessing successes and failures, and trying other things. It’s a great time to be in publishing with so much renewed emphasis on topics that may have been seen as “nice to haves” in the past, but are now things publishers have the motivation and bandwidth to address. From changing how publications are created and distributed, to a renewed emphasis on sustainability, to finally defining workflows for accessibility that are baked into the editorial and production processes – rather than tacked on at the end – we’re seeing our clients take on bold, new initiatives that might have seemed like back-burnered projects during the last decade.

You can learn more about what US employee-owned Westchester Publishing Services has been up to in this article featuring our Vice President of Business Development and Marketing, Deb Taylor. In this profile in Publishers Weekly, Deb shares information about the technology, workflow, and marketplace initiatives Westchester has been focused on over the past year.  It’s a good read if you want to get a handle on our view of the industry, and how we’re approaching accessibility, educational content, and more.

To get a sense of what the overall industry is up to, join us for our next Publishing Now webinar, cohosted with Publishers Weekly on September 29, at Noon Eastern. Panelists including Bill Kasdorf, Rachel Martin, and Kristen McLean will provide an update on what’s happening across various parts of the publishing landscape, and share ideas about how your business can prepare for the changes accessibility and sustainability requirements will bring.

P.S. – Will your plans bring you to the New York City area on Saturday, September 10? The New York Book Forum is organizing an in-person event for publishing industry staff that promises to be fun and provide books for children in need. This event calendar provides more details. We hope to see you there!

by Tyler M. Carey, Chief Revenue Officer

We are all learning to adapt to a new, temporary normal during the COVID-19 Pandemic.  In publishing, specific issues arise for publishers that are not used to working in a distributed Work from Home (WfH) environment.  And even for those publishers that built their operations as WfH from the bottom up, the general disruptions of COVID-19 like having the kids home from school for an extended period are making this less of a typical WfH experience.

On Thursday, March 19th, Westchester Publishing Services gathered a panel of our partners in the industry to share about what they’re seeing in their markets, methods for successfully adapting to working from home, and more.  Speakers and Panelists included:

  • Nicole Tomassi, Westchester Publishing Services, Marketing & Conference Manager
  • Michael Jensen, Westchester Publishing Services, Director of Technology
  • Terry Colosimo, Westchester Publishing Services, Director of Operations
  • Kevin J. Gray, Westchester Education Services, President & Chief Content Officer
  • Cev Bryerman, Publishers Weekly – Publisher and Executive Vice President
  • Cathy Felgar, Princeton University Press – Publishing Operations Director
  • Rich Portelance, CareerPath Mobile – Founder and CEO
  • Andy Wilson, Dropbox – Global Director, Media Technology

Over the course of the webinar, we covered practical measures like how to handle tasks that were rote in the office but now need new solutions remotely, technology solutions for file sharing and communications, and the empathy needed when working and managing remotely in our current environment to adapt to different challenges than we might normally encounter in the office or WfH.

Key considerations covered in depth in the below links include the following practices and ideas:

  • Take Inventory of your associates at home computer equipment – don’t assume all have appropriate equipment – PC, printer, etc.
    • Quite likely they do not have all the software they need to work from home, so consider IT support that will be needed
    • Follow up with your associates as their needs may change as they become settled into their new routine
  • Take Inventory of your associates’ internet connectivity from home – be sure to consider impact on bandwidth of school age children doing classes from home
  • How do your associates connect to the company’s email system from home?
    • Get your associates’ phones set up with company email access
  • Be sure to collect cell phone numbers for all associates –  and circulate the list
    • Confirm with each that they receive text messages – for urgent communications
  • Centralize Documentation like the above phone numbers and processes —critical information should be centralized in a common location. Consider Dropbox Paper so comments can be made as procedures may change
  • Consider how associates will access documents on company servers/systems which they must print at home
    • Small size documents can be transferred via company email from the server to the local machine
    • Large documents (i.e. <3mb) can be transferred via file sharing services such as DropBox
  • Consider how your associates will mark-up and communicate edits/comments to manuscripts/documents
  • Schedule regular (perhaps daily, but at least every other day) team conference calls – video conferencing if possible – so your associates stay and feel connected
    • Remember this is physical distancing not social distancing. Use video conferences for social interactions like lunch together with your team. Those watercooler interactions you’re used to in the office are on hiatus, and video can help fill that void.
  • Show Understanding and Be Flexible – Empathize – many of your associates are doing this, work from home, for the first time – and this is a foreign experience – they need time to adjust
  • Good News – the publishing business can continue and be successful without everyone being in one physical office location – a period of adjustment, yes – but will quite likely lead to real and permanent changes in how we do business, and cost savings

Here are the links for: the Webinar recording, the Presentation in PDF format, and a PDF of Questions & Answers from the webinar.

We have also compiled this list of articles and videos with helpful information about working remotely. Please use the Contact Us form to reach out with any feedback, needs we can help with, or ideas for working from home during these times. Westchester Publishing Services will provide further webinars in the coming weeks and months, and welcomes your input.