Indexing and XML Workflow

Publishing is currently going through its biggest transformation since the publication of the Gutenberg Bible in the 15th century. One of the biggest changes is less focus being put on publisher-defined “containers” (books, journals, newspapers, etc.) and more being put on multipurpose content that can be output to user-defined containers (iPad apps, pdf, ebooks like Kindle and iBooks, HTML for the Web, audiobooks, custom books, printed books, etc.).

XML (eXtensible Markup Language) provides a way of marking up content by function rather than specific layout. As with HTML, XML uses tags to divide content into chapters, headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, etc. However, the real power of XML is that it allows for customized tags and dynamic handling of those tags. One such example is index-entry tags. When index tags are embedded in the XML file (for example, in DocBook, a specific version of XML), the publisher has the ability to generate the index automatically for various formats. An automatically generated index provides several competitive advantages. First, discoverability of content is enhanced in a way that a Table of Contents or "Search" cannot match. The user will use the index as a content overview tool, and also as a means to quickly locate information, whether they are interfacing with print, eBook, or the Web version of that content. For the publisher, a digital index means that content can be recombined and updated without having to re-create the index.

Typically, publishers begin this transformation to digital by “digitizing” their printed books (i.e., converting them into eBook formats like epub and Mobi). While this is an important first step, the real change takes place when the publisher makes a paradigm shift from print-first to content-first (XML-first). This requires a total reorientation of the workflow from Word → InDesign/Quark → PDF to Word → XML. Once the content is in richly-tagged XML, it can be output to the various formats (eBook, HTML, PDF for print, etc.). In practice, layout software such as InDesign still plays a central role in most production. InDesign has gotten much better at outputting ebook-ready files, whether the workflow is front-end XML (i.e., XML before InDesign) or back-end XML.

WordCo can help you create powerful embedded indexes for your XML content. We invite you to take the first step and talk to us about creating superior ebook indexes. We will begin with a complimentary assessment of your current print and ebook indexes and make suggestions for improvements. We will then help you come up with a customized approach to indexing and index tagging that makes the most sense for your current and anticipated workflow.