a. Publishing Dimensions provides innovative solutions to publishers in generating revenue through evolving digital channels. These solutions include cost-effective conversion of content from electronic and paper sources into eBook and print-on-demand files, and placement of content into publisher-specified channels of distribution. For those publishers that may be uncertain as to how best proceed in the digital marketplace, Publishing Dimensions also delivers a range of consulting services in both electronic and traditional publishing.

a. Our high-tech and high-touch approach to conversion effectively combines people with automation yielding a consistently superior and low-cost result while ensuring that our customers are satisfied with the quality of the product and service they receive.

a. The bulk of Publishing Dimensions conversions are performed in conjunction with conversion partners located in Chennai India. Our partners are ISO 9000 certified and provide world-class technology and conversion services.

a. The management staff at our partner facilities all have at least a bachelor’s degree. The majority of our technicians hold the same level of education. We consider staff training of general publishing rules and publisher specifications to be the key component to top quality conversion. Staff training begins with a comprehensive introduction to publishing and elements of a book. It then proceeds into HTML, XML, composition and the many skills required for an effective conversion company within the digital market place. As staff members gain experience they tend to focus in one area or another: image editing, extraction and cleanup, tagging, and generation of one of the "standard' XML outputs (we generate OEB, DocBook, our Internal DTD as a matter of course - and can generate many more with a short ramp up period).

a. Publishing Dimensions is extremely sensitive to the requirements of the publishing industry in terms of matching formatting of the electronic file to the original printed title. We have put in place a significant number of quality control steps through the entire production process to ensure the highest level of accuracy in conversion, tagging and composition at our conversion centers.

Examples of our quality control / audit steps include:

Specification and content transmittals – use of a formal transmittal process for the sending and receiving of all files. This process is used to ensure error-free communication of specifications, expectations and files.

Pre-flight – to insure that all components of the file are received and missing components immediately identified before processing starts.

Production QC – a check is performed after every significant project step to ensure quality expectations are being achieved.

Final random QC & audit – performed before files are transmitted to customer

ISO 9001/9002 certification – Our conversion partners offer among the highest service in the world, having passed among the most rigorous standards tests existing in the world today.

a. Predictability. Each of your titles should follow the same pattern while working with your conversion partner. You should never receive surprises about your title long after the book has been delivered to your partner. You should, however, always expect some ramp-up time while your conversion partner is learning your Publisher Specific guidelines.

Other key qualities to look for in a conversion partner:

Quality. Files should be prepared so that they can be used in the manner intended without significant intervention or rework.

Service. Your conversion partner should be able to quickly and accurately handle any special instruction or exceptional situation. The partner should also be willing to take the time to explain how their process works and the significance of the different eBook standards. Service also should extend to rapid notification of any errors in received files, and periodic notification of production status in a form that is meaningful to you.

Flexibility. Your partner should be able to rapidly address any changing requirements (such as the move from Rockt eBook and Softbook to the new Gemstar file format) and handle any unexpected fluctuations up or down in the number of titles being processed.

Turnaround times. Turnaround times should be short in duration, predictable and reliable.

Cost. Costs should be reasonable, predictable, and keep "extras" to a minimum.

Industry knowledge. Your conversion partner should understand the traditional publishing industry and its expectations as well as be conversant with the emerging ePublishing business.

a. At Publishing Dimensions we believe strongly in clear and open communications with our customers. We would anticipate that before beginning any conversion work with a customer that we would work together to define our publisher specific documentation. We have found that each publisher chooses to have their titles represented differently in the varying formats. We have a constantly updated guideline for each of our publishing customers to guide us through handling the various attributes for the variety of eBook formats currently in today’s market.

a. The Open eBook (OeB) Forum has introduced the Open eBook publication structure as an effort to bring together the formats required by most of the "reflowable" readers on the market today (Microsoft Reader, Gemstar, Mobipocket, etc.). The standard is continually being updated with input from the publishing, technology and distribution communities.

a. Portable Document Format (PDF) is a standard introduced quite a number of years ago by Adobe. It is a mainstream of their business and is constantly improved and updated. It is the current "lingua franca" of the publishing and graphics arts industries and most books exist in PDF at some stage of their lifecyle as they are prepared for print. With the introduction of the Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader (formerly the Glassbook reader) it is one of the key eBook formats in use today.

a. Because it is too early to predict which formats will exist and prosper into the future, a publisher should make sure that his title is converted and distributed into all of the key formats and channels.

a. One thing is certain: formats will continue to change over time and what works today, may not work tomorrow. In order to extend the life of each title and ensure the minimum amount of rework in the future, publishers should focus on having their titles available in the most flexible and meaningful markup. This will almost certainly involve markup down to the lowest level at which a sale could be anticipated and down to the lowest level that would require different designs for effective display in various eBook platforms.

a. An eBook, or ‘electronic book’ is a title represented in a digital format on a computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), or a designated eBook device (Gemstar, Franklin).

a. Source files, or books, can be sent on disk or CD through the mail, or can be delivered to the publisher’s folder on the Publishing Dimensions secure ftp location.

a. When files are converted, they are sent to the publisher for approval. Publishers are always given all format and source files back as part of the conversion process. Publishing Dimensions will archive the publishers files on our secure servers.

a. Through our unique xml workflow, we have streamlined what used to be a tedious proofing process on the publisher’s end. We generate the first eBook format and deliver the file via secure ftp to the publisher. Whatever changes the publisher requests are then made in the xml source file, and the first format is delivered a second time for final approval. At the same time that is happening, the other eBook formats are being generated from that source xml file, ensuring that all requested corrections have been made, leaving the publisher to quickly glance at the new formats for aesthetic problems.

a. Absolutely! When we receive files from the publisher, we request the title metadata at that time. The metadata is entered into our database. When the files are approved and ready to go on sale, we deliver the final format file along with the appropriate metadata required for the specific channel.

a. We have converted content for a large portion of the known and less known content holders in the industry. These companies include: AOLTimeWarner, Farrar Straus & Giroux, HarperCollins, Random House, Simon & Schuster, Palm Digital Media, McGraw Hill, St. Martin’s Press, The MIT Press, Idea Logical Company and Paraview Press. These companies represent varied types of publishing from, STM to Business, to Trade.

a. We have established base pricing for the various “types” of content we convert. However, content can differ in page length and complexity. Source is also a factor, if electonic source files are available for a given title, it will cost less to convert from the electronic files and be a faster turn around, than it would to convert the title from the printed edition of the book.

a. Turn around time is determined upon receipt of a project, but normally ranges between 1-3 weeks.

a. Files are always backed up on Publishing Dimensions secure servers. When the files are being delivered to the publisher for proofing, they are always sent using a secure ftp site.

a. Publishing Dimensions has a strong history in the eBook market and takes pride in the quality of our services. We offer exemplary customer service, unbeatable quality and dependable turn around. We offer a state-of-the-art, modern, conversion process using an xml workflow, which decreases the work and cost on the publishers and our end.

a. Quiet Island Books is Publishing Dimensions’ distribution division. Small publisher’s utilize our established relationships with industry retailers and wholesalers to distribute their titles.