Managing workflow

Workflow stages

The Book Builder tracks the progress of each content item (component, part, or chapter) as it moves through the editorial workflow, from upload to final export. When a team member completes a workflow stage, they use the tracker to move the component to the next stage, and notify the team member responsible that they may begin working on that stage. Underlying each stage are permissions that determine who can advance the status. Hover over a component's status tracker to display all the steps in the workflow.

The Book Builder tracks the following workflow stages:

• Upload

• File prep

• Edit

• Review

• Clean Up

• Page Check

• Final.

If you have the correct permissions (see below) you can change your content’s workflow status:

1. Go to the Book Builder.

2. Under the content’s title you will see the workflow timeline, move your mouse cursor over the timeline.

3. You will see labels for each of the workflow stages. Click the right-pointing arrow “>” to the right of the label to advance to the next stage.

4. To roll back to a previous stage, click the left-pointing arrow “<“ to the left of the label for the previous stage.

Baseline permissions

In Editoria, team members may have one of a number of roles including Administrator, Global Production Editor, Production Editor, Copy Editor, and Author. Whenever a user does not have permission to edit content, the edit button changes to a view button, which opens the editor in read-only mode.

All users

Are able to:

• leave comments, regardless of whether they are in edit or view mode.

• toggle whether tracked changes are visible or hidden. Note this is not the same as turning tracked changes on or off (see chapter on Track Changes for more information).

Global Production Editors

Usually do not perform an active book role but are able to:

• create books.

• edit and style content at all workflow stages.

• advance or roll back content’s workflow status.

Production Editors

Are able to:

• edit content.

• advance or roll back content’s workflow status.

• style whatever they can edit.

Copy Editors

Are able to:

• style whatever they can edit.

Authors

Are able to:

• make tracked changes during the Review workflow stage.

Workflow stages and permissions

Upload

• Production Editors and Copy Editors can create new components, parts, or chapters, upload individual Word files or batch-upload Word files. If you upload Word files, once an upload is complete, the status tracker automatically advances from Upload to File Prep.

• Production Editors can open a new component in the editor and add content.

• Copy Editors can upload but cannot edit directly during the Upload stage.

• If you write content in the editor instead of uploading Word files, once a Production Editor saves text in a component, part or chapter, the status tracker automatically advances to File Prep.

File Prep

• The Production Editor styles the content applying semantic markup, makes any desired edits, and leaves comments, instructions, or questions for the Copy Editor or Author.

• The Production Editor can also toggle tracked changes on and off.

• Copy Editors and Authors cannot edit the content nor advance its status to Edit.

• Production Editors determine when File Prep is complete and advance the status to the Edit stage.

Edit

• The Edit stage is where the Copy Editor does the majority of the work including editing and leaving comments or questions for the Author.

• The Copy Editor can toggle tracked changes on and off by moving between Editing and Suggesting modes. Changes made in Suggesting mode are tracked.

• Once the copyediting is complete, the Copy Editor advances the component's status to the Review stage, at which point they can no longer edit. Simultaneously, the Author is granted editing permission and can begin reviewing the copyediting.

Review

• Authors review any tracked changes and comments from the Copy Editor and the Production Editor. All of the Authors’ edits are tracked. Any changes the Author makes will be visible to the Copy Editor and the Production Editor.

• Copy Editors cannot edit in this stage.

• Authors or Production Editors can use the previous and next tracked change options to quickly move through the edits and accept changes. Multiple changes can be selected and accepted. See chapter on Track Changes for more information.

• Authors cannot reject tracked changes from the editors. When an Author disagrees with an edit, they should leave a comment suggesting the change be rejected.

• Authors cannot accept their own changes.

• When the Authors’ review is complete, they advance the workflow status to Clean Up. The Copy Editor can also advance this stage to Clean Up on behalf of the Author.

Clean Up

• Copy Editors regain editing permissions, including toggling track changes, during Clean Up. This is the stage when they review any comments from the Author and resolve any outstanding issues. When necessary, the Copy Editor may roll the status back to Review so the Author can make or review further edits.

• Once the component has been cleaned up, all tracked changes and comments have been resolved, the Copy Editor advances the workflow status to Page Check.

Page Check

• Production Editors have editing permissions during the Page Check stage.

• Production Editors can roll the status back to the Clean Up stage.

• Production Editor can advance the stage to Final, indicating that the component is ready for export.

Final

• Your book is ready for export.

• Only the Production Editor can roll the status back from the Final stage.