Key concepts defined

The following Editoria key concepts will be referred to throughout this user guide.

Open source software

Editoria is open source software that anyone can access and adapt for free. Open source software is released under a license that grants liberal rights to anyone to use, modify, and redistribute a piece of the software's source code. Editoria uses the MIT license.

Single source publishing

In single source publishing, all members of the publishing team, including authors, copy editors, illustrators, and designers, use an online authoring system to share the same document source file. At any given time the content will be the same, regardless of which team member is working on it.

Single source, multiple outputs

Editoria is single source multi-output publishing. Content is created in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). HTML is the most common content format in the world. It has the advantage that a great number of conversion tools have already been built to convert it to other formats. Editoria leverages this so you can easily export to EPUB and PDF.

Automated typesetting

In Editoria, automated typesetting refers to a process where content is exported using a design template to ensure the results come out with minimal alterations required.

Editoria uses Paged.js, an automatic typesetting tool developed by the Paged Media Initiative.

Semantic markup

Semantic markup is a method for using named HTML styles to structure content in order to reinforce its meaning (semantics). Non-semantic or arbitrary styles are typically applied to change how content appears visually. Editoria enforces the use of semantic markup preventing users from applying arbitrary styles. Arbitrary styles in MS Word files uploaded to Editoria are converted to semantic markup. Note that the markup of uploaded files will need to be reviewed.

Workflow

Workflow refers to the passage of a text through various processes from creation to completion. Throughout these processes, various people with specific roles (e.g. Author, Production Editor, Copy Editor) perform tasks at specific moments. Some workflows are more linear and prescriptive than others. Regardless of the size of your team, Editoria offers many new opportunities for flexible, intentional design.

Track changes

Track changes here refers to a text-editing tool similar to those found in other word processors, such as Microsoft Word. This tool marks deleted or added text with underlining and different colors so that users can easily see it. Depending on their assigned roles within the team, users can accept or reject these edits and make new, tracked revisions to the text.

Modular

Editoria is not a single, monolithic system. Its file-ingestion, editing, and export components are individual, modular elements within a suite of products that publishers can select à la carte to use or not. This also means that each individual element can be customized or replaced to meet each publisher's needs without compromising the rest of the system, and the community can share and collaborate on these component versions.

WYSIWYG

WYSIWYG, the acronym of “what you see is what you get.” In Editoria, the editor component (called Wax) represents the semantic structure of the document being edited (showing, for example, which text is a heading and which is a block quote). Wax does not show the final look of the text as it will appear on screen or in the printed book.

Team member roles in Editoria

In Editoria, team members may have one of a number of roles including Administrator, Global Production Editor, Production Editor, Copy Editor, and Author. All users, regardless of role, can add comments to any part of the book to which they have been assigned.

Administrator

The Administrator has access to all of Editoria including all users’ books and chapters. The Administrator does not usually have an active role on a book project team.

Global Production Editors

Global Production Editors have access to all of Editoria including all users’ books and chapters. Global Production Editors can create books and assign team members to books, but cannot assign other Global Production Editors. They can edit books at any workflow stage.

Production Editor

Production Editors are project managers and have the highest level of permissions for those roles that actively work on book projects. Production Editors can manage the teams that are working on their books. Using the workflow tool for each Part or Chapter in the Editoria Book Builder, they can control what actions team members can take and when they can take them. Production Editors can edit, rename, and archive books in the Book Dash. In the Editoria Book Builder, they can add Components, Parts, and Chapters; upload Word files and media; edit book settings; and export book files.

Copy Editor

Copy Editors are assigned by the Production Editor for each book. Copy Editors see only the books they have been assigned to. They have access to all parts of a book during the “Edit” and “Clean Up” stages (determined by the Production Editor using the workflow tool in the Book Builder). Copy Editors can add new Chapters to a book and turn track changes on and off.

Author

The Author role has limited permissions for the books to which they have been assigned. Authors have access to the parts of a book when the Production Editor sets the workflow status to “Reviewing.” Changes made by Authors are always tracked.

Anatomy of a book in Editoria

In Editoria, the content of a book is organized into Frontmatter, Body, and Backmatter. Frontmatter and Backmatter are made up of different Components. Frontmatter might include a table of contents page and copyright page while Backmatter might include endnotes or an index. The Body is made up of Parts, and Parts are made up of Chapters. Components, Parts, and Chapters can be edited. The workflow status of each Part and Chapter can be controlled by the Production Editor using the workflow status tool in the Book Builder.