Hybrid publishing design methods for technical books
| Date | 07 November 2016 |
| Pages | 915-926 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-02-2016-0035 |
| Published date | 07 November 2016 |
| Author | Ana Catarina Silva,Maria Manuel Borges |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
Hybrid publishing design
methods for technical books
Ana Catarina Silva
CEIS20, Coimbra, Portugal, and Instituto Politécnico do Cávado e do Ave,
Barcelos, Portugal, and
Maria Manuel Borges
Faculty of Letters, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a characterization of the editorial design methods of
technical books in a hybrid publishing context.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper starts by characterizing editorial design as a discipline
itself within graphic design, which is then further identied as in urgent need to adapt strategies to
technologies, communication processes and existing information ows. Along with the literature
review, the paper includes an analysis of one particular case study, O’Reilly Media.
Findings – The paper provides arguments to conclude that the classical approach to the designer’s
workow should be reviewed and the way of framing the editorial problem should also be different: it
should focus on the content.
Originality/value – The paper includes implications for the improvement of digital workows and
design processes in the STM hybrid publishing eld.
Keywords E-books, Publishing, Book design, Digital workows, Technical books
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The book is a social, cultural and economic symbol. Whether printed or digital, its form
determines the way we access the content, its design orchestrates the various signs to
materialize them in a new, enhanced object when compared with the manuscript.
Cordón García et al. (2011) stated that currently the object has such huge differences
that we can look at it as a new incunabula, a digital one. We should then look with
renewed attention to the design of the book and its design program.
This paper is restricted to the theme of the book but more particularly to one
publishing eld, the technical book, to use Thompson’s terminology. Thompson, with
reference to Bourdieu’s work, explains what he means by the publishing eld:
[…] a eld is a structured space of social positions whose properties are determined by the
relations primarily between these positions and the resources attached to them. We can
conceptualize the publishing eld as a space of positions occupied by different publishing
organizations (Thompson, 2005, p. 30).
The technical book is, according to the Book Dictionary, “one whose content is
characterized by issues related to science and its practical applications” (Faria and
Pericão, 2008). Martínez de Sousa (2004) also denes it as a book that addresses or
studies a technique, such as engineering, architecture or typography, among others.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
Hybrid
publishing
design
methods
915
TheElectronic Library
Vol.34 No. 6, 2016
pp.915-926
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-02-2016-0035
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