ePublishing services that get every title out in every format Books, journals and documents converted, laid out and made accessible
Outsource epublishing to agents and the people who check them From a manuscript or a print file to every format you publish in
Publishing and accessibility services for every format Six services, each for a different output
- Ebook conversionBooks and manuscripts converted to EPUB 3, Kindle and fixed-layout ebooks.
- Layout and compositionTypesetting, page composition and covers, for print and digital editions.
- PDF accessibilityPDFs remediated for screen readers, to Section 508, WCAG 2.1 and PDF/UA.
- HTML conversionDocuments, PDFs and designs turned into clean, responsive web pages.
- XML conversionWord, PDF and text turned into structured XML your systems can read.
- Resume formattingCandidate resumes reformatted to your firm's template, ready to send.
How our epublishing services work The same five steps for every title, from the style guide to sign-off
- Before the first titleAgree the style guideWe agree the formats, the templates and the house style with your production team.
- Sample titleProve it on one bookWe convert one title, and you check it on the devices and readers you publish to.
- Every batchAgents convert, people decideAgents convert and tag every page, and send figures, tables and odd layouts to a person.
- Every batchTest and sign offEach file is validated and read on real devices, then the batch owner signs it off.
- Every monthLearn from correctionsEach correction becomes an example the agents learn from, so fewer pages need a person.
When outsourcing epublishing is the right fit And when you need data entry or a new publishing platform instead
A good fit when
- You publish a steady list of titles and each needs several formats
- Your backlist exists only in print or in old files
- Accessibility rules now apply to the documents you publish
Look elsewhere when
- You need the data inside documents keyed into a system: see data entry
- You want a new publishing platform built: we build software for that
- It's one short document you can export from Word yourself
Our epublishing services in detail What each publishing service covers, and the files you get back
What epublishing is
Epublishing, or digital publishing, means producing books, journals, magazines and documents as digital files that people read on phones, ereaders, tablets and the web. One title usually needs several files: an EPUB for most stores, a Kindle file for Amazon, an accessible PDF, and sometimes HTML.
Digital prepress is the work before a file goes out: converting the source, laying out the pages, tagging the structure and checking it all. That's the work we take on.
Ebook development and conversion
We convert print PDFs, InDesign, Word and scanned books into reflowable EPUB 3, Kindle and fixed-layout ebooks. Agents rebuild the text, the headings and the table of contents, and a person checks every figure, footnote and table on real ereaders.
Layout, composition and typesetting
We typeset manuscripts into print-ready pages and design covers to your series template. Each page follows your house style, and a person makes the calls a template can't, such as where a long table breaks.
Accessible PDFs and documents
Accessibility laws now cover many of the documents you publish, from course packs to annual reports. We remediate PDFs to Section 508, WCAG 2.1 and PDF/UA, and a person writes the alt text and checks the reading order with a screen reader.
HTML and XML conversion
When your content has to live on the web or in a content system, we convert it to HTML or to structured XML. Every heading, list, table and link keeps its meaning, so the content can be reused without being retyped.
What we publish
The same method works across kinds of publishing, because the style guide carries each one's rules.
- K-12 textbooks and course material
- Scholarly journals and reference books
- Trade books, travel guides and cookbooks
- Magazines, directories and catalogs
- Reports, manuals and policy documents
Questions about epublishing services What publishers ask us before they send the first title
What is epublishing?
Epublishing is producing books, journals and documents as digital files instead of, or as well as, print. An epublishing service converts the source into formats such as EPUB, Kindle and accessible PDF, and lays out the pages. It then checks that each file reads correctly on your readers' devices.
What are digital prepress services?
Digital prepress covers the work between a finished manuscript and a published file: conversion, typesetting, tagging, image preparation and quality checks. It's the stage where most errors are caught, so each file is read on a real device before it ships.
Which formats do you deliver?
We deliver EPUB 3, Kindle files, fixed-layout ebooks, print-ready PDF, accessible PDF, HTML and XML. We start from print PDF, InDesign, Word, scans or hard copy.
Why outsource epublishing instead of doing it in house?
Publishing schedules bunch up, and a production team sized for the busy season sits idle in the quiet one. When you outsource, you pay for the pages and titles produced, and the batch grows or shrinks with your list.
How much do epublishing services cost?
Damco prices publishing work per page, per title or per document, not per hour. We quote after the sample title, once we both know how complex your books are and how many pages need a person.
Tell us what's on your publishing list
Describe the titles, the source files and the formats you need, and we'll show you how we'd run the first batch.