This is an opinionated description of the publishing process. There are plenty of viable ways to publish, so consider this guide to be one option – but it is the process that Consonance is optimised to support.
1. Assign responsibility for data management
Key point: Authorise whoever is responsible for data management.
Agree who will be responsible, for which product groups, for the data entry, accuracy, and maintenance of the following types of data.
- Proposal brief. Usually commissioning editors
- Metadata. Sometimes managing editors, often editorial assistants
- Contract terms. Usually commissioning editors
- Contact information. Usually editorial assistants
- To-dos set-up. Usually editorial assistants, sometimes production
Who is responsible for your metadata, in your company? Ideally it’s someone senior, because your metadata is your shop front to the outside world. If data is incorrect in Consonance, it’s incorrect on Amazon, and around the supply chain.
If the person in charge of metadata is someone junior, that’s OK, but they need to have the authority that goes along with the role.
If the newest editorial assistant has to make sure all the data for all the works in their imprint are up to date by the close of every working day, that shows a great focus on the importance of metadata quality. But the rest of the company must also be aware that, when it comes to data for their titles, they now answer to this junior assistant. The assistant must have both the responsibility, and the authority, to actually do the job.
Look at all the roles in your company. Do they overlap? Do they conflict? How many people have been given the responsibility for tasks, but not the authority to deliver?
Read a complete article about responsibility vs authority.
2. Capture the concept early
Key point: Add product data to Consonance as soon as it is a publishing possibility.
Add product data immediately so your records are as complete as possible, and to plan your list efficiently and with insight.
- Add whatever information is available at the start of products’ lifecyles
- The originator of the idea adds the data to Consonance
- Do not type it up in Word or an email first
- Plan to add to the metadata as details become available on the run-up to publication
Read how to add products and titles to Consonance.
3. Manage the approval process
Key point: manage the approval decision in one place, for consistency and future reference.
The publication decision requires analysis, planning and informed judgement. The benefits of using Consonance to manage the approval process are as follows.
- Data is stored and presented in a consistent manner which makes it easier to assess competing proposals
- The structure provides a reminder of the detail that must be entered in order for a proposal to be comprehensive
To answer the question of whether this book fits your list, follow these steps.
- Make your editorial argument in a proposal brief
- Hold the acquisition meeting
- Publishing decision
Proposal brief
The proposal is the document in which the proposing editor makes the editorial and marketing-focussed case for the publication. Use this brief to gather all this information into a single document that can be circulated for comment and finally put to the editorial management team for their decision on whether to go ahead with the publication. It is a collection of information about the new book that includes its bare details, such as the title and subtitle, the editor who is proposing it, and the author, and marketing information. Download as a PDF document for printing or distribution.
Read how to create a proposal brief.
The acquisition meeting
Use a Pipeline to organise and run the acquisition meeting.
Read how to create and use a pipeline.
4. Manage the publication process
Key point: manage the publication process in one place, drawing in data from throughout the system, and see your to-do dates change as your contract, delivery and pub dates change.
There are hundreds of to-dos that need completing to get a book published. Use Consonance’s to-dos to plan and stay on track.
- Read about to-dos management.
- Manage issues as they arise on the Work overview page. Read how to manage issues.
Manage calendars
Export the dates on your to-dos into the iCal format, to see them in Outlook or Google Calendars. Read how to manage calendars.
5. Manage contracts and royalties
Key point: Consider contracts-to-royalties to be one process.
To provide a seamless experience for contributors and licensors, generate contract PDFs from Consonance. As well as storing the details of the agreement, the contracts contain royalty rates, which means there is no additional data entry for royalties.
- Once you have made the publishing decision, add the terms of your offer to the contract in Consonance
- Generate the PDF contract and send to the signatory
- Later, import sales and do a royalty run, generating batches of royalty statements in PDF.
Read how to add a contract template
Read how to import sales
Read how to calculate royalties
Read how to generate statements
6. Disseminate data
Key point: Export data in the most relevant format for its recipient.
- ONIX is a structured way of sharing book metadata, designed by the booktrade, for the booktrade. Incremental feeds avoid frequently sending enormous files.
- Excel spreadsheets are a more universally-accepted way to share information, if your recipient does not accept ONIX.
- Human-readable, well-designed PDFs are suitable for sales materials such as AIs, catalogues and rights guides.
- Use Consonance as the source of feeds to your website, distributors and printers.
[Ask us for support](mailto:@info@consonance.app) to set up ONIX feeds
Read how to set up your AI
Read how to create a product custom report
Read how to download covers
Read about our product API