Thinking
We think deeply about publishing: what traditions do we build on, where can we innovate, and how do we improve our craft? Here we share some of that journey.
Our process for your publishing project
Our team has been creating books and websites for over twenty years, so we’ve learned a lot about what works well. We invest heavily in up-front thinking, so that design and development work is fun, focused, and productive. Read more
Does publishing create change? It depends how the money moves.
Commercial publishing is funded by customers who have money and believe what you believe, so genuine change is a happy side-effect. Strategic publishing is very different. Read more
Accessible publishing is a journey, not a destination
Accessibility is a force that drives the creative process. It can’t be ‘on or off’, and it is not a separate to-do. Making your work more accessible is an integral part of being a better creator. Read more
Must-have fundamentals for publishing projects
These are the fundamental building-blocks of a successful publishing project. If they’re in place, you are on solid ground. And if not, your project is likely to falter. Read more
Creating book indexes in the age of ebooks
A good index at the back of a book is marvellous thing: an organised tree of concepts, mapped painstakingly to page numbers by a thoughtful human. How do we create good indexes in ebooks, where page numbers don’t even exist? Read more
What is strategic publishing?
Strategic publishing is publishing for strategic reasons, first and foremost. It’s not commercial publishing, where the primary aim is to sell books for money. Why is this difference important? Read more
The scale of the web, the authority of print
Today, effective strategic publishing depends on the scale of the web and the authority of print. How do you get both and what does it cost? Read more
Conversations in strategic publishing
Join us on Wednesdays for conversations about strategic publishing, hosted by Arthur Attwell. Bring your questions and experiences, or just come to listen, about making an impact with the books you publish. Read more
Why you love reading on paper (and what it means for ebooks)
There’s no denying the power and scale of publishing books on the web. Still, paper offers something that screens can’t: a physical journey. Read more
What is a book in the digital age?
In an age of websites, apps and ebooks, what is ‘bookness’, and does it matter? Yes. A book is a self-standing package of complex ideas. Read more
Researching new tech to monetize online content
The new web-monetization protocol is a potential antidote to an ad-driven Web. By researching its use on a range of open-access websites, we hope to learn and inspire others. Read more
A podcast on the art and science of making books
We’re excited to be supporting a new podcast called How Books Are Made, about the art and science of making books. Arthur Attwell will be speaking to book-making pioneers about design, production, marketing, distribution, and technology, and answering listener questions. These will be conversations for book lovers and publishing decision makers, whether you’re crafting books at a big company or a boutique publisher. Read more
How to start publishing digitally
You’ve decided that it’s time to try digital-first publishing: websites, ebooks, and print from a single source. Where should you start? Read more
Visualising the modern book-production process
Book production is changing. A growing number of publishers are embracing a new workflow that we call modern book production. Read more
Lockdown- and coronavirus-related projects
At Electric Book Works we’re lucky to be able to contribute to a few projects and resources related to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more
Six lessons from dysfunctional projects
Even with a good workflow, publishing projects go awry. Why? After decades running publishing projects, we use these six simple questions to diagnose problems and implement solutions. Read more
Should your publications be web books?
Your organisation does great work, and creates beautiful documents about it – but do people read them? To reach more people, is it worth creating dedicated web books instead? Here’s a simple calculator for measuring what you need. Read more
How we plan and cost publishing projects
Over many years and many projects, we’ve developed a process for planning and costing our work. It’s firm enough to rely on, and flexible enough to work across a wide variety of projects. A standard approach helps us draw on past experience, avoid skipping important steps, and ensure clarity and shared expectations. Read more
Electric Book links: game-changing books, mix-n-match artwork, and indie bookstores
Interesting links for forward-thinking publishers: a brave new book; a free, mix-and-match artwork gift; and the inside story of an indie bookstore. Read more
Electric Book links: publishing tools, music metadata, and medieval snails
Interesting links for forward-thinking publishers: an analysis of publishing tools, a musical metadata mess, and medieval snails. Read more
Electric Book links: reading without sight, vanishing ebooks, and a new reading app
Interesting links for forward-thinking publishers: an editor reckons with losing his sight, a timeline of publishing tech, and a role with our team. Read more
Electric Book links: beautiful epub designs, free children books, and two great jobs
Interesting links for forward-thinking publishers: famous epub designs, reflections on ebook history, and making beautiful, free books for children. Read more
Electric Book links: Palatial libraries, books as websites, and an Amazon paradox
Interesting links for forward-thinking publishers: Eric Klinenberg’s Palaces for the People, book design on the web, and publishers who love Amazon. Read more
Electric Book links: Mirrorworld, ancient page designs, and fixing ebooks
Interesting links for forward-thinking publishers: Kevin Kelly’s Mirrorworld, 14th century page designs, and adventures in ebook backlist maintenance. Read more
How are your book files backed up?
Many teams struggle to keep their production content safe and accessible. Archiving properly is hard. We’ve been making books for clients for thirteen years, and we hold ourselves to a high standard. Everything we produce is carefully archived and backed up online, offline, and off-site. Read more
Publishing a book from a Google Sheet
For Hands On Books, we produced print and ebook editions of the African Small Publishers’ Catalogue from a shared Google Sheet. Read more
Serial adventures in publishing technology
A conversation with John Pettigrew about Arthur Attwell’s adventures in publishing technology Read more
Changing fast and slow: the evolution of tech in book publishing
Is publishing technology really changing the book industry? Widespread change in publishing is actually really slow. We’re years from seeing a tipping point from traditional to digital-first systems, but the pressure is building. Read more
Fire and Lion joins Electric Book Works
This is a small, happy announcement: Fire and Lion is joining Electric Book Works. Actually, the two businesses already share the same team. We’re really just changing the name on the door. … Read more
Publishing research in useful formats
By publishing important research in website, ebook, print and PDF forms, education non-profit Saide massively increased the effectiveness of their research for only a 10 per cent increase in costs. Read more
Book production with CSS Paged Media
When we make books in multiple formats – print, epub, website, and app – we use HTML and CSS even for print layout. In this presentation to a PagedMedia.org meeting in Boston recently, I describe some of what we do, and talk about some of the challenges we’re tackling. Read more
Producing The Economy: a case study in multi-format book production
Very rarely, a book-maker gets to add new tricks to the 500-year-old craft of book-making. We got to do that in producing The Economy. Read more
I love you, InDesign, but it’s time to let you go
I love you, InDesign, but it’s time to let you go. We just can’t be together in a multi-format world. Read more
Three things every editor should know about modern publishing
Today, every passage you edit will sooner or later be read on screen. This digital world desperately needs our craft and high standards, but what does that mean for our daily work? Read more
The dilemma in self-publishing
What self-publishers miss is not skill, but the relationship between an author and a publisher. Read more