Tutor focus - Nigel Green
Nigel Green is from an editorial background in maths publishing with Heinemann. From there he moved in to project management, leading teams to produce electronic products ranging from CD-ROMs through to subscription-based online delivery systems. After 10 years in publishing, he now runs his own business providing editorial, project management and content development services. Nigel has recently joined the PTC as a tutor, and teaches a brand new course called Developing and Managing Digital Products, adding to our fast growing portfolio of electronic publishing courses.
Developing and Managing Digital Products is a brand new course to the PTC. How did it come about?
I met Orna O’Brien and Catherine Barnes at the BETT show in January, and we discussed the potential training needs of people moving over from print-based publishing into more software-focussed roles. Coming from a project management role it seemed clear to me that there was a gap in training provision at this level, and that there was a need to demystify some of the differences between software projects and 'traditional' (i.e. print-based) projects.
Why would you say this course is so necessary at the moment?
Delivery of content in electronic form is becoming a standard now – both as stand-alone content and to supplement print-based content. As companies start to publish in new media their staff need to be aware of the differences in approach between them, and also the many similarities. Most editorial staff will find that the skills they have learnt to deal with print-based products transfer well to electronic, and this course aims to provide enough background to the whole process that people will be confident that they can tackle any type of project.
Who is the course aimed at? And how will it benefit them?
The course is aimed at people new to working with electronic products. It is not intended to teach the publishing basics so will assume some knowledge and experience of working in publishing. The course will give an overview of the different types of products people may work on, and the processes thay can use to do this. The main benefit will be the overview the course gives of the main problems that may be encountered, and provide a toolkit of ideas and processes that people can use to deal with those problems. We will be using case studies throughout the course to illustrate the products and processes with real-world examples.
Whilst planning the course, how did you research for the content?
A lot of the material is drawn from personal experience of working with electronic products over the last 7–8 years. I have interviewed professionals from a range of publishing companies who have already been through the process of switching from print-based to electronic publishing. The focus throughout the research has been on getting real-world advice from people who have been in the same situation as the target audience for the course.
The publishing industry has survived for hundreds of years without electronic publishing. What do you think electronic publishing has done for the industry and will continue to do?
I think ‘electronic publishing’ is probably an artificial distinction now as even print-based publications will (generally) have a content workflow that is largely digital. I see developing content digitally as a natural evolution of the publishing industry to take advantage of new technologies. Although the process of creating inspiring and innovative content will remain largely the same, digital processes can reduce the creation and distribution times greatly. I think the future is exciting for companies that recognise how to use new technology to enhance, rather than dictate, their content. As has always been the case though, great content is the key regardless of the mechanism used to deliver it.
Was publishing a career you had always set your sights on?
I came to publishing quite late, and it was more of a happy accident than a lifelong dream. I went back to University as a mature student and got to know some people who worked for Heinemann publishers while I was there. I started in their customer services department when I left Uni and waited for an editorial opening to come up that I could move into. I was fortunate to join as the first wave of CD products were starting to take off and I have stuck with electronic publishing ever since.
After 10 years of working in publishing, you set up your own company. What made you decide to do this?
I think the main drive was to set up the kind of company that I always wanted to outsource work to when I was project managing, but never quite found. At the same time my interest in the ‘techy’ side of e-publishing was growing, and I was missing the more hands-on work that I no longer got to do as a project manager. I saw that there was a niche for a company who understood the content development process both from the project management/publishing side and from the content/software development side. Green Lemur was set up to deliver this service.
What has been the biggest challenge of your career?
The biggest challenge to me was working to find processes and systems to deliver electronic content at a time when there was no real experience to draw on. Most of the early projects I managed were first-of-their-kind at the time they were being developed which meant that we were often inventing processes as we were trying to implement them. A very challenging time, but one of the most rewarding of my career as there was a real sense of achievement when things went well.
What are your plans for the future?
I would like to grow Green Lemur as a business, and for us to build a reputation as a reliable, professional and innovative company. Having the chance to run this course for the Publishing Training Centre is a real pleasure for me as it will ensure that I stay in touch with what people need from suppliers and what the issues and challenges that face publishing companies are.
What advice would you give to those in publishing moving from a print background to a digital environment?
Don’t get too bogged down in trying to understand all of the technical issues (but make sure you know whose job it is to understand them!). Use the experience and tools you already have and don’t assume that there is a whole new set to learn – at heart the job is still about developing quality content to meet a need of your customers, whether they receive it in print or on screen.
