Speaking from Experience: Emily Gibson

Emily Gibson specialises in e-books, XML and digital content delivery and is one half of Corbas Consulting, with 15 years’ publishing experience, mostly in editorial, print and digital production. In addition to daily hands-on practice with XML, ePub and PDF QA, she has authored and built extensive specifications and guidelines, encompassing copyediting, XML, and production and editorial processes, for internal staff, freelancers and overseas vendors.

Emily teaches the digital production technologies and workflows section on The Digital Publisher – our three-day intensive course for digital publishing team leaders.

How did you get started in publishing?

I’ve been passionate about book production for as long as I can remember. As an editorial assistant back in the early 1990s, I edited a xyvision/SGML database merge for legal citations, but soon diversified and have since been a copyeditor, production editor, development editor, managing editor and writer. I’ve rolled all this experience into one package and now work as a trainer and consultant. Basically, I am and have always been a professional geek.

What is the biggest lesson you have learnt?

Outsourcing may cost less on paper, but often costs more in the long run due to increased management time and less control over the process and quality of the product. This headache can be mitigated if you understand the technologies and workflow and have established quality assurance processes in place. A good overseas supplier is worth their weight in gold!

What project are you most proud of?

One of the most exciting projects I’ve done was setting up the XML-first digital production workflow for Bloomsbury Academic back in 2009, when e-books were in their infancy and most mainstream publishers had never considered XML.

Why do you think tutoring for the PTC is important?

The PTC is the voice of the publishing industry – sharing our knowledge and experience will make the whole publishing ecosystem stronger. I hope that learners will come away from my session knowing that there’s always something new around the corner, and know how to reach for the next amazing opportunity!

Your biggest prediction for the industry this year:

This year publishers will learn how to truly “think digitally” as tablet-based readers begin to overtake e-ink readers.